Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-10
THE CHARGE is MURDER
Columbus Pearson Must Answer for John L.
Ford's Death.
The Latter Dies Mt the Emerrenc,
Hospital From the EMccts Sf
the Old Mans BALLET.

who. was shot Friday evening last by CO.
lumbus Pearson at the house of the latter
in Cissers alley. situated between 32d ana
Potomac and Grace and Water streets,
Geor setown died at the Emergency Hos
pital this morning from the effects of mis-
wounds. Pearson, who did not attempt to
escape after shooting Ford. and who claim
ed to have acted in self-defense. is In jail.
and the charge of attempted murder against
I i'm was changed to that of murder when
the authorities were apprised of his vic
TINS death.
The e. use of the shooting was alleged by
Pearson to have grown out of young Ford's
attentions to Mrs. Cooper who was Fear
son houSekeeper. 1t was said that Ford
and the woman were very intimate and
that Pearson. who has wife and family
residing on list street near l. northwest
with whom he has not lived for several
years. objected to it. Ford. however con-
tnued to call frequently at the house de-
spite Fearson's warnings. and a week ago
last Saturday the men had an alteration
In which Ford struck his older rival with
a stone
The next day Pearson again warned Ford
not to come to his house and {, spla wing a
pistol, declared he would shoot Ford if ne
dld SO. To this the latter retorted that he
would call on Mrs. Cooper when he pleased.
Story of the Shooting.
Last Friday afternoon Ford spent some
time with Mrs. Cooper in Fearson's house
ieaVing about q o'clock. He returned short
~ oeIore O'Clock. and stood on the out
SIDE whistling for the woman 1t is said
mat While Ford was thus engaged Fear
son raised a window and fired two shots
from revolver. Ford fell to the nave
ment and dragged himself to the front of
the Pearson house. where he became I'M
conscious and was picked up a few min
utes later by the police and removed to
Emergency Hospital
AT that Institution ii was foupd ,b.+ o,o
OF the shots had taken effect. the ball on
tering the right side of the abdomen. tear
ing through the bladder and intestines and
iooslng on the left side under the sk:n,
immediate steps were taken to saw, Ford. :
lie, and an operation was performed hut
ne was beyond medical relief. and sank
steadily until death came this morning.
Turing MS conscious periods he said moth
ing OF the ARRAY, save to declare that his
PACK was turned when the shots were fired
lie was Kept alive by TRANSMISSION rallyfpg
somewhat Saturday evening but YESTERDAY
| ne became deiirious, and his parents and
ms brother and sister were summoned 10
mis- bedside. Ford was a blacksmith Inv
trade. and resided at 1896 Jefferson street
with his sister. His intimacy with the
oooper woman was known to his family.
ana ne was repeatedly urged TO break il
on, but declined. Persons living in The vi
clnity OF Cissers alley also saw the course
a1Iairs We're taking. and were expecting a
cuimination OF them like that reached
The Principals In the Tragedy
Columbus Pearson, or "Lum." as he is
lamfi1arly called, is well known to the no.
llce He was connected with several At
| iairs Of an alleged disreputable nature IN
past years. and it is claimed that by turn
Ing states evidence in 1873 he sent the
other principals in the robbery OF the pay
masters boat on the Chesapeake and Ohio
canal to the penitentiary for long terms
VI late he Is said to have been leading a
better life and following his occupation,
which is that of a rigger. Pearson is nearly
sixty-five years old.
Mrs. Lille NJ. Cooper. over whom the
dlfncuty arose. is 4 good-iooking woman
about thirty years old. who left her hus-
| band. an engineer on the L. S. battle ship
Maine. year and half ago and had been
iVlng with Pearson for the last six months
she met Ford three months ago Mrs
cooper disappeared after the shooting and
| her present whereabouts are unknown.
Pearson Unmovesl.
today that Ford was dead he made no
| special comment on 1t, merely reiterating
his declaration that he had fired in self
! defense to protect himself from a threat
ened attack by the dead boy.
Coroner Hammett will hold an inquest on
Ford's body at the Emergency Hospital at
IL O'Clock tomorrow morning The police
are searching for Mrs. Cooper who is re-
garded as a most important witness
Deputy Coroner GlaZebrook will hold An
autopsy to determine the exact cause of
Death.