Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-04-17
SHOOTS WOMAN
AND Then
KILLSSELF
Fairfax County COrOner's
Jury Probes AccOtink
Tragedy
OCCURRED SATURDAY
Clarence Wood of Washington Before
Killing Himself Shoots Miss Elsie
Powell-WOma In ID. {. Hospital.

Clarence Wood, thirty eight years
old of 302 Virginia avenue, southeast
Washington. is dead of a self inflict-
cd bullet wound and Miss Elsie Powell
twenty-five, of 1919 X street, north
west, Washington is in the Emergency
Hospital, Washington in a critical
condition with wound from pistol
inflicted by Wood. The bullet entered
her liver.
The double shooting was enacted a
quarter Of u mile from AccOtink, talr-
fax county, about eight miles south OF
Alexandria early Saturday night. Al
ter shooting Miss Powell, whom ne
had driven over the road from WASH
ington. Wood then turned the weapon
on himself.
Wood died at the base hospital at
Camp Humphreys short time after
ward.
The body of Wood was brought here
and taken to Wheatley's chapel and
Yesterday afternoon conveyed TO
Washington for burial. According to
reports Wood shot Miss Powell after
she had refused his invitation TO
marry him.
Miss Powell was employed in the
Veterans Bureau, Washington and
had after leaving the Office at 4;oO
o'clock Saturday afternoon accom-
panied Wood OF the trip.
The coroner's jury summoned Oy
Frank W. Troth, justice Of the peace
in Fairfax County, to investigate the
death of Wood and the shooting OF
Miss Elsie Powell, met at the base
hospital at Camp Humphreys at lO
o'clock Yesterday morning and rend-
cred q verdict that Wood came to ms
death by a self-inflicted gunshot
wound. after first attempting to shoot
and kill Miss Elsie Powell, on the
Camp Humphreys road about one
quarter mile south of Accotink.
James Baggett, who was apparently
the only eyewitness to the shooting,
stated that he was walking north on
the Camp Humphreys road when ne
saw the couple standing IN the road;
that Wood was apparently trying to
persuade the woman to get into ms
car, Ford coupe, which was parked
at the side of the road. Baggett says
Wood took hold Of Miss Powells arm
and she repulsed him, striking him IN
the face several times with her hand.
Then, he says, Miss Powell started
down the road toward him, Wood fol-
lowing with a revolver in his hand,
and when they were about ten feet
from him Miss Powell turned, facing
Wood. and Wood fired one shot at her.
Wood then walked away and placed
the revolver 10 his breast and at
temped to shoot himself, but the wea-
non missed fire. He then fired one
shot in the air, then placed the revolt
yer 10 his breast again and fired a
third shot. Immediately falling to the
ground.
Baggett then hailed a passing can
which stopped, and a soldier, at the
request of Miss Powell, got into
Woods car with Miss Powell, who
was able to enter the car unaSsisted
and drove her to the Emergency Hos
pital in Washington. In the meantime
several cars had arrived and
stopped, and quite a crowd had gather
cd around, and soon afterward j. w
Anderson, who keeps garage at Ac-
cotink, arrived, and ne and others
placed Wood i'm a ear which was stand
ing on the roadside and carried him
to the base hospital at Camp Humph-
reys, where he died shortly after,
Baggett stated that he did not see
Wood placed in the car, as he turned
and left the scene after seeing that
Wood would be cared for.
Harry NJ. Wood. a brother of the
dead man, was present at the inquest
but did not make any statement, other
than to say that a Washington un-
dertaker had been instructed 20 take
the body to Washington.
Samuel LandStreet, . relative OF
Wood. stated that he had known Miss
Powell for -four or five years, and that
II had been reported that she and
Wood were engaged to be married, al
though he did not know whether the
report was true He stated that Mr.
Wood had always been in the habit OF
carrying a sum of money varying
from $50 To $3.50, in an alhgator-Skir
pocketbook, which was not found OF
the body, and asked whether this haC
been found. a search of the dead mans
clothing showed that he had only fouI
4 cents when carried to the hospital
One of the jurymen stated he un
derStood several letters had beer
found in the pockets of Woods cloth
ing. addressed to his mother am
others. and suggested that they b
read to the jury Justice Troth state
that he thought they should properl
be read, as possibly showing whethe
the shooting was premeditated or don
on the spur of the moment, bnt at III
REQUEST of Woods brother, the Intro
duetion of the letters was waived.
j. ". Anderson, proprietor of tn
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