FORCED TO TAKE
LIFE OF PARENT
SHALL IT BE MOTHER OR FATHER?
Terrible Alternative That Has Been Presented
to Children in Various Parts of the Coun
try Tragedy Made the Daughter the In
strument of Vengeance Pistol Duel with
Father.
YES, I shot my father; . I
hopod to kilt hlm'-BoliLiod
the boy as ho bowed his
head in his hands, sitting
thero in his coll. "I had to
. do It to savo my mothor's
life. Is he dead?"'
The police nlrcady have all the ovl
dence they want against Theodore
Eiler, tho 19-yoar-old boy. Thoy have
tho rovolvor with which he put tho
bullots into tho body of his father,
John Elier, at their homo, 30 Lit
tleton avonue, Newark. Thoy have
tho boy's confession; thoy havo ills
word for It that his married sister
gave him tho pistol to shoot his fa
mother. ' John Eilor did attack his wife Just
once too often. Tho moment ho camo
homo on that fatal evening ho bogan
nbuslng his holpmeot for 25 years
mother of his six children, llo raged
up and down tho room. Tho pationt
wlfo was silent. When she didn't re
ply to tho man's ravings Eiler picked
up an Iron matchsafo and flung it at
her with unorrlng aim. It struck her
full in tho forehead; she sank to tho
floor with a cry of agony.
Tho boy upstairs henrd tho cry.
Then ho heard his father shout out:
"I'm going to got my gun and finish
you right now!"
In tho boy's pocket was tho pistol.
Ho remcmborod tho injunction of his
older sister, Mrs. Frederick Prestler,
who had gone out for tho ovonlng, as
sho gave it to him: "Keep this al
ways by you, for you will need It to
protect your mother. Don't bo afraid
to uso it if father attacks her again in
ono of his Jealou3 rages."
Throo stops at a time tho lad
dashod downstairs. Ab ho ran into
tho room his mother fell upon him.
Theodoro, Theodoro!" Bho screamed,
"savo mo, savo mo!"
She flung her arms around him. Ho
put ono arm around her and faced his
fathor, who camo charging on at tho
two of thom.
"I'll kill you both!" yelled tho man.
"Shoot, shoot, If you must; Bavo
our lives!' screamed Mrs. Ellcr.
Mother's Life, or Father's.
For an answor Theodoro lovoled tho
pjstol at his fathor moro quickly than
It takes to toll It. Tho man nover
Btopped. It was tho mother's llfo or
tho fathor'a. Tho boy had to choose.
Ho let the pistol do tho choosing.
It barked onco. On enmo tho fa
ther, closing In. Again tho weapon
spit forth a bullet. Eilor dropped,
mortally wounded. Tho mother
swooned in her son's arms. Hut her
Ufa had been saved.
They hurried the fathor away to a
hospital, whoro tho surgeons said ho
was mortally wounded. Tho boy was
arrested and held without ball. Had
ho allowed his mother to bo beaten to
death ho would not havo been put in
a cell; ho had his choice to make,
and only a moment to mnko it In.
What would tho ovoryday son do In
such a caso?
Has ho a right to shoot down his
father to savo his mother? Should
ho not bo Impartial? Would It not bo
hotter to light than to shoot? Is a son
Justified in killing his fathor to savo
his mother's llfo?
Other sons havo beon called upon
to decide, Just as Theodoro Eilor has
had to dccldo, and in tho twinkling of
an eye, too. And occasionally oven a
daughtor has been forced to mako tho
samo decision in a moment's tlmo.
Only two weoks ago 16-ycar-old
Frank Peterson, out at Qreonport, L.
I., had to faco tho samo dilemma. If
ho didn't shoot his fattier, thon his
mother's llfo would pay tho forfeit.
