Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1920-03-11
FOREIGNER SHOT BY HIS
WIFE A., CAIIyQWA'


inflicted by his wife wsn 32-calibre
revolver at their home at Galloway
mines, near Pennington, Sunday after
noon, Ralph Becker, an Italan, was
taken to the county jail at Clarks-
burg last night by Constable r. W.
Johnson, Of Philippi. The prisoner
apparently was suffering but little
from mis- bullta wounds. The wife of
the prisoner, charged with the shoot
ing, is held in the Barbour County
jail at Philippi.
The county authorities at Philippi
were notified of the shooting Monday
morning and trip to the scene by
Deputy Sheriff John Kennedy and
Constable R. w Johnson resulted in
the arrest of the wife. The husband
could not be found but was taken in
to custody late in the afternoon by
Constable Johnson while he was in the
act of boarding train at Fleming
ton. He declined to account for his
attempt to leave the vicinity.
Different stories are told by the
man and wife concerning the circum-
stances of the shooting. The hus-
band at the county Jail here last night
stated that jealousy prompted the
wife to do the shooting. He said
that he entered the home and was in
the act of getting skillet up put on
the stove preparatory to assist in
getting ready the evening meal when
his wife opened fire on him with no
just cause.
The story told by the wife to the
authorities at Philippi, on the other
hand was to the effect that her hus-
band had threatened to do her viol-
ence on several occasions and that she
had lived in constant fear of him.
! These threats the wife said had to do
with the husband telling her numer-
Gus times that he was going to kill
! her as her brother-in-law, Sam Ca
rene, had killed his wife, Cerenze
was found guilty in the Taylor county
circuit court of murder in the first
degree, in connection with the death
of his wife, who was found in bed
with her neck broken, and was sem
fenced to life Imprisonment in the
penitentiary
The wife further stated that argu-
ment followed the shooting Sunday
day afternoon. She said her husband
for some time had refused to work
and that he had endeavored to force
her into life of slavery and disgrace
that she might provide for him. This
she steadfastly refused to do and
when an argument again ensued on
the question the husband became en-
ragged, she said, and threatened to
chop her head off with a butcher
knife. Fearing that he intended to
carry out the threat, she said, as he
went to cupboard and sodght to
secore a knife, she opened fire on
him with revolver.
One of the bullets entered in the
/ mai . Oclh dDONe tllc MP anu SET
! ond lodged in his breast The wife
stated that the wounded man made
lunge at her and she fired three more
shots at him while running from the
house. All of these shots were fired
at random and went wild.
| Following the shooting the wife
went to the home of preacher, where
a ter making sure that no one heard
with the doors locked and the blinds
pulled down, she told the story of the
shooting. Monday morning she re-
turned to her home where the officer
took her in custody.
The man stated after his arrest
that he had seen a physician who re-
moved the bullet from his breast but
was unable to locate any ball in the
wound in his back. The man will be
taken to Philippi, Tuesday morning
by Constable johnson, where the
case will be heard