The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-01-05
SHOT RATHER
THAN TAKE DRUG

PHILADELPHIA, Especially Charg-
ing that her husband. Herbert Mason
Clapp, had tried 10 force her to take
morphine just previous TO the quarrel
IN which he was shot. Mrs. Clapp told
ner story before Magistrate Harris
here Wednesday in support Of her al
legations OF assault, battery and nom
support on which Clapp was arrest
ed
Mrs. Clapp. who is the second wife
of the Backing Kings" grandson.
and who is now out on $4,000 bail on
the charge Of shooting Clapp, came
into court in a fur coat. the lapels OF
which were covered with roses. She
was in the witness chair for over an
hour.
ION the evening OF the shooting"
she testified, Il telephoned 20 the gar
age for our automobile SnG went out,
leaving Mr.. Clapp alone at home.
When L returned less than an hour
later L saw my husband leaning from
the front window on the second floor
haranguing an imaginary crowd be-
low.
When 1 entered the house he ask
ed me where / had been. ] told him
| had gone to the home of our chauf-
feur's mother Then he called me all
kinds Of a liar.
After that he dressed and went
out. Returning. he made me undress
Then he beat me, just as he had done
several times before. He tried to
make me take morphine. and when 1
resisted he Knocked me down and put
his knee on my chest. While 1 was
in this position he attempted to in
ject the drug into my arm through a
hypodermic syringe, but he did not
succeed.
I'VE continued to quarrel. and
while moving about the room he took
his revolver from its holster beside
the bed.
81 want to shoot you with this.
he said.
Go ahead 1 replied. 1t won't
be the first time you have threatened
to do it
Il tried to run away. and he point
ed the revolver at me. lie fired and
the bullet lodged in the ceiling. We
struggled and the revolver went off,
and he got it
The witness was asked if she had
pointed the weapon at her husband.
and she replied. Not that L know
Of"
The magistrate released Clapp un-
der bail of $500.
AS an added feature to the trou-
bles of the couple, ii now develops
that Clapp. instead Of receiving $685.
GOO a year, as at first. believed. has
an income Of but SO, 900. derived from
his mothers estate. He has no finan-
cial connections and has no other
source OF income
Some interesting facts I'm connec-
ton with the divorce which parted
Clapp from his first wife have Just
come to light. 1t is said he became
infatuated with beautiful woman
who was a member of a good Wash
ington family. When he went to Sa-
vannah to a bird shooting contest at
the invitation of prominent citizen
she also appeared there, posing as
relative of prominent family in that
town. This was a simple matter, in
asmuch as that family had cousins
living at distant points whom they
had never seen.
The woman died at her home in
Washington two years later, while
Clapp was at Norfolk The news up
set him and he plunged into dissipa-
tons. and soon became deeply in
VOlVed there. He communicated with
his former friend, Joseph ]. Killorin
of Savannah, then studying law, and
Killorin undertook to untangle Ciapp's
affairs. but his condition was such
that his friends had him confined i'm
the inebriates' home pending the set
Element of his legal difficulties. He
escaped from there and tried to go
TO sea in his yacht. the Adrienne. In
his capacity as attorney for Clapp
Killorin was besought by several of
the Philadelphians friends TO prevent
a repetition OF the attempt by libeling
the yacht and, after consulting with
another lawyer. he did so, releasing
the yacht after Clapp had recovered.
When Mrs. Clapp No. 1 heard of
the Washington woman she sued for
ter's reputation. furnished testimony
from a woman of questionable char
acter living in Georgia, making her
the correspondent.