The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1905-03-02
LITTLE BOY SHOOTS BABY
Rudyard Foust, Four Years Old. Kills
His Younger Sister.
Mother Wa in Adjoining Room in Thei1
indianapolis Home When TraS.
edy Occurred.

Indianapolis, 1n0.-ATter loading eV.
cry chamber in a heavy revolver, RuG-
yard Foust, four years old, a son Of
wealthy parents in this city, deliber-
ately aimed at his sister, three years
old, and shot. her through the brain
early in the morning. The case is the
most remarkable in the records of the
Police Department here. Although the
boy apparently plotted the crime. and
seemed to know exactly what he was
doing, all questioning since his sisters
death has failed to draw forth any
indication that he is aware of the
seriousness of his act.
Rudyard and the baby girl were play
ing in the nursery. Their mother was
in bed with a severe headache in a
bedroom, from which through the open
door she could hear the movements OF
the children. The servants had gone
out and there were only Mrs. Foust
and the little ones in the house.
Mrs. Foust says she heard a sharp
report, but that she had not the slight
est idea it was a pistol shot. She re-
manned in bed until Rudyard in a few
minutes tottered in with the pistol in
his hand and his face bianched.
"Ma, TOttie's hurt" said the boy.
The mother sprang to the floor. and,
rushing into the nursery. found the
baby fat on her back with a bullet
hole in her forehead. Her brown
tresses were stained with blood, and
her face was crimson. Mrs. FOust
lifted the tot in her arms and laid her
on q cot. Then, still maintaining her
GOODNESS, she went to a telephone and
summoned a physician. When the
doctor arrived he found the mother
crying in hysteria for her little one to
be given back to her. So great was
the shock that fear was held for Mrs.
Foust's condition, and she las been TN
der the care of physicians all day.
All the details of the shooting have
been linked together by the police.
Rudyard found the pistol on a shelf i'll
a room off the nursery. The marks of
his feet have been found on a trunk.
He climbed IN the top of the trunk
and was just able to touch the revolver.
He pulled it off the shelf by putting his
second finger in the trigger guard. The
pistol was empty and the cartridges
were taken from the trunk.
With an intelligence surprising in
one so young, Rudyard fitted 4 key to
the lock and opened the heavy box.
He threw out many articles on the
floor, and, having come across the cart
ridges, be sat down OH the carpet and
began filling the chambers. His sister
was watching him. Mrs. Foust q few
minutes before the shot heard the child
growing in delight, and it is Thought
that she was giving way to babyish
enthusiasm yer Rudyard's adventure.
VIyI,a1N 4h4 rnrv0IrnJs 1on6 hmm fully
loaded and the chamber snapped into
place the children returned to the
nursery. From the boys story it las
three feet from his sister when he
fred. Experiments have shown that
he had just strength enough to level
the weapon for an instant.
The baby died instantly. The bullet
went through the brain and was taken
from the scalp at the back of the head.
1t is reasoned by the detectives that
the boy must have pointed the weapon
straight at his victim, as the course of
the bullet is in a straight line through
the head.
The boy was taken to Police Head
quarters, but all questioning was use
less. He simply kept repeating that he
did not know what had happened; that
he and "Dottie" had been playing. and
that the gun had gone off and that then
she had fallen down. The little fellow
was so totally unaware of the nature
Of the crime that the police say moth
ing can be done.
In any event, no action would be
taken, as Rudyard is under the age for
a legal charge. The police, however,
are unable to reconcile the boys pre-
cociOusness in opening the trunk and
loading the revolver with his apparent
ignorance Of any w~rongdoing. Rud-
yard is exceptionally intelligent. al
ready being able to read and write.