Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-02
FATHER OF G HELD
IN WIFE SHOOTING
Reffit Children Testify Mother
Slain During Fight
for Gun.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

ROCKVILLE, Md, June 1.-The
grand jury for the November term Of
the Circuit Court for the county will
be called on to investigate the fatal
shooting, in her home at Burdette,
early last week, of Mrs. Beulah F.
Reffit, 35, wife of John F. Refht, So
year-old produce dealer.
Judge Charles w. Woodward, at a
preliminary hearing in Police Court
here yesterday, ordered the husband
held for grand jury action on a charge
of manslaughter. In the meantime,
the defendant was freed on 81 500 bond.
Struggle for Gun.
Although the stories told the police
Immediately after the shooting by
Refft and several OF the couples chill
dren who witnessed 1t, agreed that
the revolver from which the fatal
bullet was shot was discharged as the
husband and wife were struggling for
It's possession in the kitchen of their
home, after the former had indicated
his purpose of taking his own life, a
charge of murder was preferred against
the man by direction Of States Attor-
ney Stedman Prescott and 1t was upon
that charge that the hearing yesterday
was held.
Three Of the couples children testi-
fed. They were Benjamin Lloyd, IS;
Harold, II. and Margaret, Is. Margaret
took the stand only after much per-
father and his attorney. former States
Attorney Thomas L. Dawson Of Rock
vile.
Parents Quarrel.
The substance of what they told
Judge Woodward was that following
trip to Frederick their parents quar-
relied, that the father left the room and
soon afterward returned with revolver;
that after Reffit had asked his wife
Wont you change your mind?" and
receiving her reply, mo, my mind is
set" he placed the revolver at his head
after declaring, well, here goes; that
with a scream Mrs. Reffit grabbed the
hand of her husband which held the
revolver and in a tussle for its possess
sion the weapon was discharged. The
children testified that while their par
ents had occasional quarrels they had
never heard any threats on the part of
their father, neither had they ever
before heard him threaten to commit
suicide.
Mary F. Reffit, II, eldest child of the
couple, who was in Washington at the
time of the shooting, also was on the
stand
Refit testified that he, his wife and
her mother and sister visited Frederick
the day Of the shooting. On the way
back, he said, his wife informed him
that while in Frederick she had been
told by friend that one of their
woman neighbors had talked about her
and that she proposed to go to see her
and intended to pull out her hair and
t1rnof coiI
that the children referred to in their
testimony was only his pleading with
his wife not to carry out her threat
against the neighbor and that when
she declared her purpose of doing so
he placed the revolver at his head, but
before he could pull the trigger his wife
grabbed his hand and in a struggle
which ensued it was accidentally dis
charged.
Begin Over Again.
Refit swore that although several
months ago he had sued his wife for
divorce, naming correspondent, and
had later filed suit against the person
named as correspondent for alienation
of his wife's affections, he and his wife
had agreed to begin all over again"
and that the divorce case had been dis
missed and that they had been very
happy together" He deniad that the
quarrel" preceding the shooting was in
any way about the man named de-
PENDANT III the two suits. Carrying out
of the threat his wife had made against
the woman neighbor would, he feared,
have proved revival of the old troubles
and with that in his mind he decided
to lend 1t ALL" so far as he was con-
cerned he testified.
DR.. Frank J. Rroschart CT Gathers
burg, who assisted at the autopsy on
Mrs. Reffit's body. testified that she had
been shot through the heart and that
powder marks on her arm and clothing
indicated that the revolver had been
discharged at very close range.
The hearing was conducted in a
about three hours. The State was rep
resented by States Attorney Prescott