William Sleeper Jr.

SLEEPER, JENSEN

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 5/23/2021 at 17:43:29

18 December 1916 - The Clinton Advertiser page 1

BATTERYMEN'S SON IS KILLED ACCIDENTALLY
BULLET ENDS LIFE OF W. R. SLEEPER, JR.
VICTIM FOUR YEARS OF AGE
Relative Was Cleaning Rifle, Which Was Accidently Discharged Sunday Evening
Private William R. Sleeper of Battery A, Iowa Field Artillery, will have a sad home-coming Tuesday morning.

His four year old son, William R. Sleeper, Jr., was accidentally shot and killed at 7 o'clock Sunday evening, at the Sleeper home at the corner of Elm and Fourth streets. A bullet, accidentally discharged from a small rifle in the hands of his uncle, Mr. Jensen who was cleaning it, struck the boy under the collar bone, passed through his body, and lodged in his heart. Death resulted within a few moments.

The accident was similar to that which ended the life of the little Malone boy a few weeks ago, and the wound was identical, said Dr. C. F. Kellogg, the coroner, today. Dr. Kellogg was called to the Sleeper home after the accident, and the circumstances of the death was investigated. The coroner decided that it will not be necessary to hold an inquest.

The little boy is survived by his mother and father and three little sisters, ranging in age from one to four years.

Mr. Jensen had been out hunting in the afternoon returning in the early evening. A cartridge had failed to explode and had been jammed in the breach of the gun. While Mr. Jensen was endeavoring to extract it with a knife, the shell exploded the bullet entering the body of the child.

Intelligence of the fatal accident was received with deep concern by many friends of the family throughout the city.

19 December 1916 - The Clinton Advertiser page 7

Funeral services of Baby William Sleeper, who met death from the accidental discharge of a gun Sunday evening, have not been made, pending the arrival of Sergeant W. Sleeper, who is with Battery A on the way home from the border.

21 December 1916 - The Clinton Advertiser page 6

Four-year-old Harry Sleeper, Jr., son of Corporal Harry W. Sleeper of Battery A, was buried in Springdale cemetery Wednesday afternoon, four little boys acting as pall bearers. They were Freddie Passig, Leonard Kair, Vincent Rederer and Howard Brauer.

The funeral in charge of the Rev. J. S. Leamer, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran church, was held at 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon at the home of the little boy's parents.