Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-11-24
DEsFERATE WIFE MURDERER.
ColOreA Barber Initiates Sonuem.
fel1s's Bleedy Deed.


he PURSUES HIS WIFE IN rHE STREETS AND
SHOOTS HER DOWN ON THE SIDEWALK
ANorHER SHOCKING TRAGEDY 1S xAsr
wASHIN1T0N.
Richard Lee, q colored barber, and member
Of the South Washington band, OF which his
brother "Jen" IL leader, is behind the bars at
the eighth precinct station-house in East Wash
ington, charged with numbering his wife. The
tragedy occurred shortly before 10 O'Clock last
night Mary Lee, the wife, was neat-lookfng
colored woman about thirty years old. she
left her husband during the past summer. and
was living with her sister, Lucy Williams. at
No. 400 X street southeast-a two-story frame
house, facing the Baltimore & Potomac railroad.
just two squares from the mouth of the tunnel.
Lee was sarrested about three months ago by
Officer Smoot for assaulting his wife. but she
fOrgave him for the assault, and upon her re-
fusal to prosecute him the case was dismissed.
Lee did not trouble his wife any more until
this week, when his frequent visits to the
neighborhood alarmed her. He did not call at
before 8 O'Clock he knocked at the door and WAS
invited to come in. As Lee entered the back
room where his wife and the other occupants
of the house were sitting around the stove. he
addressed his wife by saying: II thought you
were going into mourning because you had so
Her sister, Mrs. Williams, noticing he was
under the influence of liquor and in a quarrel.
some mood,
ORDERED HIM TO LEAVE
the house and never to return unless he could
come without quarreling. Lee said he wanted
to see the children, anyhow, but finally left. A
brought Mrs. Williams to the second-story
front window. She left her husband, Mrs. Lee,
Maggie Campbell and Susie Powers sitting by
the fireside in the back room on the first door.
As Mrs. Williams raised the window she IN
CURED. who's there?" and Lee replied, "Dick -
Dick said to see my wife @o an SS ehi Sen
and l intend to bang at this door all night
unless you let me in.h A moment later the
keeper of the lock on the door fell to the floor
and Dick entered the house.
TWO SHOTS AT THE WRONG WOMAN
In the front room he was met by Maggie
Campbell, who looks very much like his wife,
and he evidently thought for the time she was
his wife, tor he began firing a pistol. sending
one bullet towards Maggie, who lodged and
ran under his uplifted arm into the street and
started towards the tunnel. He fired a second
shot at her as she ran. She went rs far as the
Watchman's box on the railroad and took ref
uge.
Lee passed from the front door through the
front room, and arriving at the door leading to
chair before the fire with a two-year-old child
IN her arms. He Immediately fired one shot at
her, upon which she started towards the
stairs closely followed by her husband who fired
second shot at her. The room was dark Two
Oh tneir children were asleep in bed. Mrs. Lee
pursuing her She fed from the house TO the
corner OF 4th street. a distance of more than
one hundred feet. Her husband was still fol-
her excitement and bewilderment again re-
crossed IT, during which time he fired two
shots. AS She ran she called out, "OA, Dick,
oon't Kill me-" She had reached the pavement
In front of No. Oh 4th street, when a young
colored man passed. Lee then fired the seventh
ana last shot over this mans shoulder.
SHOT DOWN IN THE STREET.
This struck her in front of her right ear. She
fell, striking her head on the curbstone, which
made an ugly cut on her forehead that bled
freely. Lee then left the scene. and going up
4th street and turning the corner of G entered
DIR. Chas. Hawkins drug store. He did not APP
entered the store. He coolly asked for some
cartridges, which he was informed they did not
Keep. He then left. Some people carried the
Rogers was summoned. The woman died,
however o's Just as the physician entered the
respectively ., B and years of age. She has
borne an excellent reputation. She was soon TO
become mother.
THE ARREST OF LEE.
After the shooting two men ran to the police
station and informed Lieut.. Boteler of the
occurrence. Police officers who were sent to
the house met Officers Rank and Allen who
were at the corner of New jersey avenue and
street when they heard the shots. Word was
telegraphed to all the stations to arrest Lee
sergeant Mulhall and Officers Wilson, Blsfl-
ford and Thompson, of the eighth precinct
went at once to HOward'S row, on T. street.
between South Capitol and LIST streets, and
the house of Minnie West. He was taken to
the eighth precinct and locked up.
THE MURDERER's LOVE OF STRONG DRINK
THE CAUSE OF HIS TROUBLES.
This morning the prisoner was brought up to
headquarters from the eighth precinct station in
the patrol wagon, and his name and description
having been entered in the record, he was taken
70 the photograph gallery and his picture OBJ
tanned, after which he was taken back to the
Judson Lee and age at 30. He measures feet
inches in height, and weighs las pounds and
was put down as of light-brown complexion
hand and some peck marks on the face Lee
while his description was being taken, several
times shed tears freely. He was born and raised
is South Washington and learned the trade of
barber. To many he was better known by the
name of Dick Sparrow than by his true name
employed most OF the time in South Washing
ton, and has been for some years the clarionet
player in the South Washington band. He has
since his boyhood been addicted to drink and
at times went on sprees for days at a time. His
family.
The Coroner's Inquest.
Coroner Patterson to-day summoned the fol-
lowing jury of inquest: VIM. C. Harper, James
Clary. VIM. e. Wise. Allen T. Boswell, Dennis
Callahan and VIM. H. Thompson.
The jury, after inspecting the scene of the
tragedy and viewing the body, assembled at
one O'clock at the eighth precinct station
where they heard testimony.
Joseph Williams, cOlored, testified that about
quarter to ten o'clock last night he met Lee at
nue. southeast Lee said TO him, "Well, joe
have shot my wife, have shot my sister and,
if had some more cartridges would go back
and kill the whole ID kit of them" He
showed the witness the pistol that, he said, he
had shot them with. Lee emptied all of the
cartridge shells out of the pistol, showing that
they had all been fired. The pistol was a five
shooter. Witness left him then and went on
his way.
Susie Powell, an unmarried sister of the dead
first about 10 o'clock, and seemed then quite
pleasant Witness was playing on. Lee went
through the front room to the room where her
sister was. Then he returned to the front
and took hold of her brother, and
wanted to waltz with MIN. Her brother
said he did not waltz. Then Lee went into the
back room, sat down and talked with his wife,
the witness sister, but witness did not know
what he said. Lucy " illiams, another sister,
who rented the house, and who was absent
when Lee on came to the s,a. house then
talking roughly to his wife, and Lucy
told him that she would not have
any trouble there; and that ii he could not be-
have himself she would rather he would leave
Then Lee begged pardon for what he had said
fore he returned. He raped at the door
good many times. Witness sister Lucy
went up stairs and spoke to him from q WIN
dow. He said he wanted to see Mary, his wife.
She told him that he could not see her. He
said he wanted tn see her and WOuld 600 her