James Eckles (-1901)

ECKLES

Posted By: Gail and Dennis Bell
Date: 5/30/2005 at 21:01:51

THE MAXWELL TRIBUNE, Maxwell, Iowa, Thursday, April 25, 1901, page 1, column 5. Accidently** Shot. James Eckles, the bright and intelligent eleven year old son of Frank Eckles, living two miles north of this city on the township line road, accidently** shot himself Saturday afternoon at about 4:30 o'clock. He in company with four boys were at the Curtiss pond several miles from his home and were on the pond in a round bottomed watering trough which they were using as a boat. The had a shot gun with them in the trough and the Eckles boy attempted to hand the gun to one of his friends, stock first, and in doing so the lock was struck on the trough and the gun discharged, the full charge of shot striking him the bowels, tearing an ugly wound. Death resulted almost instantly. He was taken to his home and that evening an coroner's inquest was held presided over by Justice Welty of this city. The verdict was that he had come to his death by the accidental discharge of a gun in his own hands. The funeral was held yesterday and the remains were interred in the Nevada cemetery. Ex-Comptroller of the Currency, James H. Eckles, who is president of the Commercial National Bank of Chicago and Attorney Geo. H. Eckles of Chicago, brothers of Frank Eckles, and C. A. Palmer, of Chicago, were in attendance at the funeral. The Eckles family only moved here from the east this spring, and while they have made many warm friends in their short stay, they were practically among strangers, which makes the death an exceptionally sad affair. The rarest of flowers in great profusion were a sticking feature of the funeral services. - Nevada Journal." **Editorial note - spelling used is from the original newspaper article."