Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-05
GIRL DENIES SHE
KNOWS ABOUT
SHOOTING
Mrs. BaIIue, Held in Owls Club
Mystery, Says Other Women
Were in Room.
Continued From Page I.

ElFGel. 1NeN aCEONteQ the Two.
Woman Denies Shooting.
According TO stories told TO Night
Chief Jet by Detective Waggoner
both Raoul and the woman were
nervous when confronted by the Of
hosrs. Raoul did not speak, they said,
after they grasped his arm. but the
woman twisted away from the de-
tective who held her and faced them.
She demanded:
What do you want me for? I
didn't shoot him!"
The woman then tried to break
away and enter the waiting cab, but
the officers ordered her to go to head
quarters with them Raoul, too, went
along.
The detectives claim the utterance
Of the woman when they placed her
under arrest was significant. Wag
goner. whom she asked why she was
wanted. and whom she told she had
not shot Captain Thompson, declared
that he had not mentioned the shoot
ing OF told her why she was wanted.
He and his partner, Doyal, had sim
ply told them to wait moment,
catching them just as they started to
hurry into the cab.
At headquarters Friday night the
woman answered the questions put
to her by Chief Jett readily and com
posedly, and emphatically denied that
she had shot Captain Thompson Her
version of the affair, as told to Chief
Jett, is as follows:
Other Women in Room.
She has known Captain Thompson
for some time. she declared, and last
night had gone with him to the club.
They entered the reception parlors of
the club and took seat at one of the
tables. She claims she had drank but
one glass Of wine before the shooting.
Her escort, It is said, was drinking
highballs and rickeys, but was not
intoxicated Two other men, seated
at a table near the doorway, were
the only other occupants Of the room.
After they had sat at the table for
perhaps an hour, the women says,
Captain Thompson asked her 90 play
the piano. She played popular mu-
sic for some moments, she said, and
did not hear a shot which. she said,
came as she was playing ragtime in
a particularly loud key. She said
she supposed the sound Of the piano
drowned the shot. As she softened
the tones Of the piano she heard the
sound Of a fall and turned around on
the piano stool.
Then she heard Captain Thompson
cry that he was shot and saw him
fall to the moor His revolver lay
on the floor beside him. The two
women near the door were standing
by their table. and gazing in horror
at the figure of the captain on the
floor.
Mrs. Ballus declared she was dazed
by the sight and covered her face
with her hands. and when she looked
up again the women were gone. A
number of men. she declared, were
standing over Captain Thompson. and
he was telling them he had accident
ally shot himself
RaouI Claims Accident.
Raoul. who accompanied the de-
tectives and their prisoners to head
quarters. was not questioned by the
police or asked to give any explana-
ton of his part in the ARRAY. HIS
only comment, made while the wom-
an was being cross-examined by the
officers. was that the shooting was an
accident He did not elaborate his
statement into an explanation of any
sort
Other officials Of the club maintain
that Captain Thompson had been
wounded by the accidental discharge
of a cartridge when his revolver
dropped from the holster TO the fiooi
Of the reception room. Secretary
Raoul has advanced this explanation
of the shooting, and also declares that
two men were in the reception room
with Captain Thompson and witness
ed the accident. He said there were
no women in the parlor.
In direct contrast TO Mr.. Raoul's
statement is the assertion made by
Mrs. Balleus that she was in the
parlor when the shot was fired. and
that two other women occupied seats
near the door. One of the mysteries
of the affair is the disappearance Of
the two women whom Mrs. BalleJ
said witnessed the shooting They
left Immediately after the occurrence
ana detectives have so far been un.
able to locate them. The search is
being continued, however, and if they
can be found they Will be held as
material witnesses. According to Mrs
Balleu, they are the only persons who
witnessed the actual firing Of the
shot
Detectives Not Told Truth.
Strenuous efforts were made by the
club officials and by Captain Thomp,
son TO keep the affair quiet wher
detectives arrived to investigate tn,
shooting, accompanied by newspaper
men. they were told that Captain
Thompson had been accidentally shot
and had been taken 10 his home in a