The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1911-07-03
YON DER M|LLERS
WIFE SCREAMS As
SON IS QUESTIONED
Hysterical, She Has to Be
Taken Away When Boy
Tells of Family Strife.
Continued from First Page.)


went to him and told him not to cry
any more because Uncle John was com
Ing. Uncle John said. Won Der Miller
No Uncle John said. Come In the
house and eat supper Papa said,
don't want any supper. Inen maInIiA
started to give papa something 70 eat
and Uncle John said. isn't mere any, e
one else" Mamma said. Aunt Ida is
supposed to give you your supper. Then
Uncle John jumped up and grabbed
mamma by the throat Mamma trled 10
null away, and Aunt Ida ran out or the
room and so did papa. l asked mamma
why she didn't hit him. She said II she
had a stick she would. l gave her
stick, and Just then papa came IN Win
a revolver in his hand.
Revolved Failed.
He pointed it at Uncle John and pull
ed the trigger, but it failed to go OF.
Then Uncle John went after papa, but
mamma grabbed him by the Tie ana
stopped him. / heard Uncle John go up
stairs TO his room. heard him reach In
his trunk AMI also rattle something IN
a water pitcher. ell came down stairs
later and said, I'm fixed for him:
have a great big pistol
On motion Of defendants attorney
the Judge ruled this statement out.
"UncIe John went out on the porch"
continued the boy. II do not know
where papa was at that time. Uncle
John put the light in front of him and
said fVSn Der Miller is around here
somewhere. Then he walked to the
end Of the porch and said I'm target,
now shoot me- Then mamma ana
went to house across the street, where
we stayed until midnight. / heard
Uncle John make threat against papa
when papa pointed the gun at him and
pulled the trigger and said Won Der
Miller don't you do that, l will XIII you
II II takes a year or month. aIso
heard Uncle John say I know where
I'll get Won Der Miller; IN go 10 the
Bureau, he'll be there tonight.
81 went to sleep about midnight, ana
the last 1 saw nv papa was the next
morning when he was coming up inc
car track after the shooting.
The witness was then turned over 10
Mr. Mackey for cross-eXaminatlon, al
though he failed to shake the boy s
story in any respect. Mr.. Mackey De
ycloped that Reeves caressed his sister
after he had choked her. and Won Der
Miller had snapped piston IN ms I I.ao :;
HE put his arms around mamma,
said the boy, land kissed her. ana saio;
Ann, YOU know I wouldn't hurt you.
Mackey then tried to get the boy 70
explain how he had been able TO deter
mine by sounds that his uncle had gene
also ratified the water pitcher.
"If he had put his head In, 1 suppose
you would have known that, too!
questioned Mr.. MaGkey. ~ oo. HE
head in," promptly replied the Wit
ness. The answer provoked an out
burst of laughter. and Judge morn
ton threatened to clear the courtroom
If 1t was repeated:
pistol" continued young Won Der
Miller, under cross-examinatton; ne
was just making a big blum: The
boy also said that he heard Reeves
tell Cornelius Syfax that he didn't In
tend to go to bed that night until he
had killed Won Der Miller.
Charge Resented.
A charge that the boy had trained
was made by Mr.. Mackey and strongly
resented by the defendants attorney.
At this point in the testimony Won Der
Miller broke down completely and with
his face in his hands cried like child.
William w. Malone, an employe OF the
Bureau of Printing and Engraving, was
called to the stand and gave testimony
tending to show that in his opinion Won
Der Miller was of an unsound mind.
Theodore Gross, 4o6 Eleventh street
southwest, who formerly boarded with
the Won Der Millers in the dorchester
Won Der Miller by Reeves, seven years
ago.
Otto Sontag, a member of the Wash
ington police force, gave testimony 70
show that Won Der Miller was unoal-
anced mentally.
A few years ago Sontag said Won
Der Miller wrote him that EC had ap-
pealed to a number Of prominent per-
sons for financial assistance. and had
given Sontag's name as reference.
Tells of Threat.
That Reeves once threatened the life
Of William A. Hickey, former employe
of the Juvenile Court, and that an at
tack on Hickey was prevented through
the intervention of Won Der Miller, was
the testimony Of Hickey this morning.
The object of the testimony was to
show that Reeves was a dangerous man
and to support the contention Of the de-
Tense that Won Der Miller shot his
brother-in-law to save himself. Hickey
also testified that in his opinion Won
Der Miller often showed evidence OF
being irrational, and that he was natur-
ally of an excited, nervous disposition
Hickey said that he and Reeves and
Won Der Miller were at one time al
| members Of Roosevelt Garrison, Army
! and Navy Union. He said he knew both
reeves and the defendant very well
| The trouble between Hickey and Reeves
occurred during q meeting OF teh Or
ganizatfon when the selection Of a COM
mander for the garrison was under dis
| cussion.
Won Der Miller and Hickey were dis.
| cussing the situation, he said, when
Reeves walked up to them and said tc
Hickey:
what in h have you got to do with
this?" Hickey said that Reeves reached
in his pocket as If he were about to