Rensselaer Union, Volume 1, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 November 1868 — SHOOTING AFFRAY. [ARTICLE]

SHOOTING AFFRAY.

A Man Shot In Thirty-two Places—A Woman In the Case. (From ths Peoria Transoript, — A desperate shooting affray took place on Sunday morning last, in Havana, Mason ceunty. by which John Bennett was desperately 1 wounded. It appears that there is a widow woman named Steen living in Havana. This woman has a daughter Mary Jane Styen, and, a man uqmed Jaiyes Young, it is said, has been keeping her for the last six months. For several evenings during the last week, boyfl and young men have been in the habit of stoning Mrs. Steen’s house. She to a constable and made complaint; and the constable gave her a revolver and told her to shoot the first man who disturbed the housL On the morning in question, at about three o’clock, two young men named George Harrison and John Bennett went to the house apd asked to see Mary Jane Steeii. Tip old lady asked them if they could speijK to her from where they stood. Benuetoflaid “no,” and rapped hard on the door. ■ The door was opened from the inside. Bennett declares he did not break it open, and he stepped inside and received a charge of tine shot under the right shoulder, thirty-twee of the shot piercing his breast. When the shot was -fired Mrs-. Steen screamed, “My God, you have killed him.” Bennett replied, “No you haven’t. It was that Jim Young who shot me. and I can whip him the best day he ever saw.” Harrison ran for assistance, and while he was gone Bennett called to others for assistance.

A crowd gathered, and the wounded man was taken to John Miller’s livery stawas attended by Drs. Martin and Doffenburger. Op the way down he claimed that Young was the man who shot him, but the Steen family say that it was done by a son of Mrs. Steen’s--a lad about 19 years of age—and of an unsound mind. They say that Young was not in the house that night, and that Stem fired the shot. Bennett was taken to his brothers house the next day, where ho now lies. The doctors say that he cannot possibly recover, and it is thought that he will die before morning. When asked how he is getting along be- answers, "Oh I’m gone up. ” Young was arrested and placed under amination, which comes off to-d iy. Steen was lodged in jail. Sunday afternoon Young requested to sec Bennett, in order to ask him if he thought he (Young) was the man who shot him, but the doctor refused to allow him to do so. Young has a brother in Havana who is a respectable man—a carpenter. Young himself has been engaged driving team for Low & Foster, lumber dealers. Bennett has a brother, a tinner, also a respectable man. Bennett is also a tinner, and has been working for his brother for the last two years, and was well thought of. The Steens were bad characters. Young’s family deny that he was at the house that day.