Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-13
Murder of William Lee, Colored, by
William Stump.
The ACCUSED man ARRESTED
Alleges That Lee Threatened to
Cut Off His Head.


| What is alleged to be of the most
1 cold -blooded murders in the criminal annals
| of the District occurred yesterday after
| noon shortly after o'clock in Georgetown,
| in which William Stump. a white man,
| aged thirty-fve shot and fatally wounded
| William Lee, colored, of about the same
| age. The shooting occurred in small
| frame shanty known No. = Coopershop
alley. a small thoroughfare opening into
| 32d street, east side, between the canal
| and X Water street. 1t was witnessed
| 1t is said. by only one person outside of the
| participants, and he was Edward Owens
| an aged colored man who lived in the place.
| Stump did not attempt to escape, and
when the police arrived on the scene short
| ly before o'clock he was arrested without
| any difficulty. He was taken to the
| station and charged with assault with in
| tent to kill. Lee was removed to the George
! town University Hospital in the patrol
| wagon. He was suffering greatly from the
| wound, and an attempt made to locate
| the bullet. but 1t was unsuccessful. At 9:1D
| O'Clock he died from the effects of the
! wound and the charge against Stump was
| changed to that of murder. Owens was
| taken in custody, to be he'd as a United
| States witness.
| The only statements of the tragedy which
! can be secured are from the prisoner and
! Owens. Neither assigns a reason for the
! shooting, and the excuse which Stump
| offers seems to be most trivial. The pris-
| oner takes the matter coolly, and laughed
ana chatted with Star reporter this morn
| ing. He stated that he sorry he shot
| Jim. as he had been an old boyhood friend
of his.
| Alleged Threats.
| According to Stumps story Lee threat
| eneG to cut his head off and that as soon
as these words were uttered he reached
under the pillow of bed and drew out a
fired twice. He claimed this morning that
when Lee made the threat both We're sit
ting down. Lee with his back to him. When
Lee attempted to get up from the chair the
tatal shot was fired. Stump admitted that
ne mad been drinking. but was not drunk
and that Lee was in about the same con-
diti0H as he was
stump said they had been friendly dur
ing the day, and ate breakfast together
After the meal he went to the stables TO
see about work, and came home by way of
NJ street, stopping at the market house TO
get few turnips and some meat for din
ner Before he left he gave Lee some
money to get something to drink and thnn
sent him over in Rossiyn to see about a
play in policy. Lee had left the house
when Stump returned. He peeled the tur-
nlDs and left cd man Owens to cut the
meat up. while he went after a bucket If
beer The TWO drank the beer, and the
kettle and china cups were left on the
table when Lee returned.
cups being left on the table. 1t was over
this that the shooting occurred Stump
TOOK exceptions to the remarks and reach
ed under the pillow Of Lees bed. secured
the revolver and fired at Lee, whose back
was turned to him The ball entered be-
low the kidneys and remained fmbedded.
Stump claims he does not remember eS-
actly what followed after the shooting He
went out in front and had the pistol still
in his hand. Remembering this he went
up on the front porch and left it there. He
sta ted that Owens told him to run, as the
police would get him if he didn't but he
replied that he would make no effort to es-
cape. Shortly after Sergeant James Con-
lon and Policeman Daniel Connors took
him in custody.
Stump, it seems. a boarder at Lees
house, and paid s. a month for a bed He
was out of work. his boat. the Templar
being tied up at Alexandria. Three years
ago Lee and Stump operated a boat on the
canal.
Witness Owens Statement.
Owens makes statements which do not
tally exactly with those of the prisoner.
Owens stated to a Star reporter that Pete,
the nickname of Stump. had left the house
early in the morning to go to the stables,
after Lee and Stump had eaten breakfast
together. When Stump returned he was
drunk. and Lee made the statement that
he had been out having good things and
had forgotten to bring his old side partner
sonnet thing. Stump claimed that his boss
had given him the drinks. which included
three whistles and all the beer he could
drink.
Owens heard the two talk over policy
and heard the mention of rat row. and
also heard Lee say If three numbers came
out Stump would get So. 80 Lee went over
to Rosslyn, and in the meantime Stump re-
turned with turnips and meat. From this
point on up to the return of Lee the stories
| of Owens and the prisoner agree. When
Lee came back between 2:30 and o'clock
and saw the cups and bucket on the table
he censured Owens about leaving the things
out.
There's the cupboard over there and
when you are through using things you
want to put them back" said Lee.
Owens stated that Lee was slightly deaf
and spoke rather loud The old man re-
piled that he had forgotten to wash the
cups and would do so right away. Stump
turned around and said at this point:
Jim. are you mad with me?'
No" was the reply, Il am not mad
with you"
Fires Two Shots.
At these words Stump fired the two shots.
One of the bullets the old man stated,
struck the refrigerator at his feet. The
Refrigerator was nothing more nor less
than an old cheese box, which contained
the scraps from the meals. After the shoot
ing Lee ran out of the back of the house,
followed by Stump, who still held the re-
volver in his hand. Lee jumped a high
entered the next door house. Stump turn
ed around when in the yard and came out
to the front of the house.
Lee, in the meantime, returned to the
house, when Stump appeared at the front
door. He raped and wanted to get in.
Lee held the door partly ajar and asked
what was wanted, fearing that Stump In
tended shooting him again. Stump showed
the revolver in and left. Owens stated that
when he found Lee was shot, he Wet
towel and stopped the flow of blood, which
had saturated Lees clothing. A few min
utes later the man commenced to gag and
became much worse Shortly after the
police arrived and sent him to a hospital
The old man claims that when Stump
| fired at Lee the latter jumped up and ex-
claimed:
''Pete, what are you doing?"
Pete made no reply, but followed him.
The two seemed to be perfect friends and
the old man could assign no reason for the
| shooting. unless Stump thought Lee was
| talking to him about the dirty bucket and
cups. Owens is typical darkey of the
| ante-bellum days, and while his age is Civ
| en- as fifty-nine, he looks fully twenty years
| older. He was slave of Henry Owens of