The Washington times., 1921-03-22
KILLING LAID
TO JEALOUSY
Victims Parent Reveals That
Daughter Sought to End
Youths Attentions.
EXPECTS HIM TO CONFESS
Police Learn Girl Had Told
Friends Her Life Was
Threatened.

HARPERS FERRY, w. Va.
March 22.-"Jimmy Stephens killed
my daughter, and I expect he will
confess to the murder" today de-
clared Mrs. Grace Littleton mother
Of sixteen-year- r-old Katherine Little
ton, employe of the interviewer silk
Mills here, who was found dead with
bullet through her brain early yes
terday morning.
FLOUTs SUICIDE CLAIM.
1T would have been impossible for
my daughter to have committed sui
eide as suggested by stephens" con.
tlnued Mrs. Littleton. when she was
found she held a package of chewing
gum In one hand and a piece OF the
gum IN the other hand.
Thfs alone indicates to me that
my daughter did not shoot herself
that IL would have been utterly i'm
possible for her to have done so while
holding the gun in her hands,
stephens, an employe OF the Hall.
town Paper Board Company, who is
put eighteen years old. claims thai
the girl shot herself with his pistol
because she was despondent over 4
disagreement with Misses Lillian
Sp9pseler and Nellie Mccormick, init.
mate friends. i'''
MY daughter had repulsed Ste.
pnens, said Mrs. Littleton .She had
toid him she did not want his asso-
ciation, and that she hoped he would
not call upon her. In INV oninion
stephens shot my daughter because
she had repulsed him. He was Of An
extremely Jealous disposition and bsG
threatened my daughters life once
before. '"''
GIRL HAD FEARED DEATH
investigation by the police TODAY
ueveiopeo the fast that Miss Littletop
mad reared death, and that she had
remarked that a certain voung mar.
nad threatened to kill her IL "she did
not stop running around with other
young men," The police saw that This
threat was made by Stephens, who
was infatuated with the girl The
tnreat was mentioned by the girl 10
her friends in the mills.
discovery of the body Of the slain
girl was made by her mother vestor.
day morning. Upon coming from her
bedroom. Mrs. Lttleton found her
daughter's body on a couch. The
pody had been propped up in a sitting
position. Mrs Littleton discovered
mat her doughter had been shot
,nrough the forehead. the bullet pass
ing through the brain and lodging in
the wall behind the couch.
Here is stephens story of the death
OF the girl:
cahed upon Katherine and she
seemed down on everything. Sh.
tQid me she had falling OUT with
Two OF her girl friends and that she
thought death would be agreeable 70
her. IL happened that l. carried nv
revolver. 1t was heavy in my pocket
ana placed it on the organ.
SAYS. HE Is INNOcENT.
AS soon as / placed the gun on ,ac
organ. Katherine jumped up and aid
she was going to end IL all 4 ro-
Inent iater she placed the gun % lrr
lorehead and hred a shot Sho fcu
10 the couch. Fearing that N mAcrs
OF her family would blame mo md
probably kill me IL they Thought
had killed Katherine. proppcf Ecr
body on the sofa and left the houso
u did not kill Katherine. rov, 4
her and ] would never have thouslt
of taking her life. She comm I'D
suicide and ] am in no wsv re n
iible just because I carried the re-
'oiver with which she ended her lifo
stephens has been well respected In
he community. At school he was
studious youth. and when hi.
ather died he went to work and
Helped his mother to pay of the
mortgage on the family home. Fol.
owing the killing of the girl.
'tephens was taken to the jail AT
where he is being ouea.
Toned today by tSate's Attorney
ohm Butterfeld
In explaining why he carried the
evolver on the night he visited Miss
.ittleton, stephens claimed that only
Few nights before his brother Ru.
olpS had been attacked by nerroe,
Il the road and that he carried n.
'un to protect himself against At.
ack