New-York tribune., 1921-11-12
Girl Held as
Assailant in
Park Shooting
Dairy Bookkeeper, Found
Observation-Disclosures,
Tells Conflicting Stories;
Victims Condition Critical
Signs of Struggle Found
Man Says He Was Attacked
by Bandits, but Woman
Gives Other Versions

MISS vera Horner, tWenty-fOur years
old, bookkeeper employed by the
Glover Farms Dairy Company, was held
yesterday without bail, charged with
shooting and probably mortally wound
ing Raymond Younghand, twenty y-eight
years old, of 500 West Fifty-frst
Street, a striking milk driver, employed
by the same firm Miss Horner was
nrraigned before Magistrate Joseph
Carrigan in West Side Court. She has
lived for some time in furnished
room at 156 West 1O1st Street.
Younghand was shot in the back, on
the lower right side, the bullet passing
to point under the skin of his abb
domen. He was found late Thursday
night, his head pillowed in the girls
arms He said he was walking alone
when robber shot him. Then he
lapsed into Inconsistencies. He is in
Roosevelt Hospital still unconscious.
The hospital surgeons say his wound is
dangerous.
Five Conflicting Stories.
Detective Joseph Maloney, of the
West Sixty-eighth Street station, who
filed the information against the girl,
and Detectives Manning and Davis, of
the same station, say the girl has told
five conflicting stories of the events
imme diately prior to the shooting of
founghand. none of which comedies
himself. Younghand is married, and
in one story of the shooting the girl
admitted she knew Younghand was
married and had seen his wife, but had
never met her. She admitted in this
story that she had strolled through the
park for hours with Younghand and
that she had fired the shot for causes
which she refused to reveal She said
she threw the revolver into the lake,
Younghand just before he lapsed into
Inconsistencies said the strike of the
milk drivers union had nothing to do
with the shooting. He insisted it had
been done by hold-up men. In other
stories told by Miss Horner she in
sisted that q hold-up man had fired the
shot.
The police say they have evidence
that the man and the girl had been
walking through the park. They are
SAID to have penetrated to the center
of the park and there to have sat on a
bench near a small bridge on "rhe
Ramblc.' Here the police say they
of struggle, and trail of blood leads
to the point in the main road where
the couple was found, the mans head
in the girls arms.
Scout Suicide Theory
The police scout the theory of sui
eide agreement in which the girl
failed to carry out her part. They say
the signs of tho struggle near the
bench preclude the possibility of such
q pact. They also dsbeleve the hold
up theory, saying Younghand made this
statement to protect the girl.
Mrs. Younghand, interviewed by the
police. asserted that she and her hus-
band had had no serious trouble She
said she was we'll acquainted with Miss
Horner, who had eaten dinner last
Christmas Day with Mr.. and Mrs.
Younghand and their four-year-old son.
Miss ,Horner was arrested at her
room, where she had gone after Young
hand had been taken to the hospital.
Detectives Manning and Davis yes
terday took the woman to the spot in
the park on "The Ramble" where the
bench was found overturned behind q
clump of bushes. They found an empty
automatic pistol cartridge correspond
ing to the bullet taken from Young
hands body.
ne detectives led the girl on a tour
of the park and talked to her con
stantly in an effort to get her to give a
connected account of what happened.
Failing in this, they took her back to
jail and reported to Assistant District
Attorney Francis P. Mario, who or
dered her arrest on, a charge of felo-
NOUS assault.
Detectives Question Girl
The detectives say that Miss Horner
laughed and chatted gayly with them
during their stroll through the park.
They led her back to the overturned
bench repeatedly and asked her if
that was not the spot where the shoot
ing had taken place instead of in the
roadway, as described in her hold-un
stories. Finally the detectives saw.
the girl laughed and said: eyes; what
The girl was later taken to the hos
pital in an effort to get Younghand to
identify her, but the patient was un-
conscious. The detectives saw it was
impossible to get Miss Horner to take
her situation seriously. Among the
stories said to have been told bv tha
girl are:
ON the approach Of the hold-up
man | took the revolver from Young
hand, and in trying to shoot the ron
ber I shot Younghand."
"Younghand took the revolver from
MS pocket to show me and it was acct
dentally discharged"
"Younghand was shot by one of two
hold-up men,"
L ~