The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-11-03
And Then Blows Out His Own Worthless
Brains With a Pistol
DID NOT LIVE WITH HIM
The Husband Became a Convict
and Through Sheer Necessity, the
Wife Claims, She Drifted to the
Stage as a Means of Making q Liv-
ing for Herself.

There was a terrible tragedy en-
acted in Washington on last Sunday
when w. H. Short. of New York.
shot and perhaps fatally wounded
his girl wife in the union railroad
station because she refused to leave
the stage and live with him. and
then sent a bullet crashing through
his temple. He was taken to the
hospital where he soon died.
The tragedy followed a series Of
Quarrels between the couple. Mrs.
Short had just alighted from a cab,
which was also occupied by her hus-
band and Miss Caldwell, a girl
friend, and was hurrying to catch
a train for Pittsburg when Short.
without warning. whipped a revol-
yer from his pocket and fired three
bullets into his wife's back.
The woman, who now lies near
death in the Casualty hospital. Is
known to the stage as Evelyn How
ard. and played in Washington last
week with the Motor Girl" COM
pany. She was formerly Evelyn
Lewis, Of Jacksonville, Fla, and
married Short. who Is a native of
Livingston, Ala, about even years
ago
They lived in New York, where
he was employed as a bookkeeper
In a bank, but soon after their, mar
riage the man got into the clutches
of the law through alleged misap-
preparation of funds. Mrs. Short
told the police when she regained
consciousness at the hospital that
Short served a term in Sing Sing.
Through sheer necessity Mrs. Short
said she drifted to the stage as a
mean of livelihood.
Short recently was paroled from
prison, Mrs. Short said, and made
a new start in life. When she de-
clined to return to him. he followed
her. She persisted in her refusal.
Accompanied by Miss Maude Cald-
we'll, another member Of the com-
pany. she left her hotel for the
station. She vainly tried to elude
her husband, who followed her and
pleaded with her again to turn from
the stage. When they reached the
station Short made his final entreaty
and when he was again rebufed the
tragedy ensued.
To eye witnesses 1t appeared that
Mrs. Short, much terrified, had jump
ed from the cab drawn up at the
west portion, and had attempted to
run when Short pulled his revolver
and. rushing at the woman, fired
q bullet into her shoulder. She fell
at the first shot, and the man stood
over her and sent two more bullets
through her body. without a mo-
ment's hesitation, evidently believ-
ing he had killed his wife, Short
turned the revolver upon himself
and sent a bullet into his right tenn
pie. He fell at the feet of his un-
conscious wife.
Miss Caldwell was detained by the
police as an eye witness, but upon
Shorts death soon afterwards she
was released and was permitted to
proceed with her company to Pitts
burg. In the room which Short oc-
cupied at the hotel the police dis
covered a card, bearing the follow
ing words:
William H. Short, representative
Autolite Manufacturing Company.
Selfighting Cigarette. 339-341 Sixth
Avenue, Newark, n. j."
Short was apparently without
funds. He had made two ineffect-
ual attempts to get checks cashed,
1t Is said.