Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-28

who said ne shot and killed his
ailing mother because God told
me to do it" was taken to a
mental institution today for OBJ
servation after giving his own
account of the tragic Staying.
Richard A. Inman was COM
mitted to Southwestern State
Hospital at Marion, Va, yester-
day after a hearing before a
sanity commission in Alexandria
Police Court.
He is charged with murder in
the rifle-slaying of his semi
invalid mother. Mrs. Almeda
Gray Inman, Al, on Wednesday
at the Inman home, IL Russell
road, Alexandria.
The sanity hearing was con-
Quoted by Judge James N. Cola
santo and two doctors. Inman
may still face trial for the MUIR
der If doctors at Southwestern
decide he is sane.
Game of Chance
The short, pudgy youth, de-
scribed by his father and pastor
as deeply religious, told Of get
ting a message to kill his mother
In a grim game Of chance which
he said was dictated by God.
He spoke quietly and calmly.
His twitching fingers were the
only visible evidence Of any
nervousness as he unfolded the
grim tale Of death and religion.
The death message. he said.
came on a scrap Of paper he
tossed into the air. He wrote
"yes" on one side Of the paper.
He said he asked God If he
should shoot his mother and
threw the paper into the air.
The paper landed with the yes"
side up.
Imam related the Biblical
story Of Abraham and Isaac in
explaining his action. He said
he thought the bullet would be
a dud or that God would stop it
in mid-air as He had stayed
Abraham'S knife when he was
going to kill Isaac.
Yes Again and Again
He wasn't quite sure about the
message. he said, and tossed the
paper into the air some more.
Each time it landed with the
Eyes" side up.
II wasn't going to take q
chance on a human life, es-
pecially one as precious as my
mothers. so ] looked in the
mirror and said You mean bang
like that?'," he said.
Again he tossed the paper into
the air and again it said Eyes"
he told the court.
He took the 20 caliber rifle
from his room and went down.
stairs where his mother was
watching television.
II couldn't do it at FIRST" he
said. "But then / thought Of
Abraham and Isaac. When I
pulled the trigger I figured God
would stop the bullet in mid
air or the gun wouldn't fire.
II really didn't believe she
would die. I believed it would be
a dud.
Il pulled the trigger and boy,
II you've ever shot your mother.
II prayed that God would take
me away before the weekend. If
He doesn't take me away. I vast
to talk to Billy Graham. think
Billy Graham is a great man.
Still Loves Mother
Il loved my mother and / still
love her. ! felt sorry for mother,
she was always crying and UNI
happy. But that's not why shot
her. / did that because God told
me to"
Mrs. Inman. who had been In
a mental institution briefly about
20 years ago. had been q semi
invalid for several years.
Young Inman said that he
jumped of a roof in 1858 be-
cause God told him to. The
incident was reported as an ac-
cidental fall, but he said yester-
day that he jumped OF. He said
God commanded him to jump
OF for punishment because he
was not a good Christian.
God is hard. God Is not soft. .
he said.
The boys father. Benjamin
Earl Inman. operator Of a dry
cleaning establishment in Alex
andria, told the commission that
: his son had been q victim Of
epilepsy since he was Is.
Devoted to Mother
IT never saw q boy so devoted
to his mother Mr.. Inman said
He looked after her since be