Evening star., 1952-01-01

Picture on Poge A-3.
firing a .22-caliber Christmas gift
'ifle from the second floor back
porch of his home a block away
about 1918 am.
The dead woman, Mrs. Michael
Estep. colored, was struck near
the heart as her own child and
two young grandchildren were
sleeping and her husband, 40, was
upstairs shaving. Their home is
at 1914 D street Sc.
An immediate autopsy led to
the recovery of a .22-caliber slug
from Mrs. Estep's chest, homicide
detectives reported.
Pierces Window and Drape.
Police said they found that the
bullet had passed through a storm
screen, pane and drape Of a 'front.'
window, still decorated for Christ
mas. before hitting Mrs. Estep az
she was tuning in a radio station
just inside. The bullet appar-
emily missed embedding itself in
the radio by only a few inches.
Mr.. Estep told police he heard
his wife cry out, Michael, I've
been struck by a pop gum" Mr..
Estep said that he rushed down.
stairs. to find his wife lying on
the hall floor and bleeding from
q chest wound. She died in his
arms.
The children remained asleep
throughout the night.
Mr.. Estep said he had Just come
in from work and that he and his
wife were preparing to visit neigh
bors. AT about midnight he went
upstairs.
'"Tingling" Described.
He had left his wife In the
kitchen preparing an early morn
ing snack, police quoted him az
saying. She wore an apron over
her dress.
When he ran downstairs at her
outcry moments later, Mr.. Estep
said, his wife whispered to him
that she felt a sudden "tingline'
in the chest as she bent over the
radio tuning dial.
He told police he thought that
Mrs. Estep was "fooling" because
she had mentioned being hit with
a pop gun: Then he noticed q
trickle Of blood.
The radio, which had been of
the entire evening, was on when
he reached his wife's side, the
husband told police.
Route Of Bullet Traced.
. Police, first searching the house.
found 20 rifle belonging to Mr..
Estep, they said. When they
noted the weapon was empty and
had not been fired recently, they
conducted a closer search of the
living room and discovered the
bullet hole in the window fixtures.
Sighting along the line of the
holes in the screen, pane and
drape. detectives concluded the
shot must have been fired from
one Of three homes a block away.
They questioned occupants Of
three dwellings in the 1000 block
Of Pennsylvania avenue Sc. It
was at one of these homes they
drew from . l5-year-old boy the
admission that he had fired "sev-
eral" random shots from q
second floor back porch to greet
the New Year, homicide detec-
tives said.
Officials asked the boy if he had
aimed at a lighted red electric
candle and wreath in the front
window Of the Estep home. He
denied it.
Window in Plain View.
The front window Of the Estep
nome is plainly visible from the
back porch from which the fatal
shot allegedly was fired. police
reported.
The youth is being held at the
Receiving Home to await action
IT the coroner. No formal charge
has been placed against him.
Police completed their investi-
cation and obtained a statement
rom the youth. who is white, in
eSs than five hours time. They
we're led on the scene by Chief
of Detectives Edgar E. Scott; In
spector jeremiah Flaherty, as
;istant detective chief, and Can't.
Richard Felber, head of the homi-
Tide squad.
Deputy Coroner Richard Ros-
,nberg performed the autopsy at
;he Morgue less than an hour
lfter a Gallinger Hospital physi.
ian had pronounced Mrs. Estep
lead.