Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-04-08
Man Kills Wife,
Self on Street
Outside WCA
Art Gallery Guard
Fires 3 Bullets Into
Body Of Women

enort With MS eStranged VIE, q
guard at the National Gallery Of
Art shot her to death and killed
himself at 1885 o'clock last night
in front of the Strong Resi-
dence of the YWCA, Severn
tenth and K streets NV.
Three shots from the .38-caliber
revolver Of Charles Wesley Duke"
Snead, SO, of 1877 l. street NV. al
most instantly killed Kathryn o.
Knight, 81. a Strong Residence
roomer Snead fired fourth bullet
into his right. temple, resulting in
his death two hours later.
The lives of several other persons
were endangered when the sobbing
man began firing In an areaway be-
fore the YWCA rooming house.
Bullet Enters Building.
Two persons in a car toward
which Miss Knight staggered after
she was shot, with Snead still fir
ing at her, rolled into the street,
terrorized. In the lobby Of the
Strong residence, where several
people were sitting, bullet ripped
through window, dropping at the
feet of one guest.
Police said the victims had lived
together about i've years until Feb
ruary, when they quarreled and
Miss Knight went to her mother
in Minneapolis. 1t. jeremiah
Flaherty, head of the homicide
squad. said Snead threatened Miss
Knight with q gun at that time.
Miss knight, an attractive brunei.
had returned from Minneapolis to
resume her work as q telephone
operator at the National Gallery Of
Art. But instead of rejoining Snead.
she, took a room at the YWCA resi-
dence and registered as Kathryn
Knight. She repealed his pleas TO
return to him, police said.
At o'clock last night Miss
Knights roommate, Miss Jennie
Iwaskiewcz, received a telephone call
from Snead asking for Kay" police
learned. When Miss Knight arrived.
she was told OF the call and went
downstairs. What happened after
the couple met outside was told to
police by Ralph B. Pope. 28. of s01
Monroe street, Arlington, sitting in
car few feet away.
Mr.. Pope said he first noticed
them together, talking as they
walked. Snead held a handkerchief
in one hand, daubing at his eyes
and nose with 1t. Once they walked
nearly to the car where Mr.. Pope
and his companions were parked on
Seventeenth street.
AS they walked back toward the
residence entrance, the woman
stopped and turned to face Snead.
There were words, and then he
|snatched at her shoulder with his
right hand, 1T the same time draw
ing the revolver with his left hand.
Woman Started Toward Car.
| Snead fired and Miss knight
started toward the parked car. He
fired twice lriore-two bullets ripping
through her chest and q third lodg-
ing there.
Mr.. Pope said he yelled at his
escort, Miss Mary Elizabeth Herbert,
n, Of the Strong residence, and
Alexander Michaels, 80, Of LOOT New
Hampshire avenue NV, to duck"
At the same time. he opened the
street-side front door and pulled
Miss Herbert with him into the
street.
Miss knight reeled to the car,
managed to open a door, and fell to
the ground, one foot on the running
board. After Knight fired the fourth
bullet into his brain, Mr.. Pope ran
around the corner on K street to Q
firehouse, and telephone police.
Miss knight was dead on arrival
at Emergency Hospital. Powder
burns on her clothing bore testi-
mony to the short range from which
she was shot.
Bullet Rips Through Window.
In the lobby of the YWCA resi-
dence sat Mrs. Julia Willis, here
from Cleveland to see the Cherry
Blossom Festival. A bullet ripped
through a window, tearing big hole
in the glass, through lamp shade,
riccocheted off a wall, and dropped
at her feet.
Both Mrs. Willis and Miss Ruth
Wilcox, 712 Marietta place NV.
were sprinkled with plaster.
One of Mrs. Willis first thoughts
was Of the agent who had offered
her travel insurance.
II said no, because nothing ever
happens to me-" she told reporters.
Notes Indicated Suicide Plan.
Mike Pelekini, landlord at the
rooming house where Snead lived,
said the couple moved there Deem
Der 10, 1945. and remained for more
than year before leaving to OPP
crate their own rooming house at
219 G street NE. They moved back
to Mr.. Pelekini's place on Septem-
Der IL, 1947.
In Snead's room were found four
notes to friends, revealing he was
depressed and indicating suicide, but
giving no hint that he intended to
shoot his wife, police said.
They learned he purchased the
death weapon, a .38-caliber Har-
rington and Richardson. from
Rosslyn (Va) pawn broker at $50
pm. yesterday. Police said Ma
tional Gallery guards are required
to check their guns at the end Of
each work day.
Miss Mary Michele, the landlords
sister -in-law, told reporters that
Snead telephoned Miss Knight
Tuesday night.
Was Coast Guard Veteran.
HE wanted her to come over
and iron his Shirts" she said. 1T
sounded as II she told him she
was too tired. He called her honey
and dear and asked II she wouldn't
come over to his place. I don't
know what she said, but he left
soon and told one Of the other
here he would be back
soon."
Snead served in the war as chief
petty officer in the Coast Guard.
with tour Of duty In the Aleutians.
Before the war he was q District
Tail otiard and worked for A time