Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-01
WOMAN BADLY HURT
Received Bullet Wounds
Which May Prove Fatal.
ASSAILAN T ESQ A ? Els
BERTIE WEST, COLORED, SHOT BY
EDWARD FERGUSON.
Police Making Active Search for the
Fugitive-Woman Conveyed
to Hospital.
ESCAPES

\ ones NY frame house, on the Hamil-
| ton r,td adjoining the Hebrew cemetery
| was tbc scene of an exciting affair this
| morning shortly after : o'clock, following
/ which q young eoIored woman named BERTHE
! West. was taken to the hospital suffering
| from three bullet wounds. Her assailont,
| Edward Ferguson. took to the woods. on
| his way from the house he was asked by
| Joseph Green: Who's doing all that shoot
/ ing over there"
Il don't know" was his response. He
! probably had the heated weapon in his
! pocket at the time.
| Ferguson was headed toward Maryland at
| thas time, and crossed the hill short
! distance beyond the ride range. At the
/ bottom of the hin he entered the woods.
! ard that was the last seen OF him about the
/ vicinity of the house where he had done the
| shooting Joseph Green hurried to the
! house where the woman had been shot
/ as soon as Ferguson had answered ms
| question, but it was then TOO late for MN
| To do anything i'm the matter OF causing
| the coloryJ mans arrest. He was then
more interested in doing what he could to
save the life of the wounded woman than
/ he was in effectng the capture
! Or. Watson was summoned from Anacos-
! tia and when lie saw how seriously the
| woman had been wounded he advised that
! she be sent to the hospital. There were
! Two wounds in her back and one III her
! hand. the latter of but little consequence.
| those in her back were pronounced to be
| serious and the police were given - under
| stand that she would probably not recover
| Police Make Search.
! Recalling the Kate Jordan murder mys-
terry in Hflsdale about eighteen months
| ago the Anacostia police hurried out this
morning to search for Ferguson. Sergt
| Anderson mounted his horse and hurried
to the scene of the shooting. He also sum
moned all the available mounted men and
started them in different directions in the
county and in Maryland with instructions
To keep UP the search until they accom-
p'ished something. Capt. Boardman IN
te~ested himself in the case, and sent De
tecuves Parham. Flather and . Brien to
assist in The investigation.
Home of the Victim.
Aunt" Lethia Addison and her two
daughters. Bertte West and Frances Addi-
son, occupy the structure in which the
shooting occurred, while across the road
lived George Addison, father of the two
women, and husband of Aunt" Lethia.
Edward Ferguson also resides there The
latter and BERTHE West the victim, We're
friends, and although they were not mar
ried, the young man attempted to exercise
some authority over her During the sew
eral years that Ferguson and the widow
kept company they had quarrels because of
the jealousy on the part OF the man.
Tuesday morning BERTHE went 20 the
house of friend whore number of
young people had been invited for a Dec
Grafton day cutting. and her visit there
angered her friend Last night Ferguson
came to the city, and returned home late.
He did not go tn the house occupied by the
women but went. to the house across the
read. His clothing vas water-soaked, ana
| he hung them in a shed to dry. 1t is said
he mad a revolver iii the house, and there
fore did not purchase the weapon when he
came 10 the city last night.
1t shortly after : o'clock this morn
ing when ne crossed the road and entered
the house where Aunt" Lethia and BERTHE
West were preparing breakfast. Frances
Addison and Kate Simms were also in the
house. Going to the door leading from the
sleeping apartment To the kitchen, Fergu-
son stood and looked at the women who
were about the stove and table.
Are you going to work this morning?'
Bertie asked him. do you want your
breaklast2
No, ] amt going to work" he answered.
Why the women inquired
Because I'm. not"
BERTHE West assured him that nobody
cared whether he went to work or not. and
he asked: What die you say?'
Ferguson Draws Revolver.
1t was then that the women saw him put
| his hand in his pocket as if to get weap-
he would really do any harm. Aunt
LethIa vas the first one IN the room to see
the revolver and She cried to him not to
shoot IS response was that he would Kill
every person in the house, and the accom-
panyinG language was not Of the choicest.
Kate Simms made an effort to knock the
weapon from his hand and caused the first
shot TO 20 Wild.
Don't you shoot my daughter" cried the
eldery wome n: picking Up chair to use
in defense OF Berthe.
Tie chair was brought down upon Fergu-
son with al! the strength the woman pos
sessed, and had il not been broken she
might have disabled him and prevented the
firing % the additional shots. He was able
TO shoot over the mother, however, and
wound the daughter. The s. cond shot 1t is
thought, inflicted tn, wound in her hand
and he other bullets struck her after she
had fallen upon the floor.
Mother, cried the wounded woman, I'm
dead"
The poor old woman, almost exhausted
from her encounter with Ferguson. stopped
over the PROSTATE form of the victim ana
wiped away the blood Ferguson In the
meantime, had walked quietly from the
house and started across the hill in the
direction of Maryland.
Neighbors Attracted by Screams.
The women in the house were screaming
and a number of neighbors We're attracted
there. Ms. NJ. kitz was the first to re-
spond TO their cries. She had been i'll the
house TO see about having some ironing
done only few minutes before the shoot
ing occurred and had Ferguson there
When she returned 20 the house she saw
him walking along the road as If nothing
had happened. and she did not suspect he
had done the shooting Mrs. kttz did what
she could to ease the suffering woman,
and had a message sent to AnacoStia for a
physician 1t was but short time after
ward that the police notified. Ser
geant Anderson reached the house about
u fr$y y,niyr oh In
promptly tod who had committed the
deed and informed of the direction in which
Ferguson had gone. The sergeant took up
the trail and followed some distance but
was unable to locate him Then he re-
turned to Anacostia and started a number
OF his men in pursuit
The shooting caused some excitement In
the quiet neighborhood in which 1t oc-
Cured and the presence of many po-