Decatur County Journal Leon, Iowa Thursday, October 19, 1911 'Mrs. Willard Rush, who Killed her Husband, is Now Being Tried at Hampton' ------------------------------------- The trial of Mrs. W.A. RUSH, who shot and killed her husband, a former Leon boy, at their home in Sheffield on August 4th, started last week at Hampton. It will be remembered that Mrs. Rush on the afternoon of August 4th, entered the depot at Sheffield where her husband was employed as agent and soon afterwards came running from the building crying to some people near that she had shot and killed her husband. A physician was quickly summoned but he found Mr. Rush dead upon his arrival. Mrs. Rush claimed that she had shot in self defense after the two had quarreled over the alleged attentions that Mr. Rush was showing Miss Lulu Warner, a telephone operator at the local exchange in that place. Mrs. Rush was taken to the home of a friend where she was in a hysterical condition for some days. She was placed under arrest upon a charge of murder and was given her liberty under bonds of $10,000 which surety was furnished by a number of the people of Sheffield. Later when the grand jury was in session she was indicted upon a charge of murder. The trial started last week and the people all over the state are taking a great interest in the case. Some of the daily papers have special representatives at the trial who are furnishing daily reports of the proceedings to their papers. Nothing sensational was developed during the testimony until Saturday when George Gerdes, a farmer living near Sheffield, testified that on August 2nd, he was in Sheffield late at night to purchase a sack of flour. He was compelled to awaken the merchant to get it and in doing so passed the Short Line depot where Mr. And Mrs. Rush lived on the second floor. As he was passing he said that he saw Mr. Rush's back at the window. He testified that Mr. Rush was quarreling with his wife and told her that he would continue his attentions to Miss Warner and threatened her if she interfered. Mr. Gerdes said that he had not told anyone until last Friday when he told the merchant of whom he purchased the flour, of the matter and the next morning he had told Attorney Andrews. ------------------------------------------------ Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert December 6, 2009 [email protected] My Note: Aha!! No wonder the misses shot him.. I'm still impressed with the accuracy of the one shot through the heart... He was a scoundrel!