Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-02
HUSBAND is NOT NOW
INCLINED TO PROSECUTE
Man and "0ther Woman" Arrested
Originally on Warrant Obtained
by Wife October 5, 1927.

NOuTI bullOlng.
Her chief concern today was for her
husband, inquiring anxiously of visitors
If they had heard "how he was getting
along"
The husband, Charles A. Brown. is
in Emergency Hospital. Physicians
think he will recover despite a bullet
wound in his arm and three bullets still
logged in the left side of his chest.
Brown said today that he did not blame
his wife for the shooting as much as
he did another woman, who, he said,
legged her on"
He indicated that he probably would
not be inclined to prosecute his wife.
The wife. Mrs. May c. Brown, Is
being held at the House of Detention
pending the outcome of the mans in
juries. She is 40 years old.
Life has left an unmistakable impress
on the wife and mother of two children.
Deep lines etched in her face bear mute
testimony to years of hard work and
endless troubles.
She told the following story Of her
life:
Charles and were married 18 years
ago in June. For years We were happy
with our two children, Dorothy and
Catherine. He had steady work and all
of us enjoyed the blessings of real
home.
Several years ago he started to run
around with other women and I finally
left him.
Children Saw Him.
my little girls would come home from
the house of relative, where he was
staying and tell me of seeing him and
another woman III each others arms.
They were too young to realize what it
meant, but knew and it was more than
] could stand
IT had always worked. even when we
were living together, but after We sep
arated 1t was mighty hard to get along.
I was getting only $40 a week from him
and there were many times when the
children and I were without coal and
sufficient food
I'VE moved out into Maryland, where
living was cheaper. and / worked in
town while the girls ran the house. /
had to walk more than a mile after
dark to reach the house because we
lived SO far from the car line. I'll never
forget the Winter, four years ago. There
was heavy snow that year and part
Of my way home lay through the Cedar
Hill Cemetery. can still hear that
snow crunching under my feet, with
sound like sharp explosions.
i
have picked vegetables for farmers
for while I ran a roadside lunch
room-one Summer sold flowers on
the highway-in fact, have done al
most everything that would bring me
an honorable living for my children
and myself.
Denies Hounding Other Woman.
cts not true that I bounded Mrs.
johnson, or wrote her threatening let
tiers. Goodness knows I didn't want to
see her or have anything to do with
her. OF course, knew he was living
with her. but the only letter I ever
wrote was to him. I warned him then
never to take my daughters-they were
fond of him and went to see him
into the same house with her.
Things went from bad to worse.
After I had Charles and Mrs. john
son arrested for statutory offense I
thought the thing would be settled once
and for all, and that would get my
divorce. But the case dragged and
dragged, with one continuance after
another wish I knew why.
The continuance yesterday was the
last straw. My mind was in whirl
when I walked out of the courtroom.
When saw Mrs. johnson standing in
the doorway behind my husband. She
laughed at me.
When ] saw that something snapped
inside OF me. I walked up to Charles
and started shooting. She ran or I
would have shot her. too. don't know
why I shot him. I don't know how
many times shot. was so upset that
hardly knew anything until found
myself here
Il have always been a good wife and
fQ1thfiI mn hIfc nd
daughters to grow up the same way,
and regret this trouble more for their
sake than for my own. am not afraid
Tor myself-let them do what they want
with me-"
A Good Wife," He Admits.
The husband substantiated much of
her story, admitting that she had been
q good wife," but subject to sudden
q. hts Of temper"
:. Il remember one night about six years
; ago. She had pistol and said she
was going to shoot me. We were in
bed. laughed and told her to wait
f. until went to sleep so that wouldn't
know anything about it. knew she
: didn't mean it.
We would have been happy think,
II other people had left us alone.
4. know who Is to blame for this shooting.
. and it's not my wife. They ought to
arrest that other woman instead of
her"
Records of the court show that
Brown and Mrs. johnson first were ar
z rested on a warrant obtained by Mrs.
Brown on October 5, 1927. The case
was brought to trial some time later
and dismissed for want of prosecution.
as Mrs. Brown did not appear in court.
On June %. last year, Mrs. Brown ap-
peared at the Office of Prosecuting At
torney Given, now Judge Given, and
demanded a new warrant, charging
that the police had failed to summon
her TO appear as witness in the first
case.
Mr.. Given issued a new warrant for
Mrs. johnson and Brown. They were
arraigned and demanded a jury trial.
A crowded docket, Judge Given ex-
planned today caused the case to be set
for trial on the 18th of November
When that date came Lieut.. j. A. Sulli-
van OF No. 6 precinct, witness, was
III and it was postponed again to De-
cember 5. On December it was set
for February 1 for court reasons" A
crowded docket again is believed to have
caused this postponement. Yesterday,
when Attorney Bertrand Emerson, rep
resenting Brown, reported that he had
lost his voice from pleading in a case
the previous day, it was postponed for
one week.