Evening star., 1954-12-14
Gift Shotgun XII,
Woman Wrapping
Christmas Gifts
CONTINUED From FIRST Page.)

morning. They told police thell
daughter had telephoned them
she had expected to marry Her
bert B. Gallegly. SO, of 1896
TWenty-first street NV, before
Christmas.
Miss Woods body was found
yesterday evening about "a hours
after Mr.. Gallegiy had taken her
to the apartment. They had
turned back from an engagement
when Miss Wood complained Of
illness.
When she failed to report
for work yesterday, and her
telephone did not answer, apart
ment officials broke into her
efficiency apartment. The door
had been locked with a chain.
Attired in a dressing gown,
slip, undergarments and slip
pers, the body was curled on
its side. Around it was a litter
of bright new packages. tinsel
and ribbon, some Of the pack
ages wrapped for gifts. others
to be prepared.
Tragedy Reconstructed.
When the body was touched,
blood oozed from under the
right shoulder-blade. Investiga-
ton revealed a gaping wound.
Capt. Rector said he believed
this is what happened:
While wrapping the gifts, Miss
Wood paused long enough to
examine the new Mossburg 12-
gauge shotgun. She took three
shells from a box of them which
police found on the floor and
inserted the three in the gun,
then placing it on a card. table
near her.
Resuming the gift-wrapping
she must have jostled the table
with such force that the shotgun
was knocked off the table. In
falling. one of the tags still on
the new gun apparently caught
around the trigger and fired the
weapon.
Gun on Opposite Side.
The shotgun was found on the
other side of the table from that
where the body was lying. Her
back was to the table.
The card table was near one
Of the walls. and the guns butt
was resting on the floor, the bar
rel supported by the card table
One of the No. 3 shot shells
had been discharged and re-
manned in the chamber Of the
gun. Two other unexpended
shells were in the magazine
Capt. Rector said the gun ap-
parently was about a foot from
the woman when it went off
making a hole about the size OF
Q half f-dollar.
Capt.. Rector said tests were
being. made on the gun to de-
termine what pressure was re-
quired to fire it. Other labora-
tory tests also are being made,
he said, and an autopsy was or
dered. n
j, DR.. W. c. Welburn, Arlington
medical examiner, said the wom-
an probably had been dead al
least 8 or 10 hours before the
body was discovered about $50
pm. yesterday.
Intruder Discounted.
I Police discounted the possibil-
ity an intruder may have been
able to slip into the apartment
unobserved, slay Miss Wood and
escape.
Testing the chain locks OF
other apartments, all installed
by the management, police said
1t would have been impossible
for any one to have slipped the
chain in place from the outside,
The windows of the third floor
| apartment, too high for easy ac-
ceSSlbllity, were closed.
Agreeing that the fatal shoot
ing looked like an accident, DR.
Welburn added: TITS one TO,
Sherlock Holmes"
Joining Capt. Rector in the
investigation at the scene were
Commemorative Attorney Viii.
liam j. Hassan, and Police Chief
William G. Fawver.
Il have no doubt at this time
that 1t was other than an &C.
cident," Capt. Rector said. How.
ever, we have other questions tc
ask. AS to suicide, that appears