Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-14
MAY Be DEATH WOUN0
Jerome Jones, CoIored, Shot by
His Common-LaW Wife.
HER VERSION OF THE AFFAIR
Says Her Husband Kicked at Her Be-
fore She Fired Weapon.
MAN IN CRITICAL CONDITION
Under Treatment at Freedmen's Hos
pital-His Assailant Locked Up
to Await Developments.
MAN IN CRITICAL CONDITION

Mary Elizabeth Johnson, alias Jones, col
ored, twenty-nine years Of age, was locked
up at the eighth precinct police station last
night to be held pending an investigation.
Her common-law husband, Jerome Jones',
colored, had received a serious bullet wound
in the top of his head, and 1t was supposed
she knew who had inflicted the wound.
Mary declared last night that Jones had
accidentally shot himself while handling a
revolver but this morning she admitted TO
Detectives Hartigan and Baur that she had
fired and shot, saying: He kicked at me
before l shot him.
The shooting took place in the room OF
the couple at 1889 Vermont avenue about
3 o'clock in the afternoon, but 1t was not
until after o'clock that the wounded man
reached Freedmen's Hospital. lie was
taken to the institution by his wife, who
was aided by John Beverly, and shortly
after the police learned of the shootlng
Can't Doyle Lieut.. Judge and Ponceman
Rout arrested the couple on SUSPICION Inc
bullet was removed from the head OF the
wounded man and the police were toio ny
the surgeons that he could not live
Jones and the Johnson woman were aioie
in the room at the time the shootihs "
CURED. They occupied only the one room,
and the other occupants of the mousse were
absent Yesterday afternoon. After Jones
had been shot he sat upon the peu III liie
room until the woman went Tor Ilie ~
and during her absence he went TO tlie
hydrant in the yard and washed his heao.
Mrs Martha Dudley, neighbor, saw MIN
and asked him what the trouble was anu
he said he had hurt his head. Jones toio
his wife that he did not want her 10 So
the police, fearing she would get arresteq
John Beverly was found near l4th ana y
streets by the woman and he accompanied
her to the house
Conveyed to Hospital.
Beverly insisted that Mrs. johnson should
summon physician. DR.. Pettus respond
ed to her call and advised that the wound
ed man be taken to hospital. Jones was
assisted to the hospital by the woman and
Beverly 1t was noticed that the shock
had affected his mind and that he did not
realize just what was going on Mrs John-
son remained at the hospital until after the
bullet had been extracted and then she re-
turned to her home. She repeatedly De
clared that Jones had shot himself while
he was breaking the revolver, put TINS
morning soon after the two detectives be
gan to question her, she weakened and told
the story of the shooting from her view
point Jones, she said, had loaned another
colored man 80 cents on the weapon, and
Yesterday morning Clifford Fantroy called
at the house and left the revolver.
Yesterday afternoon, she said, Jones re-
turned home and they had some words
He said he was going to leave her, and she
expressed herself as being perfectly salts
fed to be left alone. He started to get his
effects together and she got the weapon to
hand him, but before she could give it to
him he became ugly and quarrelsome.
Zone word brought on another" said the
woman land finally he kicked at me. Then
l shot him."
Alleges Mistreatment.
Mrs johnson said she had been beaten
by Jones' and she told him she was tired
of being mistreated. She said she had no
trouble in getting along before she met
him and she did not fear any trouble in the
future. John Beverly was questioned by
the detectives, and he substantiated every
thing the woman had told of his connection
with the affair. Clifford Fantroy was
found by the detectives and admitted that
he had taken the weapon to the Jones
home yesterday. He was then locked up
as witness in the case.
1t is the belief of the detectives that Mrs.
Johnson shot Jones because she feared he
was going to leave her, and not because he
had made effort to kick her. The couple
had engaged in fights upon many prior oc-
casions, the woman told them, but never
before had she resorted to the use of
weapon