The Washington times., 1922-11-24
SHOOTING
To UNITE
COUPLE
Victim of Meline's Bullets De-
cIared Likely to
Recover.


woman" may pass from the lives
of Mr.. and Mrs. Frank NJ.
Williams as the result Of the
husbands being shot last night in
the wife's apartment, ll3 Second
street northwest, by William
Meline, expert accountant.
Separated Six Months.
At Emergency Hospital today,
Mrs. Williams, who is said to
have been on the eve of institu-
ting divorce proceedings against
the wounded man, was reported by
physicians to have murmured:
Frank, well patch everything
up. IL only you will give up this
woman. and cease placing her
ahead OF me and the children"
Williams, too stricken by the
ordeal Of being twise shot, and
several hours on the operating
table under probes and Mays to
frame replies, was said to have
nodded feebly in assent. He will
recover.
The rift in the williams marital
happiness, commencing six months
ago when they separated, attained
its greatest proportions on No
vember II, when the husband was
arrested in company with Maggie
Ciaxton, a clerk in his stenographic
offices, at a house In Del Ray. Va.
They were served with a warrant
sworn out by Mrs. Williams charg.
ing statutory offense, plead
guilty in the Arlington county cir.
cult court yesterday. the. clerk of
the courts records show, and were
fined.
1t was little more than twelve
hours later that Williams. a man
Of great height and weighing more
than 200 pounds, appeared at his
wife's apartment on the second
floor Of the Second street rooming
house and found her in company
with Mr.. and Mrs. Meline, of 1850
Eighth street.
Meline Backed By Wife.
Mrs. Meline will stand by her
husband In his trouble, she de.
clared emphatically. She character.
lied Williams, who is much
bigger man than Meline. ms "a
brute" and said she and her hus-
band consented to drive Mrs. Will
liams home from her place Of EN-.
ployment, a drug store at Eight
zenith street and Columbia road, in
their machine. only after being as
sured Williams would not be pres.
'ent.
The revolver employed by Meline,
oh AL -
side pocket in the car and into the
apartment because he feared 1t
would be stolen II he left 1t In the
machine.
Row Starts at Midnight.
From the stories told by police
and other occupants Of the rooming
house, the three arrived at the Will
liams' apartment about 11:20 o'clock.
Just on the stroke of midnight, Will
liams appeared, and, II Is said, be.
came ugly as soon as he saw that
the Melines were visiting his wife.
He Is alleged to have accused the
Melines of Interfering with his life
and breaking up his home"
Meline Is said to have verbally re.
scented slur on his wife, and hot
argument and threats were soon
passing between the two men. The
finale occurred when Meline whipped
out a. revolver and emptied the five
chambers at Williams.
Alarmed by the shots and by the
cries of Frances and Marie Will
Jams. two daughters, aged eight
and ten, other roomers in the house
phoned police of the Sixth precinct
who. with Headquarters Detectives
Cullinane and Vermillion. were
soon on the scene.
According to a young man and
his wife who occupy the fourth
floor apartment. Meline awaited
the oncoming officers with the ut
most GOODNESS.
Mellne was locked up, at the First
precinct station overnight, and after
being Intercepted and photographed
at headquarters this morning wal
taken to the Tenth precinct station
charged with assault with a deadly
weapon.
Friends Fifteen Years.
Most Of Meline's work was as .
court reporter. while Williams Is ar
expert accountant. The two womer
have been friends for fifteen years
"a