The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-30
SAVED BY HER CHILDREN
j. w. Gaines Prevented From
Killing Mrs. Elizabeth Welch.
The Woman Stabbed Because She
Refused m Offer of Marriage-A
Daughter Strikes the Assaiiant
With n Cup and Her Mother Es-
capes-Both Expected to Recover.

Mrs. Elizabeth WEIGH, who was stabbed
by John w. Gaines yesterday morning be-
cause she refused his offer OF marriage, is
expected to recover. Since the assault
was committed at Mrs. Weleh's home,
2514 VI Street northwest, where Gaines was
a boarder. the injured woman has been
confined to Emergency Hospital. The hos
pital physicians. while they consider her
condition serious, do not think she will die.
Gaines, who was employed as a fireman
at the Champlan Avenue shaft OF the
Lydecker tunnel, is also at the hospital
suffering from self-inflicted wound in
the neck, the result OF an attempt to kill
himself after his attack upon Mrs. WEIGH
He is not seriously injured, and is closely
guarded by policeman.
That the assault did not prove fatal is
probably due to the bravery and presence
of mind of two OF Mrs WEIGHS children,
Mabel and Ella, aged fourteen and fifteen
years, who at the first cry from their
mother ran to her assistance and managed
to beat the man away from her, and by
physical force to hold him until their
mother had succeeded in making her es-
cape from the house and had secured shell
ter in the home of Richard Johnson, a
colored man, in the rear of the WEIGH
home.
Mrs. Welch is about thirty-five years old
and is the wife of William P. WEIGH who
Is employed as a woodworker in Crupper S
mill. Thirteenth Street and Ohio Avenue.
For some years the couple have not been
living together, but he has frequently Wis
tied the family and has regularly contrib
uted to their support The seven children
Mamie, Ella. Mabel. Thomas. John, Ethel
and Beulah aged eighteen, fifteen, four
teen, twelve, eleven, six and four years,
have remained with their mother at the
VI Street house. and were at home at the
time of the tragedy. Gaines, who is about
thirty years old, is said to have been a
persistent wooer of the mother, but ac-
cording TO the children she has always dis
couraged his advances. telling him that
she wanted him as a friend, but that she
was not in position to consider an offer
of marriage, and further that II she were
she did not love him and would not con-
slider his offer. Last Saturday night at
Gaines invitation Hrs. WEIGH and her
daughter Mamie accompanied him to a
theatre, where they Unexpectedly met
WEIGH. WEIGH Joined the party and bought
seats for his wife on the first floor. while
Gaines and Miss Welch occupied seats in
the balcony. During the performance
Gaines became sick. and when Welch was
informed of il by his daughter he took the
man over TO the drug store and bought
him some medicine that soon revived him.
His condition was such that he thought 1t
best not to remain at the theatre, and as
Mrs. WEIGH did not want her daughter to
miss any part of the performance she went
home with Gaines After the play was
over WEIGH saw his daughter home and
remained at the house some time con-
veTsing pleasantly
Monday Gaines went to work at the
tunnel at D. m, as was his GUS
tom, and worked until midnight. When
he returned to the house Mrs WEIGH and
Mamie were up waiting, and had prepared
the usual midnight supper for him. After
he had finished his meal and the dishes
had been washed and put away Mamie
went upstairs for the night and left her
mother and Gaines conyersing in the
dining room. Gaines, 1t is said, renewed
his offer of marriage, and, on being met
with the usual reply, became enraged and
made a threatening move toward Mrs
WEIGH who screamed for help. Mabel
and Ella, hearing their mothers call, ran
downstairs and as they reached the room
they saw Gaines striking at their mo her
with a knife, which he grabbed from the
table. Ella ran to the window and
screamed murder" while Mabel picked
up a cup and rushed at Gaines. and IN
beating him off broke the cup over his
head. This stunned him somewhat. and
gave Mrs. Weleh a chance TO escape from
the room. He regained himself and at
tempted TO follow her. but the girls in
L.,Tg ~
until she had made her way across the
alley. where she was joined by her two
daughters.
The rest of the family had been locked
in one of the upstairs rooms by the eldest
daughter, who feared that they might be
next attacked. Meanwhile Gaines had
found his way to his room, and, laying
down on the bed, had stabbed himself in
the throat with his penknife. The knife
was still sticking in the wound when Po-
lieemen Newton and Cox responded to the
call for help. The knife was removed by
them. A police ambulance was hurriedly
called and the two people taken to the
Emergency Hospital.
Mrs. WEIGH was the more seriously hurt
of the two. The knife had entered her
side, just below the left arm, and pene-
trated the body between the fourth and
fifth ribs, piercing the ting. She also had
lacerated wound over the right eye. and
her right hand was badly cut where she
had attempted to ward of the blows that
were aimed at her head.
The greater part OF the morning Mabel
remained with Ter mother at the hospi al.
but returned to the house later in the
day. Gaines had stabbed himself in the
throat below the thorax, but no vital part
was reached. and the windpipe was not
penetrated. The children remained in the
house until daylight, when they were
taken charge of by Mrs. Welchs sister.
Mrs. Thomas Hoffman. and cared for at
her home, 21S2 Pennsylvania Avenue
northwest.