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125 Years Ago, 1901, transcribed as originally published in the Youngstown Vindicator:
"Murder in first degree the indictment returned against Anne L. Allen. First time in history of Mahoning County that such a count has been returned against a woman."
"Murder in the first degree. For the first time in the history of Mahoning County a grand jury has returned such an indictment against a woman.
"Such a bill was found in the case of Mrs. Anne L. Allen, who is charged with the killing of her husband, James Allen, on August 7 of the present year. The indictment reads as follows:
"'The jurors of the grand jury of the county of Mahoning, state of Ohio, then and there duly empaneled, sworn and charged to enquire of and present all offenses whatever, committed within the limits of said county, on their oaths, in the name and by the authority of the state, do find and present that Annie Allen, late of said county, on the 7th day of August, in the year 1901, at the county of Mahoning aforesaid, in and upon one James Allen, there and then being unlawfully, purposely and of deliberate and premeditated malice, did make an assault in a menacing manner, with intent him, the said James Allen, unlawfully, purposely and of deliberate and premeditated malice to kill and murder; and that the said Annie Allen, a certain pistol then and there charged with gun powder and leaden bullets, which said pistol she, the said Annie Allen, then and there in her right hand had and held, then and there, unlawfully, purposely and of deliberate and premeditated malice did discharge and shoot off to against and upon the said James Allen, with the intent aforesaid; and that the said Annie Allen, with the leaden bullets aforesaid, out of the pistol aforesaid, by force of the gun powder aforesaid, by the said Annie Allen, then and there discharged and shot off as aforesaid, him, the said James Allen, in and upon the right side of the head, right side of the neck, and right side of the back of the back of him, the said Annie Allen, then and there unlawfully, purposely and of deliberate and premeditated malice, did strike, penetrate and wound with the intent aforesaid, thereby, then and there giving to him, the said James Allen, certain mortal wounds as follows: one on the right side of the head three-eighths to one-half inch in depth; one in the right side of the neck, three inches in depth; one on the right side of the back, five inches in depth, of which said mortal wounds he, the said James Allen, then and there died; and so the jurors aforesaid on their oaths aforesaid do say that the said Annie Allen, him, the said James Allen, in the manner and by the manner aforesaid, unlawfully, purposely and of deliberate and premeditated malice, did kill and murder, contrary to the statute in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the state of Ohio.'
"The jurors arrived at this conclusion after close examination of almost 30 persons, which work occupied a day and a half. While not one of these were eye witnesses to the alleged tragedy, their testimony linked together appears to have formed a chain of strong circumstantial evidence.
"When Mrs. Allen was informed of the finding of the grand jury she exhibited no outward sign that would indicate what passed through her mind. She said she was not surprised and dismissed her informant with the statement that her case was in the hands of her attorneys."
-- Compiled by Dante Bernard, museum educator at the Mahoning Valley Historical Society