The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-11
WIFE OF FORMER
|. TOPEKAN SHOOTS
HIM THRU HEART
Mrs. Geo. w. Sheppard Kills
Husband in X. C. Home.
Both Had Guns, She Pulled the
Trigger First.
QUARRELED OVER WHISTLING
He Wanted To Go Out and She
Strenuously Objected.
Sheppard Was Once Well
Known Topeka Contractor.
Both Had Guns, She Pulled the
Trigger First.
QUARRELED OVER WRESTLING
He Wanted To Go Out and She
Strenuously Objected.

He had q gun and 1 had mine. 1t
was his life or mine. 1 must have shot
first
While her husband. George W.
Sheppard, 40. until a year ago a prom
inent Topeka contractor, lay dead at
his home, $500 Agnes avenue, Kansas
City, Mrs. Dora Sheppard made that
frank explanation of his death to Capt
NJ. ]. Kennedy, of the Missouri city's
police department. Kennedy. with a
patrolman, answered a call last mid
night which said a shooting had taken
place at the Sheppard home.
Sheppard was found with a bullet
thru his heart. The body was ordered
to an undertaking establishment, and
Mrs. Sheppard was taken to the police
matron's rooms at headquarters sta
ton.
She was charged today with first
degree murder and was held without
bail.
The call which came to the police
station was an urgent one. the party
making it said. Kennedy lost no time
in answering it. AS ne rushed up the
steps and opened the door Mrs Shep-
pard met him in the hall.
You remember, she said, 81 told
you it would come to this
Had Complained to Police.
Kennedy remembered at the police
station, he said, that Mrs. Sheppard
had come to his station on July and
| complained that her husband was
using his motor car to take other
women riding.
Sheppard, according to the story
told by Mrs. Sheppard. had returned
Friday night from Topeka where he
had been in an effort to trade his
| home at $500 Agnes avenue for To-
| peka property.
I'VE finished dinner" said Mrs.
Sheppard. land I began to do. the
dishes l asked him if he thought we
/ Nv in 10
said he didn't know and was suilen
and peevish about it,
Il began to whistle as / worked. My
husband told me to shut my mouth
| 1 replied and asked If my mouth
wasn't my own.
I'm going Que of here" he said
then, and I told him he wasn't going
out. He went into room and got
clean shirt and told me again he was
going. He had a gun in his hand
Wife Got Gun Too.
II went and got a gun out of a
| trunk which had belonged to him. He
had his gun and then L had mine and
| it was either his life mine. He
backed downstairs with his gun point
ed toward me. I must have shot first.
| shot twice l don't know whether
| he fired or not; 1 was so excited at
the time"
/ one of the bullets. The other went
wild. According to Captain Kennedy,
his revolver had not been fired
Mrs. Sheppard, according to the po-
lice went to her husband after he
fell and spoke to him. He didn't an
swer and she dropped down beside
him. She made no attempt to escape.
The police today said that domestic
trouble first began between Sheppard
and his wife when Sheppard pur-
chased a motor caE-several years ago.
In a statement made to the police
Mrs. Sheppard said the pulling of the
trigger of her revolver had been
prompted because he had come to look
upon their home as a place to secure
meals whenever his fancy dictated
and to sleep whenever it was conven-
lent"
The Sheppards have six children
living. Claude, rs years old. hved
across the hall from his parents A
daughter. Mrs. II. w. Potts, lives at
1920 Topeka avenue in Topeka. an
other. Mrs. Nina Talbot, wife of Dr.
Harry Talbot. lives at Hoyt. Three
single daughters were not at home
at the time of the shooting. leila. %,
was at the home of her sister in To-
peka Maude, 1 5, was with her sister
in Hoyt. Mildred, IL, was across the
hall with her brother
Mrs. Potts Not fYrrc.
A call at the home of Mrs H. w.
Potts, 1920 Topeka avenue, over the
telephone, failed to receive an answer.
Relative said they thought Mrs. Potts
had left for Kansas City.
City directories show that in 1903
George Sheppard lived at 1910 To-
peka avenue In 1908 he lived at 1C20
Western avenue, and in 1907 at 1908
here for years. His wife and he were
both well known. In Kansas City
Sheppard has been engaging in the
general contracting business.