The Lamoni Chronicle
September 29, 1904

MRS. PETER LEWIS SHOOTS HUSBAND.

Mrs. Peter LEWIS Accidentally Shoots Her Husband - Mistakes Him For Chicken Thief - Lewis Dies Within Hour.

Peter LEWIS, a prosperous young father, thirty-four years of age, residing on the C. E. GARDNER farm, five miles south of Leon, was accidentally shot and killed by his wife at about 8:10 o'clock Wednesday evening of last week, dying within an hour after the fatal shot was discharged, with forty-six number four shot buried in his face and chest.

It seems that Mr. LEWIS had previously instructed his wife to fire on any parties invading the henhouse during his absence, leaving the gun loaded for any such emergency. Upon the night of the fatal shooting he had gone to the home of a sick neighbor at about seven o'clock, telling Mrs. LEWIS that he would return by midnight. His services not being needed, however, he returned immediately, and upon reaching home stopped at the henhouse for some purpose unknown, perhaps to close the door or something of that kind. Mrs. LEWIS hearing a commotion at the henhouse thrust the gun from an up stairs window of the dwelling and fired without taking aim, with the afore described results. Mr. LEWIS retained consciousness until death, however and repeatedly told the grief-stricken wife, to whom no blame is attached, that he knew the shooting was purely accidental.

Deceased was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Clark LEWIS of Athens township, Ringgold county, having been born and raised in the vicinity of Kellerton. Mrs. LEWIS is a daughter of Cal BULLARD, formerly of Ringgold, now of Decatur county. Peter LEWIS and wife, they having no children, moved to the GARDNER farm only last March. During their short sojourn in Decatur county, they have made many warm friends, all of whom extend sympathy to the bereft and more than doubly grieved young widow.

Copied by Stacey McDowell Dietiker
June 11, 2003