Frank dWn't hesitnte. Ho flrod,
brought his father down with a seri
ous wound in tho head and saved
hto mother's llfo. Then ho ran for tho
doctor to como to his fathor, Frank
Potorson, Sr. '
Tho Petersons nro woll-to-do and
llvo In a pretty homo at 48 Drldgo
streot, Groonport. Frank Is tho oldest
of soven children. But tho father, ap
parently, has llttlo lovo for his family,
and moro than onco his wlfo has folt
tho effect of his blows, so tho son
said when the shooting was over.
It was Sunday. Tho husband had
boon browbeating tho wlfo. Suddenly
ho turned and with clenched flats
started for hor. Sho screamed for
tho boy,
"Stop!" yelled Frank, as his mother
cowered to tho floor.
Boy's First Shot Fatal.
On camo tho fathor. Tho boy, with
out another word, drew a revolvor
from his pocket, nnd ub his fathor
struck out at his mothor, fired ono
shot. It lilt tho frenzied man In tho
Jaw, ranged upward and lodged bo
hlnd tho right eye. PotorBon dropped
"I've shot my fathor because ho was
going to strike my mother," said
Frank, running Into tho hotiso of Dr.
A. C. Loper. "Go to him, quick!"
Then tho boy wont to tho homo of
tho chief of tho chief of pollco and
gavo himself up. Ho was put In tho
vlllago Jail. Tho mothor and tho chll
dron corroborated Frank in all ho
said. Tho father was hurried to a
hospital.
Mrs. Madellno Langlotz had ovon
a harder task sot beforo tier than theso
boys. Stio saw hor fathor, George
Wassor, shoot her mothor down In
uieir nat ni zu&s Tinrd avenue,
whero Mrs, Langlotz, a widow, was
living with hor mother. Tho daugh
tor had to mako hor choice only too
quickly.
"Ho was a boast," Bho declared, ve
homently. "I'm glad I shot him. He
shot my mother, tho best woman that
over lived. When I saw hor fall I
fired at the man tho best I know how
and I'm glad ono of tho bullots hit
him my fathor!"
Tho Vasser8. husband and wlfo. had
separated, Vhen Mrs. Langlotz' hus
band died sho went back to llvo with
hor mother and hor llttlo sisters.
Three years ago tho man camo into
tho llttlo home and attacked llttlo An
nlo, one of his daughters. Ho was ar
rested, but nothing camo of tho case.
This made him bold.
Forced His Way Into House.
Wassor hung around tho homo nnd
moro than onco ho tried to got In. Ho
was arrested, but each tlmo got froo
on somo pica or another. This mndo
htm bolder still. On tho fatal morn
ing ho knocked at tho door of tho flat
and demanded admission,
"If you don't lot mo In I'll kill you
and nil tho brats!" ho yelled,
Thoro was no answer. Ho broko
down tho door. Mrs. Wassor slood
facing him. There was llro In hor oyo
nnd decision in her voice.
"I'll novor tnko you back, CJoorgo
Wasser," Bho said, firmly.
This was hor death warrant.
"Woll," Bneorod Wassor, "you'll
nover telephono for tho pollco again."
Mrs. Wassor started to run. Was
sor pulled a revolver out of his
pocket. Before his wlfo had tokon
two steps ho fired. Tho bullot1 struck
tho poor woman In tho broast. Sho
fell to tho floor with her clothing
nblazo, uo close was tho range. Mrs.
Langlotz and llttlo Annlo woro in n
roar room. Thoy rushed out Just in
tlmo to sco tholr mothor fall. Ito
momborlng tho rovolvor hor mothor
kopt in tho bureau drawer, Annlo ran
and got It. Quick as n flash Bho
handed it to Mrs. Langlotz. Just then
Wassor was raising his wenpon to
shoot ngaln at his helpless wife.
Daughter's Aim Deadly.
HIb daughtor llrod first. Tho bullet
grazed his faco. Wassor returned tho
shot, but ho missed, though thoy woro
but 12 feet apart. Then tho daughtor
fired again nnd both emptied their re
volvers. Every shot of Wassor'a
missed, but the dnughtor's last shot
found Its mark. It mndo an ugly
hole In tho man's forehead and ho
oauk to tho floor with a groan. Then
tho young widow dropped her rovolver
and fell In a faint after tho duel with
her fathor.
