Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-07-18
SHOT At W|FE'S DOOR.
DR.. Simpson, Acquitted of Stay.
ing Father-in-L Wounded.
MOTHER-IN-LAW ARRESTED

Her Door, and Whom He Refused to
Go, Shot at film--Wife Wouldn't Go
Near Him.
Northport. ". ". July 14.-Standing
within few feet of the spot where, a
little more than two years ago, he
shot and killed bis aged father-in-law,
DIR. James Weddeil Simpson. dentist
OF New York. was shot and perhaps
mortaily wounded by his motherin-
law, Mrs. BARLEY T. Horner. the wo-
man he made a widow. Dr. Simpsons
wife, from whom he has been estrang-
ed for many months, was near when
the shot was fired. but she did not wit
ness the shooting Upon learning that
it was her husband who had been
wounded she refused to go near him,
and DR., Simpson had to crawl to a
house about 200 feet away to have his
wounds attended to. Mrs. Horner was
later arrested and held In $4,000 bail,
while DR.. Simpson. with the assist
ance OF two friends, made his way TO
the Roosevelt hospital, In New York.
The bullet lodged in his liver, and an
immediate operation was performed to
take the bullet out. The doctors said
that DIR. Simpson has only a small
chance Of recovering.
Statements from Dr. Simpson and
from Mrs. Horner disagree. The den
list says that he had received word
that his wife intended to sue him for
a divorce and that he went to the
Horner home to talk with her about it.
He says he rang the door bell, and
upon receiving no response peered
through the door pane. He saw Mrs.
Horner, he says. and called to her to
open the door. Then. DR.. Simpson says,
Mrs. Horner grabbed up revolver and
shot him. The bullet entered his body
above the abdomen and he fell back
against the door sill. A second shot
was fired at him. he claims, but the
bullet went wild.
Mrs. Horner does not deny that she
did the shooting, but she claims JUS
LITIGATION. Through her lawyer, Row.
land Miles, she said that DR.. Simpson
had several times called at the house.
and that his visits were unwelcome.
him away, and when he refused to go
she took up a revolver and shot at
him. Constable Hanson, who arrested
Simpson in 1905 when the dentist shot
Mrs. Horner's husband, arrested Mrs.
Horner. She was charged with felon-
ious assault After Justice Hawkins
had fixed bail at $4,000, Mrs. Simpson.
the prisoners daughter, qualified as
bondsman and secured the release Of
her mother
This second tragedy at the Horner
homestead is only another chapter in
series of unhappy domestic events of
the last few years. The shooting Of
BARLEY 7. Horner by DR.. Simpson
aroused the countryside in December,
1905, and when the dentist was put on
trial his wife took the witness stand
against him. Mrs. Horner also gave
damaging testimony against her SON
in-law. DR.. Simpson was going through
the manual of arms with a shotgun,
when he accidentally shot his father
inlaw
Mrs. Simpson said that while she
was not present when her mother fired
the shot at Dr. Simpson, she believed
her mother was absolutely justified.
and said DR.. Simpson got what he de-
served. She says she was in a rear
room of the house at the time, but
upon hearing shot she ran to see il
her mother had been shot. When she
found that it was her husband she says
she was relieved.