*Note: We gain clues to our ancestors through these clippings and to the trials they experinced*

A Father's Anger

Aroused to Such a Pitch that He Persistantly Attempts to Take his Son's Life

Judge Williams has recommended and District attorney Peck has named M. A. Hackley. of Belleville , to look into the assault and battery case that is reported t o have been made Sunday morning last by Menzo Littlefield on his seventeen -year-old son Roy. Mr. Hackley will enter at once into a thorough investigation of the case. The account of the affair which the Times published yesterday is substantially correct, the affair originating in the desire of the boy Roy to do some work at the barn. As the story is told by those who are acquainted with the facts Is that Roy owns a cream-colored pony which it is difficult to keep clean. Sunday morning he proposed to heat some water to clean his horse, to which proceeding the father seriously objected. The boy went to the barn followed by his father and an altercation ensued. Before the trouble had ended Roy had struck his father a very light blow on the chest. His father caught Roy by putting his hand into the boy's mouth and, clutching his lip , abused his son, who retaliated with a heavy blow on his father's face. Mrs. Littlefield appeared on the scene, and getting between the two combatants, separated them.

Menzo Littlefield went to the house, returning with a rifle, apparently with the purpose of shooting his son Mrs. Littlefield, standiug In front of the youth to shield him, urged the boy to run. Roy escaped out the
back door of the barn, the father failing to carry out his intention of firing because his wife was in the way. But Menzo ran out the front door of the barn and shot with the rifle pointed at the young man. The son heard the bullet whistle by him, hung around about the house till his father put the rifle up, and then went and got the weapon and destroyed its shooting powers. Meantime Mrs. Littlefield, entirely exhausted by tbe excitement and the struggle to keep the father and son apart, managed to get back to the house and to bed, where the boy finally found her in great pain. He was giving her what attention he could, as Menzo appeared at the doorway with a rollingpin. Advancing toward the boy. he delivered two heavy blows with the cudgel upon the youth's head, striking his wife once by mistake across the lower limbs. The boy again escaped and ran for his life to a neighbor's house half a mile away, where his wounds were dressed. Afterwards he proceeded to the home of hi s uncle, H. H. Johnson, in Belleville, where he has since remained. The father, it is claimed, still asserts that he will kill his boy.

Menzo Littlefield is a farmer owning a small farm about a mile and a half from Belleville. He is said to be a dyspeptic and irritable in temper. It is alleged that Dr. Johnson, of Adams, a brother of Mrs. Littlefield, at one time had cause for complaint as to Littlefield's treatment of his wife.

Mr. Hackley will examine into tbe case, and if it is found the father possesses that degree of hatred in his heart towards his son as might result in bodily harm to the latter, legal steps will be taken without
delay to prevent a repitition of such a scene as that which has excited the intensest interest of Belleville Villagers for the past few days.

THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 1890
Watertown Daily Times

In the matter of the petition in the case of Roy Littlefield, an alleged indigent insane person, after bearing testimony of Drs. Johnson and Gose. of Adams, and of Menzo B. Littlefield. father of Roy. The court granted an order declaring him an indigent insane person and directing that he be taken to the asylum at Ogdensburg. Roy is 19 years old. His father, Menzo owns a small farm near Belleville, this county, and has three
other children, one a cripple aged 15. Roy will be taken to the state asylum.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1892.

Watertown Daily Times

from www.fultonhistory.com