Evening star., 1929-12-04
FATHER Who SLEW
z DELAYS INQUEST
Nevitt Expects to Probe Kill
ing of Children by Parent
Tomorrow.


linger Hospital today, charged with tn,
murder late yesterday Of his own TIVE
children, Doris Theresa, 8, and Jame
Thomas, 4, Coroner j. Ramsay Newt
announced that he would make al
effort to hold an inquest into the double
Staying tomorrow morning.
The physical condition of Pumphre!
and the time still required by the In
qest into the fatal blast at the Nc.
Crory 5 and 10 store q week ago. are
the Two factors which will decide wher
the first formal move will be made tC
determine the facts In the killing ol
the children, Or. hewitt said shortly
before noon today.
Worry Preys on His Mind.
Pumphfey shot his children to death
at 4:30 O'Clock yesterday afternoon In
the living room Of the home Of Mr.. and
Mrs. Thomas Watts, his Stepfather and
mother, 1907 B street southeast.
He had been separated from his wife
Mrs. Beulah Humphrey, who had Gus
tody Of the little girl, and members OF
his family said after the shooting that
obtaining possession of both children
had preyed upon the fathers mind.
After his arrest Pumphrey himself
confirmed this belief and in rambling
statements, which seemed to verge upon
hysteria, intimated further fears predi.
Gated upon the scriptural prophecy that
the sins of the parents shall be visited
upon the children"
Following the shooting, which occur
red when Pumphrey took his daughJer
to the grandparents home where he
and the little boy lived, Pumphrey was
found to have q slight wound on his
right hip. Police believe this to have
been Self-infiicted with q small nailfile
while he was being taken to the nth
precinct police station, where the file
was found in his pocket.
The revolver with which the children
were shot, small, inexpensive .32-
caliber pistol. contained four discharged
cartridge shells, although each child
had been shot orlv once, the bullets
lodging in their heatj.
When Pumphrey was arrested by Po-
liceman Joseph G. Russell Of the fifth
precinct he is quoted by the police as
saying:
II am satisfied. If can't have them,
no one else will"
Mrs. Pumphrey, her husbands family
declared, recently filed action for GUS
reference to that action that his family
believes he spoke when he was arrested.
Pumphrey was taken first to the fifth
precinct station, where he complained
of Q wound in his hip. He was sent
at once to Casualty Hospital, where the
slight flesh wound was discovered and
treated From Casualty he was trans
ferred to Gallinger Hospital for observa-
ton.
At Gallinger last night Pumphrey
told reporter for The Star that he
E{lAA nhilAPaTN kAaAnRA hA lnUAA
them.
"Safer With God" He Says.
"They are much safer with God than
they would be on this EARTH" he told
the reporter. Continuing in his hating
the father said:
1T is written that the sins Of the
parents shall be visited upon the chill
dren. Well. the sins Of that woman
will never be held against my babies"
The man said he purchased the re-
volver the day before the staying, but
declared he had no intention iof shoot
ing the little girl and boy at That time.
He insisted that the thought to shoot
them came TO him impulSively as he
was seated in the front room of the
B street house with them yesterday aft
ernoon.
In the psychopathic ward at Gallinger
Hospital, Pumphrey awoke this morn
ing to the full realization Of his tragic
act. He told physicians and hospital
he spent q restless night and
had not slept more than Is minutes.
When asked regarding the incidents
leading up to and Immediately follow
ing the shooting, Pumphrey assumed q
non -committal attitude and said he did
not wish to discuss his marital dim
culties.
He told DR.. C. A. Boseman of the hos
pital staff when examined this morning
that he remembered nothing regarding
the shooting of his two small children.
he remembered was walking down the
girl.
He said he did not remember any
thing about the shooting nor any Incl
dent Immediately following 1t. He did
remember, however, he said. O. police
man Of the fifth precinct bringing the
tragedy to his attention after his arrival
at the hospital.
II feel terrible" he said when inter-
viewed in bed this morning II have
terrible headaches and feel depressed.
don't want to talk about anything re-
garding my domestic difnculties."
Says Wife Is His Enemy.
The prisoner told Dr. Boseman that
his wife was his enemy and that at one
time she had threatened to shoot him.
this incident and when asked he re-
fused to answer.
Policeman John O'Connell Of the NTH
precinct, who is on guard at the bedside,
said he has known Pumphrey personally
for q number of years and knew him
when he was employed as q conductor
for the Capital Traction CO. Pumphrey
told O'Connell that he had been man.
ager Of the Capital Traction base ball
team two years ago.
Physicians said that Pumphrey will
b. confined to his bed for several days
and during that time will be kept as
quiet as possible.
Mother Is Notified.
Mrs. Pumphrey was notified of the
tragedy at her place Of employment
in the downtown window cleaning
company Immediately after the shoot
ing. She went to an address in the 1000
block of East Capitol street, where she
has been living during the last two
weeks. She formerly had resided In
the 100 block of Eleventh street SOUTH
east and occupants Of both houses ex.
pected her to return to each place some
time this morning.
Mrs. Pumphrey told newspaper mer
last night OF recent efforts Of herself
and her husband to effect q reconcilia-
tion for the sake Of the children. She
said she had met her husband al
church Sunday and was to have met
him again for the purpose Of DISCUSSING
their marital affairs late yesterday. Sht
expressed happiness she had expert.
enced over the anticipated reunion with
her husband and broke down and wept
as she told of this phase of their mar.
ried life.
Visioning the scene Of the shooting
today. Lieut.. Joseph e. Morgan, CHIEF
OF the homicide squad, who reached the
B street house just after Pumphrey hac
been taken away, said he had never
seen a sight which touched him more