The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-01-08
M|STREATEO WIFE
USES REVOLVER
Fires a Bullet Into Her
Husbands Neck After He
Had Knocked Her Down
WOUND NOT FATAL

ALAMEDA Jan. driven to defend
herself from the brutality of drunken
husband who, she says. knocked her
down and choked her, Mrs. Myrtle Por-
ter, wife of Archie P. Porter of Por-
ter's Baths at 44s Central avenue, shot
the latter through the neck shortly be-
for s O'Clock this afternoon The bull
let, from a 3S-caliber revolver, entered
the left side of the neck, narrowly
missing the jugular vein, and emerged
near the left shoulder blade, INJECTING
wound that is not considered fatal
The woman attempted to fire second
time, but a finger Of her pistol hand
became TANNED beneath the trigger
and prevented the explosion Of the
cartridge.
After he had been wounded Porter
knocked his wife down again, and then
ran. His wife followed him some dis
lance, but was stopped by pedestrian
while she was preparing to take an
other shot at the fleeing man. Porter
made his way to the police station,
swore to a complaint against his wife,
charging her with an assault with q
deadly weapon, and then went to the
Emergency Hospital for treatment.
When he left the hospital he refused to
give an account of the causes that led
up to the shooting.
ut will all come out in time" re-
marked Porter, and to the police he
said: Make the case against her as
strong as possible. That's the dope"
Mrs Porter, evidently woman of
refinement and with the appearance Of
one who has suffered much, was taken
Schroeder. At the police station she
gave her version of the shooting as
follows:
my husband has been drinking
heavily of late and has repeatedly
abused me. A few months ago he
kicked me in the side while he was
under the influence of liquor, and as
result Of the injury I was forced to
undergo a capital operation in the
came home drunk, as he has been doing
for two weeks past When we retired
he was ugly and struck me several
times In the side where he had in
jured me before. / demonstrated with
him at first and then fought to protect
myself. He arose and left the house,
saying he was going to Oakland.
This morning 1 went to Park street
and purchased q revolver with which
to protect myself should he again at
tack me- 1 had borne all that human
nature could stand. This afternoon he
came home and I asked him for GER
tain key that ! wanted. He became
Infatuated and struck me down. He
tried to choke me, but I managed to
get away from him. I went into the
next room. got the revolver from
dresser and fred right at him. He then
knocked me down again, and I tried to
fire the pistol again, but finger got
caught in the trigger and 1 could not
discharge the weapon. When he let
me go and started out of the house I
followed him, and in my madness tried
to shoot him again, but could not re-
lease my finger from the trigger. Some
one finally got hold of me and took the
pistol away.
II was irst married to- Porter in
Iowa twenty years ago We lived to-
gether eight years. during which time
a daughter was born to US. Because of
Porter's weakness for drink 1 was
forced to obtain a separation from him
and then I became a nurse in a hos
pital in Chicago. Through letters that
Porter wrote to our daughter, Mabel,
and through others l received from his
mother in Alameda, l was induced TO
come here two years ago and consented
to remarry Porter. Tt was not long
afterward that my husband commenced
drinking again and abused me brutally
OF late my husband has been keeping
company with a Berkeley woman, and
he seemed to delight IN haunting me
by saying:
IT had a good time last night: went
to the theater with a lady and saw
the show"
Mrs. Porter, after telling her story to
City Justice r. b. Tappan. was re-
leased upon her own recognizance and
ordered to appear in court tomorrow
Y1norni00 af o'clock