Tho pollco camo In; tho two
wounded persons wero tnkon to tho
hospital. Tho wlfo died In tho after
noon at thrco o'clock; tho husband an
hour lator. Tho daughtor was ar
rested, only to bo freed next day.
"Sho wasn't a murderess," Bald ono
or tno coroner s Jury. "Sho was a
herolno!"
And for all that, facing hor fathor's
loaded rovolvor, firing shot for shot,
tho young widow hadn't been nblo to
savo her dear mothor's llfo. Hut Bho
had mado h.or choltio betweon tho two,
nnd she did tho best Bho could.
Constantin Pollogrlno, baroly 17
years old, had hardly as much tlmo to
mako up his mind whether ho should
sco his mother stabbed to death or
kill his fathor.
Tho family lived at No. 108 Eust
Twenty-third Btreet, Brooklyn. Tho
fathor, Ansolmo, camo home ono eve
ning crazod with drink. Ho attacked
his wlfo and bognn to drag her
around by hor hnlr. Tho boy aprang
to tils mothor's aid and tho father
knocked him to tho floor.
"Now I'm going to kill you both!"
yelled Pellogrlno, drawing a knlfo,
Just In Time to Save Mother.
Tho boy wriggled away from his
father's clutches tho man was too
busy holding his wlfo by her hair and
ran Into tho bedroom, whoro ho know
his fathor kept a loaded rovolvor un
der tho pillow. ConBtantln got back
Into tho dining-room Just in tlmo to
sco his father about to slush his moth
er across tho throat with tils stiletto.
Ho fired twice, ns quickly ns ho
could. Doth bullots hit tho would bo
murderer In tho loft sldo. lie dropped
his victim and ran for tho door.
Twico again tho boy flrod. This tlmo
ho hit hlu father twlco In tho back of
tho head. Tho man fell In his tracks.
A pollconmn hoard tho shots and
came running up.
Tvo killed my fathor," said Con
stantin, coolly, "I want you to nr-
rest mo. I had to do it to savo my
mother's life."
Tho mothor Implored tho pollco not
to arrest hor son, but law Is law, and
ho had to go to tho station housbJ
Tho son, knowing tho choice ho had'
made, was perfectly coot.
"I know I would have to kill my!
father some day." ho said. "Ho has1
nlways been saying ho would kilt my!
mother, and I am glad It is over now.",
In Uoworton, Miss., it was only a
llttlo boy who stood between his moth
er and his Infuriated father. Frnnlc
Mulllns was whipping ono of hlo (Mill
dron unmercifully, when tho mothc.
Interoforcd.
"Curso you!" cried tho husband and
fathor. "I'll kill you If you don't lot
mo alone."
Tho mothor Btopped hotweon tho
child nnd her Infuriated husband. Ho
struck hor nnd knocked hor down,
kicking hor faco as ho did it. Tholr
ton-ycnr-old boy saw it ait from across
tho yard, and, running Into tho house,
got a rlila and lovoled It from bohlnd
tho woodpllo and nhot his fathor dead,
liut ho saved his mothor's llfo.
Ordered Son to Kill Father.
Frederick Cramer, his wlfo and
their children lived at Pago, South Da
kota. Husband nnd wlfo hnd- domestic
differences and It was agreed that he
should havo tho ilrst floor of their
homo and sho nnd hor sous tho second
floor.
Ono night Crnmor enmo homo In nn
ugly mood and tried to break into tho
second floor of tho house. Mrs. Cra
mer barricaded tho dowiiBtalru door,
but her husband broko It down.
"I'll sottlo youl" ho cried, plunging
up the stnlrn. Mrs. Cramor ran and
got her loaded rovolvor. Sho lovoled
It down tho stairs, but hor hand trem
bled so that Bho could not aim.
