The Washington times., 1905-06-13
IS HELD
FOR GRAND JURY
Coroner's Jury Finds He
Killed Steele.

After hearing all of the details of the
shooting at the home of William r
Pruitt. Tw.ning City, on Sunday, in
which William Steele received wounds
which caused his death on Monday. a
jury summoned by Coroner hewitt this
morning reached verdict that the ia
tai shot came from a gun held In the
hands of and fired by William R. Pru-
lit Pruitt was held without bond for
the grand Jury.
Pruitt Claims Self-Defense.
The accused man was brought to the
morgue. handcuffed to Policeman Nc
Cormick. He expressed no fear of the
outcome of the affair. stating that he
had acted in self-defense. He referred
to statement made to Policeman Nc
Cormick just after his arrest, in which
he said:
About II or IL o'clock Sunday morn
ing l was going over to my sons house
to get a music box, and on my way
over L met my son, VIII. accompanied
by William Steele, Charles Chese!dipe
and Robert Brown. They had a quart
OF WHISKY; and they asked me to have
some l then told them I had a keg of
beer at my house. and to come and
have some. So we all went to nv house
We had been drinking for awhile. when
Cheseldine said he was hungry. so 7
gave him something TO eat.
Steeie Started to Fight.
While he was eating Steele came in
the door and started to fight me. I
don't know whether he struck me with
something or not. Then l ran upstairs
into my room and got my gun, and
came down and shot him. He then ran
out of the house. and ! put the gun
away and went out the back way into
the woods, where you found me-
Mrc prrir4,c Ta,+;-o,
One of the most important witnesses
at the inquest was Mrs. Marie E. Pruitt,
wife of the accused.
''On Sunday morning VIII. my hus-
band, told me he would go I'D and paw
the rent, and that he would see If his
son would bring down his music box"
she said.
When he came back he had this man
Steele, and Cheseldine with him This
here Steele drank one glass of beer. and
then he said: I'm going to beat him
Don't you come here maxim any
fuss / said 10 Steele
They had been playing the music box
about an hour, and 1 was cooking din
ner.
Steele he said, Come on out here.
Pruttt; 1 can lick you but my hus-
band pushed him away and told him not
To make any trouble.
set down and eat, and they had Just
finished when Steele he ran back and
bust down the door He dubbed my
husband with something-and l saw the
blood come"
All Tussling With Gun.
Pressed closely with questions, Mrs.
Pruitt could not say where the gun came
from, though she identified il as her
husbands property. II saw them all
tussling with the gun when it went off"
had hold of it,
Did your husband have hold of tho
stock of the gum" asked Coroner Ncv-
lit.
81 don't know" replied Mrs. Pruitt
They were all grabbing for IT."
Asked whether she knew Of an old
quarrel between her husband and Steele.
Mrs. Fruftt said that Steele was hunting
on their place at Congress Heights last
winter when Pruitt ordered him off.
Son Left Before Fuss.
II was at my fathers house on Sun
day." said William Pruitt, jr. "T went
back home in about half an hour. and
didn't see any fuss"
Charles Cheseldine says he was asleen
when the shot was fired
''Pruitt said he would take his chances
before any twelve men for what he had
DONE" Sergeant Anderson, OF the Ana
costa precinct, testified, land thar he
would shoot any man who struck hin,
as Steele did" -A-ii'
Sergeant Anderson said that Mrs
Pruitt and everyone about the mace
was intoxicated and that he could NOT
get connected story of the affair until
aI1er they became sober.