The Washington times., 1920-01-23
SHOOTS FATHER TO
SAVE HER MOTHER
Annapolis Telephone Operator
Says She Fired When Father
Brandished Gun.

/ ANNAPOLIS. Md. Jan. 23.-With
a bullet wound In his breast. near
the heart, and his lung punctured.
Charles Jefferson, a painter. forty
eight years old, who was shot by his
daughter, Miss Ruth Jefferson. is ex-
pected TO die at the Emergency Hos
pital here.
} He had several hemorrhages and
tonight was said 10 be extremely
weak.
Girl Admits Shooting.
The daughter. who is eighteen years
old. and had been employed at the
! Naval Academy exchange as a tele-
phone operator. has admitted the
| shooting. saying she fired In defense
! OF her mother. herself, and her little
brothers and sisters.
my father said he would shoot my
4rnother, then kill himself" she said.
''He had made several similar threats
! on previous occasions. when he did
not appear to be himself" she con-
/ tinued. "and 1 made up my mind
would protect mother II possible. I
shot him only after Ne had pu1he,l
the muzzle of the gun into my
mouth"
! At the hospital Jefferson stated TO
DIR. Russell: ~ forgive my daughter.
She did IL to save her mother"
No Police IinvestfKa alton.
Even since the shooting. which oc-
CURED Tuesday night there has been
a good deal OF mystery about the af'
fair. No arrest has been made. nor
any investigation conducted. Miss
Jefferson's statement, however. was
made in a very straightforward man
ner. In the presence of her mother
and several of the other children oi
the family. At times her narrative
was interrupted by bursts OF tears
and she sobbed bitterly at the thought
that her father might die.
Miss Jefferson declared that hei
father was not intoxicated as hac
been reported, but said that he OTTER
had suffered from mental attacks. She
said. however. that he had seemed
perfectly normal during the last few
days. This statement was corroborateC
by her mother and two OF her sisters
"On Tuesday night papa talked
!: with us until nearly midnight" sh'
said. Then. when we were abou
to retire. he turned to me and sale
that had better prepare for some
! thing awful Then he said he In
tended to kill mother and himsel
and that 1 would find them both stiff
in the morning. i ran to the bureau
where ] knew there was a small re
volver, and got 1t. Then / hid motheI
in cuboard.
"1n few minutes papa went int
the bedroom and l remained standing
by the cupboard. He demanded L
know where mother was. and tolC
him she had gone to town. He hae
revolver in his hand and seemed
to know that mother hadn't gone u
town, but was in the cupboard and h,
came closer to me, saying that IL
did not tell where mother was III
would kill me. too. / was dreadful!
frightened. and j drew the revolver
which / had been holding behind me
and fired. Papa walked downstairi
into the kitchen, where he fell to th'
floor. My little sister. Alice, was IL
the room. and the bullet just missed
striking her.
Housckold in Turmoil.
All of the younger children, Mis-!
Jefferson said, were aroused by the
shooting and, for a while the house
hold was in turmoil. DR.. John T
Russell, the family physician, wa!
summoned, and arrangements wer.
made to have Jefferson removed to :
hospital.