Killing Is Laid To Separation
The fight between two brothers-in-law that resulted in the death of L.B. Houghton, 41, of 1334 East Myrtle Street, was said Monday to have been brought about by the separation of Houghton and his wife.

The shooting took place at the apartment of J.D. Harris, 27, of 932 West Weatherford Street. Harris is the brother of Mrs. Houghton.

The couple were separated Saturday and Mrs. Houghton went to live at her brother's apartment. Saturday afternoon and Sunday Houghton is said to have made several visits to the apartment and Harris told police, made threats against his (Harris') life.

Harris Sunday afternoon went to the district attorney's office and told his story to the Assistant District Attorney Green. He was advised to "avoid trouble if possible."

J. M. Houghton, brother of the slain man who made his home at the Houghton residence , revealed to police Monday that his brother had been slain with his own gun although it was in the possession of Harris when the fight started.

J.M. Houghton said he and his brother had gone fishing earlier in the day an had had several bottles of beer. Returning to the city, Houghton said, he went to the home of a friend on the North Side who had borrowed the slain man's gun. The brother found that Harris had been there a short time before and had taken the pistol.

Harris was carrying this gun, he said, when L.B. Houghton came to his apartment about 8:15 o'clock Sunday night. The scuffle followed , during which the men fought over possession of the pistol. The gun was discharged and Houghton was wounded in the neck. He died an hour later in a hospital.

Erbie Cox, who lives in the same apartment house, told police he heard Houghton arrive, overheard the quarrel that followed and the shot. Cox said Houghton had visited the Harris apartment four or five times earlier in the day.

It was said at the district attorney's office that charges would not be filed against Harris but that the case would be submitted directly to the grand jury.

"I killed that man because that was all I could do - I tried to run away and I could not. Besides no self respecting man would have let his sister remain there," said Harris.

He explained that the shooting took place in a second story apartment and that he could not escape.

Harris said that he and his brother Arless, formerly had lived with the Houghtons and had moved away because of difficulties. He quoted Houghton as saying when the young men moved away: "There's going to be walking behind a slow moving vehicle."

The slain man was an interior decorator and was to have gone to work Monday at a house in the 2700 block on Lubbock Avenue. Harris frequently worked for Houghton.

Besides his wife, Houghton is survived by five brothers, J.M. and Ernest Houghton, El Paso; Jesse Houghton, Ranger; Sterrel and Mack Houghton, Los Angeles, and two sisters, one of whom is Mrs. Mamie Johnson of Dallas. The body is at Harveson & Cole Mortuary.

Forth Worth Star-Telegram Evening edition(Fort Worth, Texas) page 1&2