Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-17
MRS. FENT0N DEAD
SucCumbS to Shots Fired by
Suicide Husband.
JEALOUSY CAUSE OF; DEED
Bookmaker Had Threatened to Kill
Wife and Himself.
BEGGED TO LIVE WITH HIM
But Was down on His Luck" and
Could Not Support Her, Dead
Girls Mother Says.
BEGGED TO LIVE WITH HIM

Il Mrs. Virginia Fenton. Who was shot
three times yesterday afternoon by her
husband, Frank Fenton. just before he
ended his own life, died at the Emergency
Hospital about o'clock yesterday after
noon. having lived only about two hours
after she was shot. The one bullet her
! husband fired into his own brain resulted
In his instant death. Coroner hewitt
reached the house OF Mrs. Elizabeth
t.i,ey. mother OF Mrs. Fenton, 112O New
York avenue. soon after the tragedy was
enacted. He found curious crowd on
| the street and sidewalk. In the house was
the body of Fenton, lying on the hall
| floor.
Detective Charles \. Evans and police
men from the first precinct had already
made an investigation of the shooting
and were in position to explain every
| thing to the coroner. and certificates o:
| ueath were given in accordance with the
facts. Mrs. Riley had the police send the
body of her son-in-law to the morgue
! Ills mother lives in Asbury Park
| MIS- Riley told the police. land you
might send her word what her son has
done. She is good woman. but I can't
say rnucir for Frank
Was Divorced Woman.
''Firgie" Riley, as the young woman
was familiary called by her friends was
formerly the wife OF Richard Taylor, a
secret service detective, and she was
with him at Oyster Bay when he was
detailed there to assist I'm guarding Pres
ident Roosevelt. She was handsome and
attracted much attention while at Oyster
| lay. divorce between the detective
and his wife followed. and later she be-
came the wife Of Fenton, who was known
as follower of the races and gambler
HIS lot was that of the average man
or his class, When his luck was in the
acendency he spent his money freely.
giving his wife many Injuries, but when
| the losing streaks came he was forced
to live alone, while his wife returned to
her mother.
! They were never really separated"
said Mrs. Riley to Star reporter but
she had to come home because he could
not support her. She went to Jackson
Viile TO attend the races last winter, and
when Frank lost all his money had to
send cash to my daughter to pay her
fare hOme.'
Frank Fenton had been known about
race tracks and card tables in all sec
tons OF the United States, Mexico and
Canada. Most of his time had been spent
| in this city during the past twenty years,
however, although he travelled consider
ably. FentOns first wife was living at
the time he first met Virginia Taylor.
/
ana married her about four years ago.
Husband Became Jealous.
Later. it is stated, he became jealous
OF her, and. It is said, had threat
ened to. kin her and her mother, and re-
Gently, while out in q taxicab, he fired a
shot at his wife. Partly through fear
and partly because of her love for him,
the wife, 1t is said, would not respond
! IN
, arrested.
| Fenton, it is said, seemed to think his
mother-in law widened the breach be-
tween his wife and himself and SO
! stated.
say. "TIl end all. I'll make a good Job
Of it. and II my mother-in-law inter-
feres I'll kill her.
| the police had been told that Fenton
was armed with a revolver and that
1T was his intention to commit murder.
He had followed his wife from place
had seated himself in the park at New
York avenue and 18th street and
watched the house for hours. and only
last week his wife asked a policeman
at Pennsylvania avenue and 11th
! street for protection.
| She said her husband w"s following
her: that he carried a pistol and she
was afraid he would take her life. Only
| Il =.
took Virginia out for taxicab ride, and
during the time they were in the machine
he was continually pleading with her to
return to him.
when Virginia returned home,' the
mother stated. .'she told me of her un-
! pleasant trip, and said Frank had dis
charged his revolver either at her or to
! frighten her, and I begged her to have
him arrested. had been afraid he would
/ kill her"
( Yesterday afternoon Fenton and his
/ wife were lin a New York avenue cafe
/ with a woman friend of the latter. He
mOre,s waiter says. about money and
| left the place. Mrs. Fenton returned
| home shortly afterwad and met Frank
near New York avenue and 18th street.
went TO the parior together, Mrs. Riley
being in the kitchen, in the basement.
Mother Heard Shots.
''They had not been there more than
three minutes declared Mrs. Riley, be
fore the shooting commenced"
. Mrs. Riley made her way to the head
| OF the stairs and found her wounded
daughter and the body Of the dead man.
| Nick Fuller, who keeps fruit store on
! the opposite corner. heard shots and hur-
ried TO Mrs. RiIey's house. There had
been similar double murder in the
| building over his store some time ago
and Nick was prepared for any emer-
| 9ency. He hurried back to his store and
telephoned for an ambulance.
| DIR. j. Lawn Thompson of sd 18th
street had reached the house before the
ambulance from the Emergency Hospital,
! ia charge Of DR.. Healey, reached the
Mousse Despite the fact that there were
! two bullet wounds in her head and one
! in her chest Mrs. Fenton was able, with
the assistance of DIR. Thompson. to step
across the dead body OF her husband and
| walk from the house to the ambulance
Had Been Arrested