The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-02-11

ed that she had been struck by al
rock thrown by Beulah Lee Bor-
deaux, 11-year-old daughter OF the
slain woman, as the two girls
played in the public playground
near their residences.
"Figured" Trouble
81 picked up a knife and went
out, because l figured Mrs. Bor-
deaux would be trying to make
some trouble" the Collins woman
told police. II knew she had some
knucks, and she had told me she
had used them before"
Mrs. Collins told police she and
Mrs. Bordeaux had never quarreled
before and said they had been talr-
lv close friends for three months,
the time she said she had hveo
near the Bordeaux.
Mrs. Collins said that she went
out to the playground and "scold-
ed'' the Bordeaux girl, after which
the young girl ran to her mothers
apartment.
Called a Liar"
'In few minutes Mrs. Bordeaux
came out of her apartment and &C.
cused me of striking her daughter.
I denied that. She called me
liar, and I said I wasn't lying and
could prove it by Bobbie Jean"
Mrs. Collins said.
"Mrs. Borde aux suddenly
reached into her waist and saw
those knucks. At the same time
reached for my knife, up under
my sweater, and when she struck
at me / guarded off the blow and
struck back" Mrs. Collins said.
II didn't know at the time whether
the knife had struck her or not,
she didn't say anything, but turned
around and walked into her apart
ment, about 100 yards away. l
walked back into my apartment
and put the knife on the sink, then
saw some blood on it, - -
Metallic "Knucks"
The knife to which Mrs. Collins
referred and which police are hold
ing is a six-inch blade hunting
knife. The ''knucks" which police
have and with which Mrs. Bor-
deaux was accused of having as
saulted the Collins woman are
metallic knucks, apparently made
of lead.
Acting Coroner Strickland said
the knife, allegedly welded by
Mrs. Collins, cut ten-inch cash in
Mrs. Bordeaux left shoulder, en-
tering from the back, and pierced
the lung Death, Strickland said,
was caused by hemorrhage Of the
lung. A formal statement said
death resulted from a knife stab,
at the hands of Mrs. Collins"
Child Witness
So far as could be learned last
night the sole witness to the stab
bing was Mrs. Collins niece, TO-
year-old Bobbie Jean Granger,
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Harvey
Granger with whom Mrs. Collins
and her two children lived.
Acting Coroner Strickland, who
said last night that no other wit
nesses had yet been found, said
Mrs. Bordeaux husband told him
that he and his wife were upstairs
when they learned of the trouble
between the children.
Wife Screams
He said that his wife went down.
stairs after he told her to stay out
of the children's row. He said the
next he knew he heard his wife
scream and that he went down
stairs and found her lying close to
the house where she had attempted
to walk. He picked her up and
carried her into the house and laid
her on a couch where officers
found her shortly afterwards.
Policemen M. w. Mills, and c.
W. Wilson said Mrs. Bordeaux ut
tered few words after they ar
rived. He said that when asked if
she knew Mrs. Collins, she murnbl-
ed, eyes, I knew Collins and
became unconscious.
Outwardly Calm
In Jail last night Mrs. Collins
was reluctant to talk but appeared
outWardly calm until asked if she
had any children, at which point
her voice faltered.
She said she would not talk
about the tragedy and remained
silent when questioned concerning
the events leading up to the fatal
stabbing.
However, about her personal
life, she appeared eager to talk,
except to answer questions regard
ing her relatives or their where.
abouts.
The accused woman told report
ers she was born in Aynor. S. c..
80 years ago, that her mother died
when she was II years old, that her
father remarked but that he had
since died.
Mrs. Collins is Divorce
The blue-eyed blonde. whose an.
pearance would not indicate she is
80 years of age, said she was
divorced from her husband Wallie
Collins, ex-sailor, and that she
knows nothing of his whereabouts.
sne said she had been staying with
ner sister and brother-in-law for
nne past three weeks and that her
Oldest son was being sent to a