Atlanta Women Meet; Flash Their Pistols

1915

Summoned to Police Court, They Give Different Versions of the Exciting Occurrence

ATLANTA, Ga., Dec. 16. — Uptown Atlanta had a shock from an encounter between Mrs. W. L. Bishop, formerly of New York, and Mrs. J. Walter Ware, both prominent socially, in which a pistol played a part.

The two women met in the center of the city in the morning. Both were in their automobiles, and when they saw each other, Mrs. Ware pulled a revolver and pointed it at Mrs. Bishop.

Speaking for his wife, Mr. Ware stated later that Mrs. Bishop was unreasonably jealous of his wife, had been following her and that he had given her a pistol to defend herself. Mrs. Bishop jumped out of her automobile and approached Mrs. Ware's automobile, he said, and his wife then drew her revolver. Mrs. Bishop declined to talk of the affair.

Mrs. Ware accompanied her husband to the courthouse the next morning and swore out a peace warrant against Mrs. Bishop. She explained to court officials that Mrs. Bishop was "jealous of her without the slightest cause," and that for this reason she feared the latter might harm her.

Why She Drew the Pistol

Mrs. Ware reiterated her statement that she drew her pistol in her automobile only after Mrs. Bishop had leaped from her auto and run toward the Ware car in a threatening manner.

"I feared she was armed, and simply wanted to protect myself," she said. Mrs. Bishop vigorously denied the charge of the Wares that she is jealous of Mrs. Ware.

"I'm not jealous of her, either reasonably or unreasonably — that's all bosh," she asserted.

"If Mrs. Ware and her husband wish to assume that attitude in this affair, they are privileged to do so, but they certainly are wrong about it. There's no jealousy in it at all."

Mrs. Bishop's Version

Mrs. Bishop declined to divulge the cause of the trouble from her point of view.

As to the pistol incident she completely reversed Mrs. Ware's version.

"I was unarmed and had no thought of trouble," she said. "I was driving along in my car peaceably when this woman, from her auto, saw me. Before I knew what she was about, she had drawn a pistol and pointed it at me. I never left my car until she had done this. Then I did get out and go to her car and rebuke her for her conduct, telling her I was unarmed. She did not draw her pistol on me at this time, but simply cried out, 'Oh, Mrs. Bishop, can't we settle this among ourselves?' I replied to her that I was going to have her arrested."