"Tnko this and Blioot him," Bho Bald
to tier oldest boh, Arthur, n boy of
1C, handing him tho pistol. "I'm too
norvous to hold it."
Tho boy obeyed only too woll. Ono
shot was fatal.
"I only did what my mothor told
me," ho anld, "and that was to savo
hor llfo from my fathor."
Ezoklel Qrogory, an old farmer, of
Davidson, N. C, didn't Uko tho. hours
of his son, David. Ho told him that
ho ought to rlso earlier. Ho killed his
fathor with an ax and escaped.
John nnd James Randall, 11 and 15
years old, of Marshall, N. C, found
tholr mother murdorod, ns thoy bo-
llovod, by their fathor. .Thoy hurrlod
for tholr rlllos, and ono of tho boya
wanted to kill him thon and thero
when they found htm.
"No," said tho othor, "lot's kcop him
gunrdod hero until wo can got tho po
llco." So whllo ono held his loaded rlllo
against Ills fathor's tomplo ttio other
tolographad for n conntnblo. Hour aft
er hour thoy kopt tholr grim vigil, und
when tho conslahlo enmo thoy tun-nod
ovor tholr prisoner tholr father to
tho tondor morclos of tho law.
Randall had driven his wifo from
their homo. Sho sought refugo with
friends, und ho camo for her. Roluc
tantly alio wont buck with him. Lator
Mrs. Randall was found by hor sons
dead In tho road, with her head
crushed In, So thoy hunted down their
father nnd, after finding him, kopt
guard until ho was safe in Jail,
Not ono sou In a nillHon la called
upon to do ns thoso sons and daugh
ters huvo had to do, Fow havo to
mako such a choice. Hut when tho call
Is mado what shall It bo
Fathor or mother? Now York
World.
JOHN
DY GEO. V. HOBART,
Dear Hunch: in ttiat crowd of swift
drummor boys going Now Yorkwnrd In
'.ho Mr. Pullman's sloop-wagon yester
day, ono of tho speediest wns Huck
Tones.
Duck's wlfo nnd a throo-ycar-old
woro traveling with htm, but ho wasn't
giving it out through n mognphonol
Huck Is ono of thoso gooso-hondod
guys who bogln to scratch gravel and
start In to mako a killing ovory tlmo
thoy sco u pretty girl.
Across tho nlalo seat sat two pot
canaries from Plalnllold, N. J.
Thoy woro members of tho Sou-
orotto Stinging socloty, and thoy woro
on roitto to tho wost to Join ttio "Hunch
of Hlrds Hurlcsquo Company."
Tholr namo3 woro Mltllo and Tllllo,
nnd thoy woro Merry Widow hats, and
did n slater act that contained moro
hnd grammnr than nn East Sldo pin
ochle game.
Mllllo was fully awaro that sho
could back Duso off the map, and Tll
llo wob rondy to bet a week's salary
that alio could mako Hornhnrdt fool
UUo alio was out In tho atorm wo had
day boforo yesterday.
Slim called thom tho Roast-Hoof
Slstors, Haro and Woll-Dono.
In n mlnuto tho cnBtors on Buck's
neck began to turn.
Slim put us wlso with a wink, ao wo
t tho llro nnd bognn to cook It up.
Buck's heart was warming for tho
birds In tho glided cngo.
"Tho real Klbo!" Bald Slim: "it's n
plain cnBO of Appomattox; tho war is
over and thoy aro yours, Huokl"
Huck turned a fow moro volts Into
Ids twinkling Inmps,
"Lower your mall-salt, Huck, and
drop nlongsldo; you'vo mado tho land
ing," suggested UurroBS.
Huck began to feel his nocktlo nnd
play patty-cako with tho llttlo bald
spot on tho top of his hond,
"Stop tho hansom and get out;
you'ro at your cornor," said Dave.
