Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-26
SHOOTING Of BOY
IS RESULT Of
LOVE AFFAIR
Rivalry Over Little Girl Causes
SWANS to Go "Gunning" for
Each Other.

Information indicating that the
shooting of 1O-year-old Harold Thorn
ason No 81 North Lawn street who
was fired upon from ambush at Lu-
ciie and Gordon streets late Tues
day afternoon and seriously wound
ed Of Philip Foster, Il years old, Of No.
5SS Gordon street, was the outgrowtn
of a juvenile rivalry for the affections
Of little girl between young Foster
and Walter Mooney, aged 10, Of No.
zoo Gordon street was given to po-
lice Wednesday morning by Joseph
Thomson, father of The wounded boy.
According to Thomason's statement
which Is borne out by statement
made 10 Policeman Lon Evans by he
Foster boy, the bullet that struck
young Thomson was meant for
Mooney, but the Thoma son boy skated
directly in front of young Mooney as
the Foster boy fired from behind
shed.
Both the Mooney and Foster boys
are pupils at the Battle Hill School.
and, according to the information t1e
police have, are both in love with the
same little girl. They quarreled about
her last week, it is said, and on Mon
day night young Mooney is said tc
have gotten shotgun and started
on a search for his rival, intending,
il is said. to kill young Foster. His
playmates took the gun away from
him before the pair met.
Dresses in Uniform.
Tuesday morning, it is said young
Foster learned that Mooney had been
looking Tor him with a shotgun, and
he went home in rage. Fosters
elder brother is a member of the State
militia, and the boy donned his broth
er's military uniform, buclled the
cartridge belt about his waist, slip
ped the brothers revolver out of the
house. and started on search for
young Mooney He searched all
morning and most of the afternoon,
it is said, without finding him. Late
in the afternoon, it is said, young Fos-
ter came upon Mooney roller skat-
ing on the sidewalk with a crowd of
other boys. Foster slipped around
through an alley, it is asserted, and
hid in the shadows of shed which
the boys passed in their rankings
up and down the sidewalk The crowd
of boys passed and Foster aimed at
Mooney. it is said by the police. and
pulled the trigger. Thomson sllat-
ed in front OF young Mooney, and the
bullet struck him in the shoulder
Playmate Escapes.
The only statement the Foster boy
had made since the shooting was made
to Policeman Lon Evans when the
officer went to the Child's home and
found him unconcenedly chopping
wood in the back ward, fifteen minutes
after he had fired q revolver point
blank into the crowd of children play
ing on the sidewalk. Evans asked the
boy why he had shot the Thomson
boy.
4 didn't do it, replied young Fos-
ter. His face turned white. however,
and he swung his Ratchet nervously.
THE other boys say they saw yod
fire the gun" said Evans.
We'll, | wasn't shooting at Harold,
Evans says the Foster boy told him:
y was shooting at Walter Mooney"
The Mooney boy is about Is years
old and lives at No. 700 Gordon street
He was ne of the boys VINO We're
playing with the Thomson boy 9th
er children in the crowd We're Hud-
son Peurifoy, No. SO Greensferry ave-
nue.: Walter Fisher, No. 127 Yelling
ton street; Charles Sanders, NO. b6}
Gordon street; Willie Haynes, No. y
Inman street, and Willie owens, Of
North Wellington street. The police
say each Of the boys has said nc saw
the Foster boy fire the shot.