The San Francisco call., 1913-07-16
DEATH WAS NOT
AN ACCIDENT, SAYS
T|LTQN' 5 MOT HER.
Young Alameda Matron
Who Shot Her Husband
Declares in Jail Shoot
ing Was Accident !.

ALAMEDA. July <15.--Wfth Mrs. Ma
bel Triton, "a years old. a widow by
her own hand in jail and facing a
charge of murder, the Alameda police
are today probing further into the
death of walter 8. Tilton, 20 years old,
1est n.1h+ who was shot at the resi-
dance of Mr. and Mrs. S. c. Hastings.
1920 Central avenue. Mrs. W. M TIL
ton OF 75s Haight street. San Francisco,
mother of Ti1ton, averred that the al
fair was not an accident. She was
oraatlv excited. Mr. and Mrs. Hastings
and her husband tried TO calm her ana
said tbe affair was purely accidental.
Mrs Triton has been in state OF
.frenzied hysteria since the shooting.
she rallied late this afternoon SUI
fcjent1v 70 give somewhat connected
account of the TRAGEDY
eve were all seated at the table, :
she said. my husband, who was cut
ting up. as he usually was, left the
room. and returned with the pistol. III e
danced and whooped around the room.
declaring that he was an Indian and
brsndishine the weapon. Suddenly he
thrust IT into my hand. saying You
he the Indian--you shoot me- did
NOT examine the pistol. but in some
rav II was discharged, and my husband
fell to the floor
Mr. and Mrs Hastings and Mr.. and
Mrs. Tilton had partaken of a late sup
per at the Hastings home, when. ac-
cording TO the story OF the eyewit-
nesses., Tilton handed his wife the
weapon.
! Mrs. w. NJ Triton was one OF the
first to call at the police headquarters
today. cit was not an accident, she
declared, .she shot him..
HER MOTHER RETTCENT
Mrs. Langhorne, the mother of Mrs.
Mabel Tilton. called at the police sta
tfon to visit her daughter. but refused
TO give her name. She said that her
residence was in San Jose. She was
accompanied by Attorney Sweeney OF
San Francisco.
Arthur s. Tilton of 174o Ellis street,
San Francisco, a brother OF the dead
man, called at the morgue today put
could shed no light on the case. He
was accompanied by George brutus
of 2195 Broadway. San Francisco, a
brother in law OF the fmprisoned
woman. ~ @
Mr.. and Mrs Hastings were exam
fned by the police this afternoon. Act
ing Chief of Police William III. Wah-
fnuth said that sufficient suspicion at
tached to the incident to warrant him
holding the wo1nan nAon a charge OF
murder. at least se,ntil the coroner's
INQUEST tomorrow morning.
The revolver with which Tilton was
shot had been in the Hastings home
for years The bullet entered the right
breast near the center and ranged
across. lodging in the left lung. II
was extracted by City Physician Ar
thur Hieronymus today. Death was
caused from an internal hemorrhage.
HOMECOMING CELEBRATED
The Tiltons had been living at the
Hastings home for the last three weeks
during the absence of the Hastings
family, and the dinner party was ar
ranged in honor of the homecoming of
the couple Mrs. Hastings, who is the
most collected of the trio, said that
there could be no possibility of an in
territorial shooting.
"It was an accident" she said. Mr..
Tilton was sitting at the table. Sud-
denly he jumped up saying. Let's play
Indian He handed the revolver to
his wife and said. TIL be Indian; you
shoot me- Mrs. Tilton took the pistol,
he showed it into her hand, and in
some way she managed to pull the
trigger.
aTiIton fell to. the floor and while