The Washington herald., 1911-10-10

Within a few rooms of each other in
the Emergency Hospital. August Her
! man Dennis and the girl wife whom he
attempted to kill before shooting himself
Yesterday morning, await the outcome
of the tragedy The next few hours will
! tell whether the husband will be charged
with murder.
Physicians stated last night that the
eighteen-year-old wife had a bare chance
of recovery. Two bullets fired by the
husband are believed to have struck vital
spots. and subsequent internal hemor-
rhage has so weakened her that a surgt-
cal operation would be hazardous in the
extreme. She is threatened with peri
tOnitis
OF the husbands recovery the physi-
clans have little doubt. Though the
wound N his head is serious and the bull
let penetrating the outer covering Of the
! brain, the man has recuperated wonder
fully and last night was able to talk
of his crime.
Says Wife Erred.
IF she hadn't played fast and loose
with me-. he said, time after time, the
thing would not have happened. She
was the mother of my child. loved her
until another man came in and wrecked
our homeland it wasn't his fault al
together. 1t was hers. l had begged her
TO come abck to me, but she wouldn't.
The husband has furnished the police
with the name of the man whom he
says wronged him.
Outside of Dennis room policeman
waits He will remain on guard until
the occupant can be taken to jail.
Mrs. Dennis remained semi-conscious
throughout the night. Once she awak-
ened from her stupor and cried weakly
for her eight-months-old baby, who was
in the room when her husband tried to
kill her. She said nothing of her hus-
band or of the shooting. Neither hus-
band nor wife knows that the other is
within hailing distance.
shots Follow Threat.
Dennis attacked his wife fOllowin an al
tercation at the home of her mother. Mrs.
George Hackley, of 9l61E Twenty-seventh
street northwest. He accused her of un-
wifely conduct. and when she threatened
to sue for a separation on grounds of
nonsupport, he drew the revolver and
cried out:
You'll never leave this room alive
Harry Kaufenberger a friend of the
family, was down stairs with the girls
mother. when the sound of two shots
rang out. He ran to the second floor and
saw Dennis standing above the pros
trate body of his wife.
TN kill you, tno,' Dennis yelled at
the boy and fired in his direction. The
lad turned to fiee, and as he did. Dennis
turned the weapon on himself and sent
a bullet crashing into his right temple
He fell over the body of his wife. who
though badly wounded, was still con-
scous. She weakly pushed him from her
and crawled to the door. Wife and hus-
band were hurried to II the Emergency
Hospital. DR.. w. II. Huntington. who
examined the wifes injuries, announced
that one bullet hal entered the breast
and one had penetrated the abdomen,
Both wounds were responsible for in
ternal hemorrhageS, which continued
throughout the night.
Mother Defends Daughter.
Mrs. Hackley last night laid all blame
on her son-in-law.
He abused my daughter" she said. |
and refused TO support her. After the |
baby was born, my child came to my !
home, because her husband had left her !
in actual want. Though he had refused |
to support her. Dennis was insanely jeal- |
Gus and fearful that every man who |
looked at her would steal her. 1 think |
he shot my daughter in a sudden fit of |
maniacal anger"
Friends of the couple declare that Den
mis-, armed with a revolver, was looking" |
for his wife last Saturday. She was |
away from home at the time, and he |
did not see her. neighbors say, but he
stated several times that he would be
back SOON
Dennis is a bakers helper. He is twen-
ty-two years old.