Accidental Death-Jesse. W. Gray died 1919

GRAY, HUGGINS

Posted By: cheryl Locher moonen (email)
Date: 8/23/2019 at 10:50:20

Accidental Death is Verdict Of Coroner's Jury In Shooting Affair

Much Interest Is Aroused

Bullet Passes Through Hand of Young Woman, Than Enters Gray's Head

A coroner's inquest was held Monday, on the body of Jesse Gray, who was shot Saturday night and died early Sunday morning at the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Huggins near Hopkinton. The inquest was held in the office of S. P. Carter, Justice of the Peace, Coroner A. D. Brown and County Attorney M. J. Yoran, of Manchester being in attendance. The verdict was accidental death.

The testimony disclosed that Gray had come from Oelwein and was visiting the Huggin home and on Saturday evening the three were sitting on a bed when for some unexplained reason Mrs. Huggins was handling a thrity-eight calibre revolver and it was discharged through her hand, the bullet then entering Gray's face under one eye and passing through the head and breaking the skull at the back but remaining in the brain.

The witnesses denied that there was any quarrel but gave no clear story of what occurred. Mr. and Mrs. Huggins were married only last November and are about eighteen years of age. Gray was about the same age, and efforts to locate his nearest relatives have been unsuccessful.

The bullet piereced Mrs. Huggin's hand withut breaking any bone and her injury is not considered serious.
Manchester Press---March 27, 1919

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A disastrous shooting affray occurred on Saturday afternoon in the vicinity of Frank Kehoe's residence, which resulted in the death of Jesse Gray son of Robert Gray, now of Oelwein, but formerly of these parts. It appears that young Gray had just come down on his way to some employment down on the Mississippi, and was at the home of his cousin, George Huggins, who has been cutting wood on the Frank Kehoe farm and lives in a rude cabin on the place. On Saturday afternoon while Mr. and Mrs. Huggins and their guest were visiting and overhauling some revolvers which they had in their possessions, in some way one of the guns was discharged, the charge passing through Mrs. Huggin's hand and entering Gray's face near the nose, plowing its way through the brain. A doctor was immediately summoned, who responded at once but the bullet liad done its deadly work and the unfortunate had lived but a short time. The remains were brought to Hopkinton and cared for at the undertaking rooms and the coroner came down Monday to take charge of the case. A jury was impaneled but after hearing the evidence in the case the parties were exonerated and verdict of accident shooting rendered.
Manchester Press---March 20, 1919