Evening star., 1937-03-28
Killing OF BOY, Il,
WITH 4EMPTY" GUN
HELD ACCIDENTAL
Richard Ham, 13, Exoner.
ated in Shooting While
Showing Weapons.
SON OF PEPCO OFFICIAL
TAKES WITNESS STAND
Tells of Playfully Pointing .22.
Caliber Revolver at Playmate
and Pulling Trigger.

The death Of 1l-year-old Robert
Mcfarland Russell, victim of 4 sup
posedly unloaded gun in the hand
of a playmate. was termed "acci-
dental" by a coroner's jury investi-
eating the shooting yesterday.
This verdict .exonerated Richard
Ham, l3, who unintentionally shot
Robert in the abdomen with a .22-
caliber revolver while exhibiting his
collection OF guns Friday night.
Richard, identified as "Dickey" dur
ing the inquest, is son Of William
F.. Ham, 1921 Woodley place, chair
man of the board of the Potomac
Electric Power Co.
Robert, only child Of DR.. Albert
E. Russell, 1870 Wyoming avenue,
United States Public Health Service
physician, was examining the weap-
ons in Dickeys bed room, when, ac-
cording to the testimony, the latter
playfully ordered Robert to put EN-
up" pointed the revolver at him and
pulled the trigger. Robert died .
few minutes later.
Youth Takes Stand.
Dickey took the witness stand after
. brief conference between his mother
and Attorney Ralph D. Quinter, who
appeared as 4 friend Of the family.
Warned that any testimony he gave
might be used for or against him,
the tousled-haired boy said:
Robert, Patten Orchards younger
brother) and had been playing base
ball during the afternoon, and then
we went to my house for supper. Aft
erward Robert said he would like to
see my guns and We went up to my bed
room on the third floor. showed him
several of the big guns and then that
one," Dickey said, pointing to the az
caliber revolver.
II playfully told Robert to put EN-
up and pulled the trigger, but / didn't
know the gun was loaded"
DO you recall having loaded the re-
volver?" Coroner A. Magruder Mac
Donald asked
II don't know" Dickey replied. II
suppose / did. but don't remember.
I meant to pull the trigger, but didn't
know it was loaded"
Often Pointed Guns.
One OF the jurors asked whether he
often pointed guns at people"
Yes" the boy answered.
Did your parents know that?" the
juror continued.
When Dickey again answered "Yes, F"
his mother uttered an exclamation Of
protest, but her refutation apparently
went unnoticed.
Before the boy testified. Detective
sergt. jeremiah F1aherty Of the Homi-
eide Squad told the jurors he found
a gun collection in Dickey's room
which included three large-caliber au-
tomatoes. one old-type revolver, =
nickel-plated revolver, the .22-caliber
gun, four old muskets. shotgun, toy
pistol and an air rifle.
Dickey, she said, was given . regu-
lar weekly allowance. out Of which he
saved money to buy guns from a mail
order house When the boy had enough
to make purchase, according to the
detective, he turned the cash over to
his mother, who gave him check to
cover the cost Of the gun.
Mrs. Ham testified that the boys
went up to Dickey's room Friday eve
ming, after stopping in her room to
get some candy and read the comic
strips.
Heard Report and Exclamation.
Then" she said. II heard . little
report and an exclamation-not .
scream. hurried upstairs and found
Robert lying face down across the bed
his feet still on the floor He was very
pale and I picked him up in my arms
and laid him on the floor. Then I saw
the wound. After having him carried
down to my room, called doctor.
She said Dickey bought the re-
volver in February and, still having q
credit at the mail-order house, ordered
some cartridges later.
Declaring she didn't know when thu
revolver had been loaded, Mrs. Han
said:
I'VE had q rule that when Dickey
had gun he couldn't have cartridges
and that when he had cartridges HI
couldn't have q gun. But he was al'
lowed to have blanks and sometimes
fired them from the back porch"
Richard, who is in the sixth grade
at st. Adams School, added that hi
had last used the gun when he went
to the Blue Ridge Club Tuesday fol
target practice.
Patten, 10 years old, who attended
Mrs. Cookies School at 2344 Massa-
chusetts avenue with Robert, also tes.
tilted. Asked what Robert said after
he had been shot, he answered, "1've
forgotten now"
Bruise On Thigh.
Deputy Coroner Richard Rosen-
berg, who performed the autopsy, said
Robert had q scratch on his left cheek
and under his chin, bruise on his
thigh and q small abrasion over one
eye. Other witnesses testified, how
ever, that the boys had not been trs-
sling before the shooting.
Funeral services for the boy will
be held at 11:45 an. tomorrow In
st. Stephens and Incarnation Eps-
copal Church. Rev. Paul Wilbur,
rector, will officinte. Burial will be
in Rock Creek Cemetery.
Mr.. Ham, who has been i'll, was
out of town at the time OF the shoot
ing. Grief stricken, DR.. and Mrs. Rus
sell did not attend the inquest.
GREEK RITES TODAY