The Topeka state journal., 1922-12-26
Police Finding Flaws in Ac-
count of Murder Tragedy.
Shot Not Heard When Auto
Sales Manager Was Slain.
SELF DEFENSE, WOMAN SAYS
After killing Friend, Mrs. Jones
Kept Death Vigil.
Remained With Body All Night
Before Telling Police.


Louisville, KY. Dec. ga woman's
story of a quarrel. a shot and her
vigil from dusk to dawn over the body
of the man she killed. was being
checked up by police department in
yest:gators here today.
Il killed my friend" Mrs Olive l..
Jones, 81. pretty divorcee, announced
when she entered police headquarters
just after daylight Monday. She was
disheveled. hysterical The men on
duty discounted her statement.
"Oh, he's dead. 1 shot him; you'n
find him out there on the floor. l
left him covered up with his own
Overcoat. 1 know he's dead. He has
not moved for hours" sne declared.
This was the first intimation that
o. l. Black, sales manager for Il
Louisville automobile company, had
noon in Mrs. Jones' apartment.
Feared Reconciliation.
Mrs. Jones said she fired in self
defense. Black, according to her ac-
count of the tragedy, became angry
when he learned her daughter Clara
II. was with her and that her di-
vorced husband. c. II. Jones, of Gin
cinnati, a Louisville & Nashville bag
gage master, was to visit his daughter
Black feared. Mrs. Jones declared,
that a reconciliation between the di-
vorced couple would be effected thru
When Black, who, she declared,
broke up my home and caused me
to get a divorce" reached for pistol
on a nearby table she seized the
weapon first and fired Black fell.
How long he lived she did not know.
She covered him with his overcoat and
a quilt. Later she placed a screen of
chairs before the body.
Kept Death Watch.
All night long she kept the death
watch. Never was she able to sum-
mon courage to call the police. Three
telephone, and three times turned
away.
= Clara returned from picture show.
With her companion, the daughter
spent some time in the hall. Later
she went to her bedroom on the second
girl to come down stairs and sleep
with her. When morning came the
daughter still was unaware of the
presence of the body in the room. the
mother said
And then Mrs. Jones telephoned for
her former husband to ccme to- her.
He refused. 1t was then she told
Clara what had happened and sent
her for her father. In the girls abb
sence the woman. went to police head
quarters and tol her story. She was
charged with murde.-.
Former Husban,- To Help.
Jones, it was said here filed suit for
divorce four years ago, naming Black
correspondent, Later the petition was
Mrs. Jones then filed suit
charging cruelty and non-support. BY
it was said this suit was not
contested. Jones safd yesterday he
would do anything possible to help his
former wife.
Already, police investigators declare,
laws have been found in the account
IF the tragedy as given by Mrs. Jones.
Black was shot in the back. f. A.
Larkin, captain of detectives said
This fact, he claims, indicates the
victim was not taking the aggressive
when wounded, also his clothes We're
powder burned, showing the weapon
vas fired at close range.
Facts Are Unexplained.
Two other facts also are unexplained
Clara has declared police say. that
she did not sleep with her mother any
part of the night. Investigation dis
,losed, it was claimed, that the bed in
he girls room had not been occupied.
Fhe investigators also are at loss to
account for the fact that no occupant
# the three story apartment house
leard a pistol shot near the time Mrs
Tones claims the shooting occurred.