Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-14
WOUND MAY BE MORTAL
Dentist Who Killed Father.in-Law
Shot by Mother-in.Law.
VICTIM SHOWS FoRT1TUDE
DR.. J. W. Simpson, Acquitted Of Muir.
der Of Barley T. Horner, Strick-
en- by Pistol Shot.

| in-law, BARLEY T. Horner, in Suffolk
| county last year. was shot and fatally
wounded yesterday afternoon by Mrs.
| Ella S. Horner, widow of the man he
| slew. The shooting occurred at the
| Horner home. short distance from
Northport. L. I.
Mrs. Horner fired twice with 80
| caliber revolver, shooting through the
glass Of her front door, which she kept
| locked. One of the shots struck DR..
Simpson, piercing the lower lobe Of the
left lung 'and coursing downward
| through the center Of the liver. The
other shot missed
Simpson walked to the house Of
| neighbor. 200 feet distant, asked for the
use of rig, and drove In it to the sani-
street, Northport. When his wound had
been examined he asked calmly whether
1t would prove fatal.
II can't tell until an operation Is per-
replied DIR. Heyen. The physician Of
fered to perform the operation there. but
the wounded man said he preferred to
come back to Manhattan and go to the
Roosevelt Hospital
Pluck of Wounded Man.
Already DIR. Heyen had telephoned to
St Mary's Hospital, Brooklyn. to pre-
pare for a serious operation. describing
the nature Of the wound, but when told
of this arrangement DR.. Simpson said
that 1t was not acceptable, and insisted
on going to Roosevelt Hospital.
Although he was suffering greatly, and
constantly called for morphine, Dr.
Simpson displayed remarkable courage.
He smoked cigarette and toll tol9 M Mag sad
been shot. He signed deposition and.
declining to be assisted by any one.
walked out Of the sanitarium. hailed
trolley car and rode to the station
While waiting for the train a woman OF
fered to battle his head with a WEI hand
kerchief He declined her offer, although
every one in the station realized at tina.
time that he was In critical state ana
knew that he knew it. He took seat
in the smoking car Of the train, lit fresh
cigarette, and was apparently at ease.
The wounded man made no show OF the
pain he was suffering, and other passen-
gers were unaware of his plight Never
once on the run in to Long Island City:
which took about an hour and half. did
he finch. Most of the time he calmly
pulled at a cigarette, and looked out OF
the car window. At the 34th street ferry
he took a taxicab and was driven 10
Roosevelt Hospital.
Declines a Chair.
Still unassisted. DR.. Simpson. pale and
on the point Of collaspe. walked into the
hospital Going up to the rail- Of an In
closure he said to the young woman who
sat at a desk:
II am DR.. Simpson. I've got bullet
In my liver that my mother-in-law gave
me. I'm not joking this time. and want
a private room"
''Wait a moment" the young woman
told him, land I'll send you in a wheeled
chair"
"No. thank Won. Til walk" said the
wounded man calmly.
Then, accompanied by an orderly. he
went to look at the private rooms.
When the hospital authorities really I'M
derstood that the man with the dropping
mustache and humorous smile meant that
he had a bullet inside him they speedily
forced him into a chair and had him
wheeled to the accident ward. There they
made an examination and found that it
was serious case.
After consultation it was decided to
wait until this morning before undertaking
an operation. 1t was said at the hospital
that the bullet seemed to have gone
through the right lung and liver and then
lodged just inside the skin of the back.
Sympathy With Mrs. Horner.
spread to Northport and all the country
ported that Mrs. Horner had shot the
IIldIl SIlc has always lIdAhtdihcd was ACi
hu.berA's slayer, and that the bullet was
certain = avenge his death.
So deep was the feeling of sympathy
for Mrs Horner that for some time after
she had fired the bullet into the man
as he stood knocking at her door no
effort was made by the authorities to
take her into custody. const able final
ly mustered uo courage and went to the
Horner home With warrant charging
her with the shooting.
AS calm = as II she were going to visit
a friend, n S. Horner put on her widows
lage constable to the office of Magistrate
Hawkins Her daughter went with her.
and provided 5000 bail for her. Without
making any statement to the court,
mother and daughter returned home and
were there seen by the Emily lawyer,
Rowland Miles.
The mother said that after W aiming DR..
Simpson repeatedly she saw him make a
movement as II to draw a weapon. AS
he started to draw 1t from behind him
Calmly Mrs Horner recited to the law
yer the incidents leading up to the trag-
edy. In her tone there was nothing that
nigh; indicate even shadow Of alarm
or excitement. She detailed the facts
as IL she had been no more than a wit
ness of the shooting
Mrs Horner said that she had long been
in great fear of DIR. Simpson. She had
This feeling of dread she had confded
to Mr.. Miles Sunday night. She said
that when the bell rang shortly after
noon yesterday she answered the ring
Throus.- the gauze curtain over the
glass panel Mrs. Horner saw that the
man at tie door was her son-in-law. She
was instantly seized with a great fear
both for herself and her daughter She
said that he had made several visits to
Northport in AN effort to communicate
with his wife and on one occasion ac-
costed her in the village street.
Warned Before Shooting.
Calling through the door, Mrs. Horner
informed her son-in-law that he could not
enter, and peremptorily ordered him off
the premises. Then she ran upstairs. got
a revolver and returned to the hall door
Dr. Simpson was still there. trying to
open the door.
| Mrs. Horner told her lawyer that she
warned the man that he remained there
at his peril. Without needing her warn
| ing he began shaking the door and beat
| ing on 1t, as II determined to enter at all
costs. Driven to desperation. Mrs. Hor-
ner raised her revolver. leveled 1t at the
man soutside and fired twice In quick sue
| cession.
| Holding the weapon In her hand. she
stood guard inside the door, the glass
panel of which had been shattered by the
bullets. until she saw the wounded man