The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-15
HAD FORCED ATTENTIONS
 FOR SEVERAL WEEKS PAST
Called at Her Home On South Twenti- eth Street Yesterday Afternoon and Began Shooting With
 out Warning.


 most shocking and sensational tragedies 1 that has occurred in Birh, ~h 'o in years; one that proved fatal to, ocr- sons and one that is deplorables \ every phase. The tragic occurrence ca..le l from the deadly welding of revolver | il. the hands of a mere boy, T. Luther | Birchfeld, who, after firing the shot that | hurled the soul of Mrs. w. A. Vanhooser l into eternity turned the smoking weapon upon himself and ended his own life.
 The shooting occurred at Mrs. Van 1 boosers residence at TIP South Twen' 1 teth street. It is understood from peo- i,le who live in the immediate neighbof- lood that four shots were fired. Birch- 1 field, it is presumed, fired three of the shots at Mrs. Vanhooser, but only one took effect in her body, burying itself ln the woman's abdomen. The fourth shot was fired when the young man turnet l 1 the revolver to his own heart and com- nitted suicide.
 Birohfield was apparently momentarily insane.
 Occurred Early In Afternoon.
 The tragedy occurred shortly after 2:3O | o'clock yesterday afternoon. After firing upon Mrs. Vanhooser, Birchfeld turned ; the pistol upon himself and pulled the trigger. He evidently intended to send the ball whirling through his heart, but in his excitement his aim was a bit un- 1 true and the bullet entered his left breast about an inch and half above the heart ranging slightly upward and lodging in his back just under the shoulder blade He fingered between life and death until about o'clock, when he succumbed at the Hillman hospital, where he had been removed to receive medical attention.
 Mrs Vanhooser was shot in the upper part of the abdominal region and the bull l let accomplished the purpose for which l # was fired at 745 o'clock last night, about an hour after the woman had been removed from the operating room. She never recovered completely from the eff fects of the anasthetic administered when she was placed on the operating table. 1 The deceased woman was about 30 years | cid Birchfield was barely 21 years of age.
 Accounts Vary But Little. ! Accounts | tie.
 ! It seems from all accounts that Mrs | yanhooser and her husband had been separated for about seven or eight months Since the separation it is under stood Birchfield had forced his attentions upon Mrs. Vanhooser. The young man was an electrician and it is stated that | Va nh time 1 ago when he went to her residence to wire the house for electric lights. It IS supposed that he misjudged her pleasan- | tries and since was very attentive to- ward her. It IS stated that Mrs. Van hooser has always considered the young mans ardor lightly, which fact was evil | gently the cause of his rash action, grow | ing out of despondency.
 It is understood that Birchield called Mrs. vanho ooser by telephone early yes- terday afternoon and that Ne declined to talk to him. This evidently caused the young man to grow Respondent.
 Calls at Her Home. l Yesterday afternoon about 2:30 o'clock he went to the home of Mrs | l He went up on the porch and knocked at the door. When the servant an- swered the door the young nhn ask ed for Mrs Vanh ooser. He was told that she was dressing, preparing to go out | for the afternoon. and that he could not see her. At this point, however, Mrs. | Vanhooser came out of her room inta the front hall.
 Without a word Birchfield stepped inside, drew .9S calibre special blue steel Colts revolver from his pocket, | and began firing. Three shots. it is understood, were fred at the woman. Two of them went wild and buried i themselves in the wall in the front hall The third took effect in the woman's abdomen. ranging slightly | downward.
 It is understood that after shooting Mrs. Vanhooser, Birch field ran out of the front door into the yard. It IS l stated that the woman followed him to the door and then went back into the house and called for help.
 Birchfeld then followed her back into the house and went into the front bed room It is said that he took a pillow from the bed, put 1t down on the floor laid down himself and then fired the bullet into his left breast.
 | It seems that neither the man Hoc | the woman ever spoke after being shot, with the exception of the state ment of Mrs. Vanhooser just before she died:
 ''It was the act of a manac' Too Weak To Rise.
 When those first on the scene ar- rived, Mrs. Vanhooser was lying across the bed and Birchfield was lying on the floor gasping for breath. Once he tried to get up from where he was lying, lut. too weak to rise, he sank back to the floor and remained tn ere until ambu lances arrived to convey him to the Hillman hospital, just block away.
 When a physician arrived it was evi- dent that neither of the two wounded people could live. Although both were hurriedly carried to the hospital and given immediate attention, they grad ually sank Birchfield died just before 1 o'clock, and Mrs. Vanhooser succundbed some four hours later.
 Perhaps the most nathetic incident rel