Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-25
MAY SURVIVE WOUNDS
Chance for Chorus Girl Shot
by Husband.
TWO BULLETS REMOVED
Progress of the Third Was Stopped
by Corset Steel.
HAD REFUSED TO LEAVE STAGE
Jealous Husband Kills Himself After
Firing Three Shots-Had
Prison Record.
HAD REFUSED TO LEAVE STAGE

lowering between life and death with
three ugly looking pistol wounds in her
back. Evelyn Howard. a chorus girl I'm
the Motor Girl company, which Sat
urday night concluded an enga cement in
this city, lies at the Casualty Hospital
with but lighting chance" to recover.
Her husband. William II. Short, New
York salesman, with a prison record. who
did the shooting and then sent bullet
crashing through his own brain. lies dead
at the morgue.
The tragedy occurred at the entrance
to the Union station yesterday morning
between and 10 O'Clock and followed
an effort OH the part of Short to get
his wife to leave the stage and return to
him, which she refused to do.
Two Bullets Removed.
DR.. John r. wellington, professor OF
surgery at the George Washington Tni-
versty. about noon today removed two
bullets from Mrs. Short. Local ancs-
thetics were used and the bullets were
reached without difficulty. He said after
the operation the patients condition
fair. and that there was chance for her
recovery. She had. however been spit
ting blood yesterday and last night, and
that had not yet entirely ceased. He was
strongly of the opinion that her left lung
had been injured. yet it is not certain.
IF she holds her own for couple or
days." he said, Il think she will re-
cover: but her condition now is critical,
even though it is better than yesterday.
The third bullet did not penetrate her
body. but left peculiar wound. due. per-
haps to the corset steel which blocked its
way. 1t fell from her clothing on the
operating table yesterday.
| Mrs. Lewis. mother of the wounded
| woman, this morning was given an order
| by the hospital authorities for the prop
erty clerk at police headquarters to turn
over to her TIE effects of her daughter in
his possession, including her satchel.
| Short reached Washington Saturday
morning and put up at the Regent Hotel.
where his wife, with Miss Caldwell, OF
! the same theatrical company, was stop
| ping. 1t is said he had the appearance
of being under the influence of liquor. He
| registered under the name of I'll. G..
Reeves. Brooklyn, y. Y. and was as
signed 20 room lis. His wife and her
companion occupied room 222. About
$ o'clociz Snort went TO the hotel clerk
to get a check for $40 cashed and was
! refused. He then sought his wife and
| from that time until the shooting en-
deavored 20 persuade her 10 give up the
stage and return 10 him. According to
the statement OF Miss Caldwell he vented
his rage by pinchins his wife. gripping
her arms and other actions of similar
character.
1t appears lie had called her up over
the lonS-dstance phone from New York
| Friday and asked her to join him there.
She then told him she had not the money
and he offered TO senG her s.. She told
him that that was not enough and so he
came to Washington.
Took Pistol Away From Him.
After his arrival he refused to let her
! appear on the stage, and she missed two
F, erformances-Saturday afternoon and
night. He had pistol when he arrived.
! ard Miss Caldwell says she wanted 10
| get it away from him. fearing he might
| do his wife harm, but the latter wished to
avoid the exposure that might result.
Later he gave the revolver to hlS wife
and she handed il to Miss Caldwell, who
placed it under the pillow on her bed
Afterward she put 1t in a bureau outside
her room. AT q O'Clock Saturday evening
when she returned from the performance.
Miss Caldwell says Short aud his wife
| appeared to bc on friendly terms. They
both asked for the pistol, Short saying
he wanted to return it II a saloonkeeper
who had loaned it to him. When il was
given him he left the room. Again he
| tried to get check cashed without sue
cess.
Previous TO going to the theater at
night, Miss Caldwell says, she, with
Short and his wife, had supper together
| for which she and the wife paid. On her
return from the theater at night she
found Mrs. Short very nervous and ILL.,
She said Short still had the pistol and
she was afraid he would use it. When
| Miss Caldwell offered to call up the
| police Mrs Short begged her not TO.
| After they had retired, about $50 in the
morning, Short again came to their room
| fully dressed and apparently sober lie
| complained OF the way his wife vas waS
treating him and asked to see her. This
| he was permitted to do after he had ull-
] loaded the pistol and given the cartridges
| to Miss Caldwell. At $50 O'Clock he left.
! morning she found him standing in the
| rom. He asked for the cartridges. got
| them and left.
! Eve took surrey for the Union station.
Short and his wife occupying the rear
seat, while / rode on the seat with the
driver Several times on the way TO the
station, Miss Caldwell says, she heard
Mrs Short demonstrating with her nus
band and threatening to scream II he
did not stop HIS reply was: IF YOU
do. you will be sorry.
Fired Three Shots.
When the station was reaCned Mrs
Short. without waiting for the carriage
TO stop Ieaped out and fell Short fol-
lowed and also fell. AS she arose ana
started 10 run he drew the revolver ana
fired at her. and then walked up and
fired two more shots into her PROSTATE
body He then tn ned the gun upon HIM
self, fired, and fell.
Mrs Short was hurried 10 the Casualty
Iospital in a taXicab. and few minutes
later Short was taken there in the am
buIance and died about l O'Clock. The
bullet pa ssed through his brain and lodged
i'm the skull Acting Coroner Glazebrook
viewed the body and issued a certificate
of death by suicide.
Miss Caldwell was taken to the house
of detention. where she was held as a
witness But when Short died Coroner
Glazebrook ordered the young woman re-
leased, and she left late last night for
Pittsburg to join her company.
An examination by the physicians show
ed that two bullets had entered Mrs.
Shorts back just below the left shoulder
blade. Just below the third bullet had
crashed into corset steel, breaking Its
force and probably preventing instanta-
neo,Is death. The wound was unlike the
other two The ply sicians believe that