The Washington times., 1921-03-26
BOY Y|NPAR[0R
TRAGEDY HELD
Stephens Committed to Jail for
Grand Jury-State Holds
littIeton Girl Slain.

March 26.--That the tragic fate OF
pretty sixteen-year-old Katherine
Littleton, who was found dead l.,
the parlor of her home early Monday
morning with q bullet wound in her
head, was the outcome of struggle,
was the declaration of Prosecuting
Attorney John Porterfield when
James A. Stephens, eighteen, the
girls sweetheart, was given a pre-
liminary hearing before Magistrate
ID. S. Nichols late yesterday after
noon.
COMMITTED TO JAIL.
A number OF witnesses testified, but
none could throw any light on the
tragedy. However. after Porterheld
had bitterly arranged Stephens.
Magistrate Nichols committed the
youth to the Char>cs Town jail for
the action of the grand jury. Steph-
ems refused to take the witness stand
In his own defense.
Because a number OF hairpins were
discovered on the floor beside the
couch on which Miss Littieton was
found dead. the State attempted to
show that prior 10 the girls death
there had been a struggle. Her hair
also Is said to have been slightly
dissrrsnged.
II cannot conceive OF an Innocent
person deliberately leaving a girl
bleeding to death and going home
without notifying her family or =
physician declared Prosecuting At
torney PorterneId.
ATTACKS YOUTHS STONY. 'FF
stephens claims the girl committed
suicide. II seems to me that II would
have been utterly impossible for Miss
Littleton to have fired the fatal shot.
The course OF the bullet, which en-
tered her head at the bridge of the
nose and took a straight course, indi-
Gates IL could not have been fred by
her.
why didn't Stephens call the girls
mother IL he was innocent: what did
he run away for? He claims he was
afraid. l cannot conceive of a person
acting as did stephens IL he were in
nocent."
Porterfeld also declared that the re-
volver was of the automatic variety,
with a safety catch. He also at
tempted to show that IL was difficult
to discharge the revolver. getting per-
mission of the court to leave the trial
room for the purpose of demonstrate
ing his argument.
1t had been believed that Stephens
would take the witness stand and re-
late to the court his own story of
the shooting. Asked IL he wished to
testify, Stephens consulted his law
yer, who advised him to waive this
privilege.
HUNDREDS DENIED ENTRANCE.
Because of the crowd attending the
preliminary hearing. Magistrate
Nichols held court in the high school
auditorium. Several hundred per-
sons were refused admission, as IL
was feared their weight might make
the building collapse.
Miss Littleton was found dead by
her mother. She had returned to her
home at 1880 o'clock Sunday night
with Stephens, after they had attend
ed a party at Scottish Temple. on
Baltimore Heights. stephens claims
he took the revolver from his pocket
and placed IL on an organ in the
parlor. He contends that ,the girl
was depressed because of an alter
cation she had had with two of her
friends and that she suddenly reach
ed for the revolver and fred the
shot through her head.
II was frightened. and was afraid
to notify Katherine's mother. who
was asleep upstairs" he says. "I
feared they would blame me and
probably kill me. That's why / ran
away"
CONSTABLE TEsTIFIEs.
One of the witnesses who testified
was Constable White, who arrested
stephens.
when I went to stephens home
he was standing on the porch" said
White. II asked him what he had
done with the revolver he used in
killing the girl stephens replied:
The revolver Miss Littleton killed
herself with is up in the bureau
drawer in my bedroom His sister
got the revolver and turned it over
to me-"
The case will come up at the May
term OF court. II stephens Is indicted
by the grand jury. he will be brought
speedily to trial.