Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-25
GIRL Who KILLED
SU|TOR ACQUITTED
EuIa Robertson Freed by Jury
After Short Trial at
Cumberland.
snscial Dispatch to The star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
CUMBERLAND. Nd, october 25.-
Eula Robertson, 16-year-old former
junior high school girl, was acquitted
of a charge of manslaughter by jury
in the Circuit Court late yesterday aft
ernoon after a half hour Of delibera-
ton. She was charged with Staying
Thomas Sullivan, As, a rejected sutton,
in the back yard at the home OF her
mother, Mrs. Stella Miller, Pine avenue,
early on the night of September Is.
The girl, who is a blonde of modest
appearance, told the jury that she had
repeatedly been harasSed, insulteo,
threatened with harm, called vile
names, followed and annoyed by Sulli-
van. who boarded at the home Of Mrs.
Willard Shipley, next door. On the
evening of the tragedy, she said, after
Sullivan. who had made threats during
the day. while in the back yard, he
sprang at her, and she shot when he
was about eight feet from her.
Case Lasts Only Day.
The case lasted but the day. The
principal witness for the State was Mrs.
Shipley, who declared Sullivan and Miss
casion. Mis- Robertson denied this on
the stand, declaring that she sent back
the notes Sullivan wrote TO her, With
that request that he desist writing.
Mrs. Shipley said Sullivan got drunk,
but denied he was ever offensive in any
way toward her or her children. MRS.
Shipley admitted on croSs-examlnatlon
that, although next-door neighbors, she
and the Miller family were on the
IAfc there hNinR
no dividing fence.
Miss Robertson said she saw Sullivan
the first time shortly after Easter. She
learned he had been in the penitentiary.
In detailing the annoyance to which
she was subjected, she said Sullivan
followed her down the street when she
went shopping, stood outside her home
often till midnight, taunted her that
she had been intimate with boarders In
her mothers home and once said ne
would cut her throat as he exhibited a
razor. Vile notes he sent her through
Elmer Shipley, boy, she said she de-
stroyed. She said he once grabbed her
and tried to force her into the nearby
woods and at another time grabbed her
unawares and kissed her.
Court Docket Shown.
The 1925 court docket was introduced
10 SNOW JIldb SULLIVAN AAn0 bNCh WI
victed of attempted assault and was
given four years in the penitentiary:
Magistrate Frank A. Perdew of Peoples
Court testified Sullivan had been sem
fenced to 80 days in Jail after his re-
turn from the penitentiary on charge
Of being disorderly and cursing her
daughter preferred by Mrs. Miller.
At the time of the shooting Mrs.
Miller was in jail at Bedford. Pa, on
q charge of stealing an organ from the
abandoned Reformed Church at Cha
neysville, Pa, not far from the Mary
land line. A boarder at her home
named ONeill was arrested with her.
She was released on bond the next day.
Mrs. Miller was in court and joined
her daughter Immediately after the YER
dict was announced. Miss Robertson
wept briefly upon the announcement OF
the verdict, but soon regained the COM
posture which marked her manner since
the time of the tragedy. There was
handclapping IN the damned courtroom
when she was declared not guilty, but
the demonstration was quickly sup
pressed.