SHOOTING SENSATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22743, 2 December 1935, Page 10

SHOOTING SENSATION

AMERICAN BOY’S DEATH MOTHER ALLEGED ASSAILANT (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) SANTA BARBARA (California), November 29. (Received Dec. 1, at 9 p.m.) Jesse Livermore, jun., aged 15, son of a famous Wall street financier and stock manipulator, is near death in hospital from a bullet wound which the police declare was inflicted by his mother, Mrs Dorothea Livermore, the financier’s second wife, from whom he was divorced several years ago. The shooting occurred at Mrs Livermore’s home, where, according to guests, both mother' and son were “very intoxicated,” engaging in a drunken argument over the youth’s drinking habits. The woman is quoted as having said she would rather see her son dead than intoxicated, upon which the boy got a small-calibre revolver and said, “Well, here you are.” A few moments later, when the two were alone in the room, servants and others heard a shot and on entering they found the boy on the floor and the mother with the weapon in her hand. She exclaimed, “ I have shot my boy.” According to hospital officials the youth, before he lost consciousness, exonerated his mother and said, “It is an accident. That is all I wish to say about it.”

According to a revised version of the affair obtained by the police, young Livermore was away from home while his mother was entertaining what" has been described as an extremely lively party. He had not been drinking, and it is said that on his return home he remonstrated regarding the condition of the guests, most of whom left angered and intoxicated. Apparently to shame his mother he started gulping neat whisky, saying, “ I can drink as much as any woman,” upon which the argument and shooting followed.