Decatur County Journal Leon, Iowa Thursday, October 26, 1911 Mrs. W.A. RUSH, who shot and killed her husband, a former Leon boy, in the depot at Sheffield on August 4th, was given her freedom by a jury at Hampton Tuesday afternoon of last week. The Journal has given the facts concerning the tragic death of Mr. Rush, the arrest of Mrs. Rush and her release on $10,000 bonds furnished by a number of residents of Sheffield, and the beginning of the trial at Hampton, from time to time. The following account of the close of the case appeared in the Des Moines Register and Leader on Wednesday morning, October 18: Mrs. ALETA RUSH is free. After being out thirty-five minutes, the twelve men who had heard the testimony in the charge of the state that she was guilty of the murder of her husband, filed back into the jury box here this afternoon and declared that they had reached a verdict of not guilty. The verdict came after the case had been brought to an early termination following the close of the testimony of Mrs. Rush. During the day she established the fact that three weeks before the date upon which he was shot her husband threatened her life. This was almost the closing bit of testimony. When Mrs. Rush concluded her testimony the defense rested. County Attorney Clock made a short statement of the case to the jury, expecting the most of the argument to be made by Attorney Liggett, his assistant. Attorney Andrews, of the defense, waived his right to speak bringing the case to a sudden end. The instructions were read to the jury and they filed out of the court room for their deliberations. According to court room gossip, three ballots were taken. The first of these resulted 10 to 2 for acquittal. The second lacked a single vote of being unanimous and on the third ballot the entire jury voted for acquittal. Mrs. Rush, for a few minutes after the announcement sat still. She seemed dazed at the short time in which the jury returned the verdict. She received the congratulations of her friends quietly and with evident embarrassment. Later she left the court room, and remained with friends here over night. She expects to return immediately to southwestern Iowa where she has made her home since the death of her husband. ------------------------------------------------------ Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert December 7, 2009 [email protected] My Notes: Go Girl!!!!!! And with an all male jury, no less.......