The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1915-05-28
CONFBSSES TO KILLING STEP.
FATHER.
Earl v. Harp Tells the Officers He
Shot in Self Defence.

not Harp had been killed by bullet
The post-mortem began shortly after
six 0 clock Monday morning and was
conducted by Dr. Ira J. McCurdy in a
room of Grossnickle's Meeting House,
near Wolfsville. Sheriff Conard, Dep
uty Sheriff Smith, Stewart Geisbert,
the accused, Earl Harp, and States
Attorney Samuel A. Lewis, witnessed
the examination.
The post-mortem showed that the
bullet had entered the left side of the
head, and penetrated the brain, lodg-
ing against the right side of the skull
Death was instantaneous The exam
ination was completed by $50 o'clock
During the entire post-mortem Harp
showed that he was laboring under
unusual mentral strain. He glanced
at intervals at the features of his
stepfather and then either turned aside
or hung his head. He made no state
ment at all during the examination
He answered questions when put to
him, and showed by detached answers
that he was suffering extreme mental
agony
The scheme of taking the youth on
the trip to Wolfsville was the idea
of Sheriff Conard, who said Monday
that he had in theory accounted for
the death of Charles V. Harp. Il figur-
ed," said the sheriff, that there had
been quarrel between Harp and his
stepson, and that Harp had been muir
dered. l could take no stock in the
suicide theory because it was ridicu
lous. | knew that the stepfather and
the youth had quarreled."
Because of this theory and because
he wanted to. have a long conversa-
tion with Mrs. Harp, the sheriff took
the boy to Wolfsville with the party.
When the confession came there was
striking similarity between the ac-
tual story of the shooting and the the
ory of the sheriff.
For nearly two hours the sheriff
talked with Mrs. Harp, hoping to Sc
cure some clue which would help him
unravel the mystery. Harp had re-
fused to talk of the affair, maintain
ing that he was innocent and that his
father had committed suicide. The
sheriff declared Monday night that the
mother had evidently frequently talk
ed with her son over the death of her
husband
OF the two, Mrs. Harp was visibly
more nervous than her son. After her
talk with the sheriff, she agreed that
she would ask her son pointblank
whether or not he had killed his step
father or knew anything about it. She
appeared to be extremely nervous.
"She was more nervous than her
son, said the sheriff. The youth Mon
day night told the sheriff that his mother
had frequently before his arrest,
sounded him on the death of her
husband. He told the sheriff that he
always said his father had commit
ted suicide.
During his trip to his home the
youth took bath, changed clothing,
and packed change of linen to take
with him to the Jail. He told the Off
GERS he was taking up course with
correspondence school and brought
to the Jail with him several books and
writing material.
Harp is about feet. inches in
hair and a fiorid complexion. His
head is small and round, with low
narrow forehead. He has long neck
and is slender. He is about 20 years
of age. His hands are small and his
feet unusually small and dainty for a
man.
With his eyes glued to those Of
Sheriff Conard, who sat directly in
front of him, young Harp shuddered
as the sheriff said: 81 want the truth.
If you shot your stepfather, want to
know it and if you did not shoot him,
l don't want you to say you did" The
sheriff stopped and then added: "Be
CAREFUL don't say anything you'll re-
gret. l can't promise you anything
and anything you say will be used
against you"
There was in the room Mrs. Charles
V. Harp, Deputy Sheriff Charles
Smith and Stewart Geisbert. The boy
looked about the little circle. His face
was the personification of misery and
mental suffering. He looked at his
mother, who said: Earl, if you shot
if you know anything about how it
happened, tell the sheriff and give me
some peace of mind and relieve me of
this worry"
Looking squarely at the sheriff as
if fascinated, the youth said: Il shot
first
"What do you mean?" came instant
ly from the sheriff.
when | came out of my room to
go see my girl, my father stood with a
shotgun in his hands and said Tn
going to shoot you if you go to see that
grill" began young Harp.
This is how Harp told the story of
the shooting, according to Sheriff
Conard:
81 had put on my good clothes and
had placed the gun in my pocket, be-
cause he said he would not let me go
see my girl AS ] came out of my
room he threw the covers off him,
went to corner and picked up the
shotgun. He cooked it and raised it
to my face.
Before he got il to my face, I shot
"Why did you shoot the revolver off
at that time of night?' queried the