Evening star., 1896-10-06
A Jealous Husband Fires Three Times
at His Wife.
ABE MIDDLETON In CUSTODY
An Exciting Chase Over Fences,
Streets and Commons.
WIFE MAY RECOVE

rapid succession caused any amount of
citement in the neighborhood Of 7th and c
southeast about noon today. The reports
were m ade by pistol in the hands Of Abe
Middleton, colored, who had made a desper-
ate effort to end the life of the woman who
only three weeks ago had become the
mother OF his child
Murder" cried some one In the house,
and before the cry had left the mouth of
the one who had made an effort to attract
attention a crowd had commenced to gath
er about the house. Gertrude Middleton,
the wife, who had received a painful wound
in the left side of the neck, then managed
to make her way to the front street, but
she was so exhausted from the shock that
she fell on the front porch.
Policeman Ellsworth was promptly on
| hand, and, while he was making a search
| of the house, the would-be murderer slipped
| out the door, passing by his wife, and then
| started to leave for parts unknown. AS lie
passed her he said:
Il m going for DOCTOR"
Mr.. Robb resident of No. 2n1 East Cap
| itol street, the first one to reacn the
! house, and ne was beside the injured wo-
| man, doing the best he could fer her when
| her husband came out and departed in a
| hurry
| The officer went in pursuit of the fugi-
| tive and soon had enlisted the services of
| number of citizens la the pursuit. Through
! vacant lots, over fences and through back
yards the fugitive made his way, until he
| reached Massachusetts avenue between 9tn
| and 10th Streets and there he was cap
| tured by Mr.. c. c. Wilkerson, an Evening
| Star route agent, and turned over TO Po-
| liceman Yates. who only a few feet
| away. This officer had joined in the pu1-
| suit when he heard that the fleeing man
| had committed murder.
| The Injured Woman.
Il shot her," said the prisoner, because
| she was too familiar with my brother
| Charlie
| While the exciting pursuit was going on.
| the injured woman was removed to Provi-
dence Hospital, and there the doctors were
unable to locate the bullet without making
| a complete examination.
| They thought, however, that the piece of
! lead had become imbedded in the f1eshy
| part of the neck, and would not result
! fatally. The patient objected to being oper-
| ated upon, and was very inquisitive about
| the course the doctors would pursue.
| Jealousy caused the crime, and the man
had indulged in little liquor, in order to
put him in condition TO fire the weapon.
| He is laborer, twenty-six years old, and
Is employed at the Washington Brick Ma
! chine Eompany's works in Northeast WASH
| ington This morning, when he went to
werk, he left his wife and child at home.
His brother Charlie, who lives in the same
! house, was also there. Instead of working
all day, he returned home about dinner
time, and when he went in the kitchen he
saw his wife and child and his brother
Charlie.
The woman, who had, unfortunately, be-
| come the wife of the jealous minded man
was washing the baby, and his brother
Charlie was eating dinner.
| Going upstairs, Abe got his revolver and
returned to the kitchen, and without mo-
ments warning the three shots were fired
at his wife. She dropped the baby when
! the third bullet from the pistol struck her
and ran to the door, while her brother-in-
law, badly frightened and excited made an
effort to get out of the way.
Terribly Jealous.
The house in which the shooting occurred
is at 1ol 1th street, at the southeast corner
OF the two streets It is a two-story frame
structure and all the afternoon has beer
visited by crowds Of curious persons who
were anxious to learn something of the
tragedy.
, Abe Middleton. the prisoner, had alway
been an inoffensive man so far as the DO
lice knew, for he had never been arreste.
for any offense more serious than an or
dinary disorder. But his home life it
{ said was not so pleasant. And this wa
t ! all because of his being so Jealous rntnde
person. He had made repeated threat
!, against his wifes life, SO it is said, but sh
| mao never Deile|tQ niin dangerous and ha
| not had him arrested.
! Charlie Middleton. the brother, who live
in the house with them, is an industriou
| young man and neighbors do not believ
5 the serious charge made against him b
I | his brother who is now under arrest
| When Abe went in the house today ther
1 was certainly nothing wrong, but enrage
3 | because of jealousy and infiamed wit
8 whisky, he probably could not see as other
t could and probably imagined he had som
cause for using his weapon.
His brother upon learning the reason
assigned for the shooting said it was ridic
ulous for him to have even imagined sue
s thing, for certainly there had been n
Y improper relations existing between hi
sister-in-law and himself.
The charge against the prisoner is a
% tempted murder, and this charge will nc
l. be changed unless the woman dies. A
the hospital late this afternoon the dot
# tors could see no reason for believing til
woman was in immediate danger, and thel
,, is reason to believe she will recover.
u Although the prisoner says he shot at hi
wife, the police think it was his intentio
n to kill his brother also, but he had to fe
. from the house SO soon that he was afrai
to attempt the second life The infant wa
J. being cared for by friends of the Middl.
: tons this afternoon, and will probably b
10 sent to some institution pending the II
covery of its mother