The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-07-14
SIMPSON, SHOT BY
MOTHER-|N-LAW, IS
FIGHTING FOR LIFE
Dentist Wounded at Wife's Long
Island Home Loses Com
seriousness, but Rallies.
"SERVED HIM RIGHT" SAYS
MRS. HORNER IN EFFECT
Woman Whose Husband Simp-
son Was Accused of Killing
Pleads Justification.

NEW YORK, July 1.-THE shooting
of DR.. j. w. Simpson, a dentist of
Fifth avenue, with an Office clientele
from the Waldorf-Astoria, on the stoop
of his wife's home, In Northport, L.. I,
yesterday, was the outgrowth of the
killing of BARLEY w. Horner, for which
DIR. Simpson was acquitted by a jury.
Mrs. Ella Horner, the widow. whom
Simpson accuses, declares that she be-
lieved her life to be In danger. Simp-
sons condition is serious.
Surgeons at Roosevelt Hospital have
not decided whether |. would be safe to
perform the operation to remov the
bullet. DR.. Simpson was conscious this
morning.
Mrs. Horner Is today out on S. 1000
bail, furnished by her daughter. the
wife of the wounded dentist. Mrs. Hor-
ner is charged with felonious assault.
A graver charge will follow should DR..
Simpsons wound prove fatal.
DIR. Simpson left this city at noon
for his wife's home. Mrs. Simpson is
living with her mother, Mrs. Horner.
In the hous in which the tragedy of
December, 1906, occurred. While neigh
bors craned their necks and the tongues
Of the village gossips wagged the
dentist made his way from the station
to the Horner nome. The dentist was
seen to enter the gate, walk up the
steps and ring the bell.
There was a parley at the door.
N~elghbors could catch the word
Julia the name of Simpsons wife.
and then came a shot. There was a
crash of glass and Simpson staggered
back and fell. A second report fol-
lowed quickly, more glass fell, and tho
dentist, holding his side, was upon his
knees on the walk.
He crawled to the gate. Four men
ran to help him, asking If he was shot.
He answered that he was inc pointed
TO a hole in his left side, from which
blood was pouring. One of the men
hailed a passing vehicle and the
wounded mar was taken to DR.. j. p.
Heylnan's sanitarium. There it was
found that he was badly wounded, but
the flow of blood vas stopped and the
wounded dentist took a train for New
York. accompanied only by a reporter.
'Mrs. Horner Shot Me-,
At the Roosevelt Hospital DR.. Simp-
son made the following affidavit:
I vi INV 4 ~ Atat IhiA
went to the house to see my wife. l
rang the bell and heard voices. Then
1 heard some one going upstairs. l
waited at the door and rang again.
Then l saw some one approach. 1t
was Mrs. Horner. l recognized her and
said Is that you, Milly?' 1t was a
name I called her by We all did. She
asked me what I wanted and l said
I wanted to see Julia. That is my wife.
Then she fired through the door. The
first shot hit me and | staggered back.
Then she fired again."
A warrant was Immediately issued
for the arrest of Mrs. Horner. She was
awaiting the officers, fully dressed, and
quietly went with them to the office
of Justice of the Peace r. w. Haw-
kins. Mrs. Simpson gave bail for her
appearance at the preliminary exami-
nation.
Rowland Miles, Mrs. Horner's attor-
ney, made the following statement for
his client:
Simpson had been several times
warned away from the house. Mrs.
Horner was fully justified in her course
today. When the man arrived she was
frightened, and rightly so.
I'm a talk with me a few days ago
she said she was afraid of her life.
when Simpson called and was
old he could not see his wife. Mrs.
Horner saw him make a motion as
though to draw a weapon from his hip
pocket"
At the trial of the dentist for the
killing of his father-in-iaw Mrs. Hor-
ner and Mrs. Simpson were bitter in
their attitude against him, claiming
that the shooting had not been acct
dental, as he testified. Their testimony
was the principal thing Simpsons at
torney had to overcome. Since his ac-
quittal the estrangement between the
dentist and his wife and mother-in-
law had strengthened, n recently a
report was current hat Mrs. Simpson
was contemplating a divorce suit. This.
however, was denied.