Tho Swoot Droams across tho way
woro giving Buck tho glorious oyo
roll, and ho folt ltko dinner was ready,
"Hang up your hat, Huck, and gatticr
Mio myrtle with Mary!" I chipped In.
Thon Huck bounced ovor and bo
Sim to show Mllllo and Tllllo what a
liandsomo bruto ho was at closo quar
iors.
Ho sat on tho arm of tho scat and
warmed up.
In loss than a mlnuto ho crowded
tho Information on thom that ho was
a millionaire, who had escaped from
Los Angeles, Cnl., nnd ho was Just go
lug to put thom both In grand opera,
when his thrco-ycar-old toddlod down
tho aUlo and grabbed him by tho coat
tall:
"Papa! Mamma wants 'oo to dot my
liottlo of milk!"
"Stung!" shrieked Sllin.
"Hack to tho nursory!" howlod Mat
colm, nnd then ns Huck crnwtod away
to homo nnd mothor wo lot out a yell
fhclr Names Were Millie and Tllllo.
that caused tho conductor to think
tho train had struck a Wild Wost
iluiw.
During tho rest of tho trip Buck
was nailed to tils scat.
Evory tlmo ho tried to uso tho olas,
tic In hlu neck, tho wlfo would burn
It 1 in with a hard, oold glitter.
Tho Roast-Hoof SlatorB scorned to
bo nil carved up about something or
othor.
Tho drummers wont bnck to tho
shop, and woro soiling things ngaln
when Sledgoholmcr fluttered down
among us.
Mnybo you'vo novor mot Jnkoy
Sledgchelmer!
Ha travols for a firm In Brooklyn
that makes Imitation grape-fruit and
rubber flnnn huddle.
Jukoy Is tho laziest looscuor that
over tlod a string around a roll.
Tho boys call him putty because
ho's tho next tiling to a pane.
Ho'u such a stingy loosouor that ho
looks at you with ono oyo uo'a not to
wnsto tho other.
If you ask Hlodgohelmor what tlmo
It Is ho takos off four minutes ns his
commission for tolling you.
"Slim," said Slcdgelielmcr to Arthur
.Shaw, "do you smoko?"
It was n knock-out.
In tho annul.! of tho rouil no ono
could look bncl: Jo tho proud day when
31edgohelnu)r had coughed.
Once, to tho legend runs, ho gavo
a porter a nickel, hut It was afterward
discovered that Slodgoholmor was
asleep, am not responsible at tho
time, so tlio porter gavo It back.
Slodgohulmor tried to collect throo
:onts' Interest for tho tlmo tho portor
kopt tho nloko), and tho conductor had
to "punch his mllengo and his noso bo
foro ho'd lot go,
And now Slodgeholmer had askod
BHm If hornoked! "...
nCNDY
ON THE
DRUMMER
BOYS
("HUGH M'HUGH.")
Slim was palo hut gnmo.
"Sometimes!" ho answered.
"Do you ltko n goot Beogar?" queried
Slodgehelmor.
Wo looked for tho onglno to hit a
cow any mlnuto now.
"Sure!" Bald Slim, weak all over.
"Veil," anld Sledscholmor, "hero Ib
my bruddor-ln-law's card. Ho makes
dot Grasn Vldow acegar on Slgstli
Afonuo. Glf him n call und mention
my name. Ho vlll bo glat to sco you,
yot."
Then Sledgoliolmor wont awny back
and sat down.
Tho laugh wns on Slim, so ho dared
us all Into tho cafe, and nttcr ho got
busy with tho button wo all voted In
favor of n Montlccllo highball.
