Pierson, Ruth

PIERSON, SNOOK

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 11/30/2011 at 10:34:43

An Accidental Shot

A frightful accident occurred at the home of Wm. Neasham, two miles southwest of town, on the afternoon of the 4rh in which Ruth, the 10-year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wm Pierson who live on the Ves. Guthrie farm was instantly killed by a shot from a rifle in the hands of Charlie Marshall, the tragedy being purely accidental.

The particulars of the sad affair, as nearly as we can gather them, are about as follows: Several families of kindred had assembled at the Neasham home to spend the Fourth. In the afternoon about four o’clock, after a big picnic dinner had been enjoyed on the shady lawn, the friends were seated in the door yard passing the time away in social enjoyments, little dreaming that their joy’s were so soon to be turned to bitter sorrow. Little Ruth was noticed suddenly to drop off the chair on which she was sitting near the door step. At first she was supposed to be playing; but seeing that something was wrong, the mother ran to help her up, when she was horrified to find her little girl almost lifeless and a stream of blood flowing from a wound in the head a little back of the left ear. The child only breathed a few times.

While at the time it was not noticed, but a soon as the terrible truth was realized, those present recalled the peculiar sound of the whizzing bullet as it passed on its fatal mission. Dr. Smead was summoned but life was extinct before his arrival. In the meantime one of the men present hastened to the railroad, over half a mile north of the Neasham home, where Charlie Marshall and Ed Stofflet were shooting at some object with a 32 caliber repeating rifle-entirely out of sight of the party at the house. When Charlie Marshall realized that is was himself who had fired the fatal shot, he was almost prostrated by grief and remorse, although the parents and friends of the little girl assured him that they held no feeling of blame toward him, whatever. The tragedy has cast a gloom over the entire community, and the greatest sympathy is felt for the parents who are crushed almost by the cruel death of their beautiful little daughter; and for Mr. Marshall on whom the terrible tragedy falls almost as heavily as upon the parents.

Funeral services were held this Wednesday forenoon at the home of Mrs. Emma Snook, grandmother of the little girl, conducted by Rev. E. F. Gillis of the United Presbyterian Church. ~ Newspaper name and date unknown.