Evening star., 1929-12-04

ago. and later had been employed as
of the Capital Traction Co.
Morgan said today that Humphrey
responded to his questions with such
replies as II don't know" and Il don't
remember" During his fruitless con-
versation with the man, Morgan said,
Pumphrey frequently mumbled "They
are with God now
Pumphrey did tell Lieut.. Morgan,
however. that his father once had been
employed at st. Elizabeth's Hospital and
admitted that he also had worked on
the cars and at the grocery store.
Policeman Russell reported that a
small note book was found in Pumph-
rey'S pockets containing various license
numbers of automobiles, street addresses
and dates. Names of members Of the
Woman's Bureau Of the Police De-
partment also were included in the list.
Russell said the notations were made
in pencil and appeared as though the
owner had been trc ling some one. The
book was given to the policeman at
Casualty Hospital and he turned 1t over
to the homicide squad.
Doris and James Pumphrey were shot
to death by their father at 4:30 o'clock
yesterday afternoon in the living room
of their gr"' ~ vlnts' home.
Cd for Daughter.
According to Humphreys own state
ments to q reporter for The Star last
night at Gallinger Hospital, Doris, who
lived with her mother, was to have Wis
tied him Monday and when she failed
to put in her appearance, he called for
her at the East Capitol street address
of his wife yesterday. He was told there
that some one had taken the little girl
shopping. so he waited for her to re-
turn. When the child neared her moth
er'S residence, Pumphrey greeted her
and she went with him to the Watts
home on @ street, her father carrying
her school bag for her.
At the Watts home, the father and
the two children went first to the rear
Of the house where Mrs. Watts, Pumph-
rey'S mother, was preparing dinner, and
where Watts. Humphreys stepfather,
was resting with Q disabled leg.
Pumphrey went to the front room,
Mr.. Watts said yesterday after the
tragedy. and called the two children
with him.. telling them he wanted to
talk with them.
II didn't pay any attention to that"
Mr.. Watts sobbed last night: 1T thought
he just wanted to talk with the children
IKE ne did lots OF times and then after
aWhile--it wasn't over 10 minutes-I
heard the shots; don't know how
many heard, three or four maybe, and
then came in here in the living room
as quickly as I could with this leg and
there I saw the children lying there"
Got Own Gun.
Charles A. Macdonald, who lives in
an apartmel 1t on an upper floor of the
street house. took up the story at
this point. He said he was upstairs
when the shots rang out. When the
first sounds reached him, he said, he
thinking that perhaps something had
been dropped or that the children were
Scufntng in play. but scarcely had this
explanation flashed across his mind
when realization dawned upon him that
he was hearing pistol shots.
II started downstairs and then I ran
back and got my own gum" Macdonald
said. II didn't know what to expect
and was afraid whoever was doing the
shooting might shoot everybody down.
stairs. When reached the foot of the
steps / found him standing up in the
floor there with his mothers arms
around his neck. He dropped the gun
and / took It, stayed with him
detained him, / guess-until the police
came and took him away"
Pumphrey submitted. dazedly to
arrest by Policeman Joseph G. Russell
Of the NTH precinct. When the police
man entered the house and saw the
bodies Of the two children lying in pools
of blood q scant dozen feet apart he
faced Pumphrey and exclaimed:
God, man, how could you do it!'
Pumphrey looked at the ofilcer and
answered:
Il am satisfied. They are with God
now"
After the father had been taken from
the house, DR.. Joseph D. Rogers, deputy
coroner, viewed the bodies as they were
found after the shooting. The little
girl clad in her street wraps of brass
buttoned blue coat, gray worsted cap
and goloshes, lay sprawled upon her
back just inside the open doorway of
crumpled by the side of large arm
chair in the bay-window of the house.
Each child had been shot through the
head and death probably was instan-
taneouS, in the opinion of DR.. Louis
Jimal Of the Casualty Hospital staff,
who first viewed them. DR.. Rogers
issued orders for the removal of the
children's bodies to the morgue and
they were taken from the house about
Z o'clock.
After the bodies were removed, Mr..
Watts sobbed out further details of the
incidents surrounding the shooting to
police. He said that when he first saw
his step-ston after the shooting, Pumph-
rey said to him:
I've done 1t. I've killed them both" 4"
Watts declared that his Step-son loved
his children dearly and was continuous
y Showering them with loving atten-
tons and protestations of his affections
asked by the police II Humphrey had
peen drinking, Watts said that so far as
ne knew he had not.