Attor wo had dampened our thirsts,
Hill Hurrens showed us how Hammer-
stein would Amorlcaulzo "Htngon on
tho Rhino." Hill cnllcd it "Dor Em
pire," In honor of tho Emplro Stnto
Express, Frank Wostorton said. (Eng
lish Joke rotten!) TIiIb Is how Bill
spieled It: 4
An Emplro of dor Big Lenguo lay
dying, full mtt fears; daro vaa tack of
Duck Turned a Few More Volts Into
Hlo Twinkling Lampi.
players' nursing; nbor ntt of playors'
tears, buta cop pollcoman vatched htm
vllo his life h bleed ebbed away, und
bont mtt rildylug glances to hoar vot
did lm say. Dor dying Emplro flltorod
ns ho took dot coppor'a hunt,, und ho
Bet: "I nofor moro vll sco my own,
my natlvo lant; took a mossngo und
a tokon to somo distant friends of
mine, for I vns born at Dopovlllo at
DopovJtlo down dor Lino!"
"Toll my doar, short-sighted broth
ers von doy moot und crowd nrount
to tionr my mournful story, dot I
brnfoly holt my grount; dot I foozled
my decisions und I gpogopod at dor
mob, nil howling for my heart's blood
(ours Is a fearful chub); full many a
klckor, gtiastly vlto, hard on dor bench
I sat until somo players Bncakod be
hind und soakod mo mlt a bat; don I
qvlte svlft und nuttouly vent into a
doclino, no moro vlll I boo Dopovlllo
dear Dopovlllo down dor Lino!
''Toll Pulllam his udder sons must
comfort hts olt ago! ach, tipw I
luffed to put dls head of mlno mltln n
cage! For my fathor vaa an Emplro
hold, und ofen ns a child my heart
chumpod fort to hoar him tolt of
struggles fierce und vlld, und von ho
died undo left us nil vo hat to ttookour
cholco I lot dom half yust vot doy
vlBhed but kept my fathor's wolco, und
mlt boyish yells I prncOcod on dor
leodlo olt cat nlno on Sleepy Street In
Dopovlllo doar Dopovlllo down dor
Lino!
"Tell my brothora In dor pltznoss
not to stood und bolt dolr breath und
vatch dom awful playors colobratlon
lug my death, but to look upon dom
proutly, mlt n cold und codfish oyo,
und lino dom to dor limit ns I dlt in
days gono by; und If dor playors fuss
demsolfs, und mlt dolr words eggs
claim, yust llston nt dom brloflcsaly
und chaso dom from dor gnmo for
dor Emplro's rank dcclslonlngs must
bo bnckod as I backed mine for dor
honor of olt Dopovlllo Bvoet Dopo
vlllo down dor Lino!"
Ills volco chumpod to a vlsper; his
grasp vns childish veiik; his eyes put
on n played-out look, hts speaker
censed to speak; dor copper bont to
lift him, but, chco viz! It vns too
lato! Dor Empjro of dor Big League
vaa ould ould at dor pjato! Throo
strikes, py Chlmlncddyl und lie hat
no clianco to call ltko ho used to dlt
do often: "Say! dot last vim vaa a
ball!" Vol!, ho's gono, I oggspocta
,tlon, varo dor voodblno doos dor tvlno,
but dnro's plcndy moro nt Dopovlllo
dear Dopovlllo down her Lino!
By this tlmo wo had reached Utlca,
and I had to quit thom,
Yours ns usual,
(Copyi)Klit, 1008, by a. W. Dllllnulmiii Co.)
Curious Marriage Custom.
An English travolor In northern Ni
geria describes an interesting cus
tom connected with mnrrlago which
lie camo across among tho Fulaul, a
tribe of wandering herdsmen who
Bhow no traco of negro blood and
aro supponcd to bo of Asiatic origin.
Ono might almost suppose that thoy
had advanced Ideas ubout tho relations
of tho sexes. Boforo n man Is allowed
to marry ho has to stand n sound
thrashing without wincing. In somo
parts of Europo tills test of fitness for
tho wedded slnto might moro reason
ably bo applied to tho woman. Ono
Is romlnded of Thomas Edgeworth's
friend, who in selecting a brldo
dropped hot sealing wax on tho girl's
arm and flrod a pistol off near her
ear,