Iowa
Old Press
Postville Herald
Postville, Allamakee co. Iowa
January 1928
CASTALIA MAN IS SHOT ACCIDENTALLY ON WAY TO HOME
Ambrose Monroe, Aged 25, Discharges Rifle While Crawling Thru
Fence
ON WAY TO RECOVERY
Ambrose Monroe, the 25 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Monroe,
southwest of Castalia [Winneshiek co.], was the victim of a
near-fatal shooting accident on Monday afternoon when the ball
from a 22-short cartridge entered his body just below the heart
and lodged in his liver as his rifle was discharged while pulling
it through a wire fence after him. As we get the story, Ambrose,
who is a young married man, with his wife had been spending
several days at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry
Koopman of that same locality, where he had been assisting in
cutting wood. Having finished the work at noon Monday, Ambrose
concluded he would go over and visit his folks, and so saying
picked up his rifle and started out at about 1:30 o'clock.
Between 2 and 3 o'clock that afternoon Louis Monroe was out in
the dooryard at his home when he thought he heard someone at a
distance calling, but looking about could see no one. After a few
minutes had elapsed he heard the call again and more distinctly
and looking in the direction from which the voice came, saw
someone sitting on the ground and with his arms beckoning him to
come. Hurrying toward the man he was fearfully shocked to
discover it was his own son, blood trickling from a wound in his
side and too weak to go farther. Picking him up in his arms he
carried him home and summoned Dr. Carr of Clermont, who came and
dressed the wound and made Ambrose as comfortable as possible.
When the doctor called next day evidences of internal hemorrhage
were present and it was decided best to remove Ambrose to
Postville hospital, where it was found he was bleeding from the
liver and it became necessary to operate to remove the clots of
blood that were filling the abdominal cavity, since which time he
has been somewhat easier, though his condition is still quite
serious. As Ambrose tells the story the accident happened on the
Mrs. Malone farm, where he was after a rabbit. He had his rifle,
a 22-calibre, cocked and had to crawl through a fence, and while
endeavoring to pull the rifle through after him, muzzle first,
the gun was accidentally discharged, the ball penetrating his
body just below the heart and taking a downward and somewhat
slanting course, lodged in his liver. Realizing his condition he
started toward his father's home, going little by little until he
could endure the pain no longer, when he would sit down to rest
and call out for help and in this manner covered more than 100
rods and when discovered by his father was about 20 rods from
home and almost completely exhausted. What the final outcome may
be it is too early yet to determine, though at last report he was
holding his own, and it is the wish and hope of all that he may
weather the storm, and he has youth and strength in his favor.
AMBROSE MONROE, ACCIDENT VICTIM, DIED MONDAY A. M.
Ambrose Monroe, whose serious injuries from accidental shooting
were related in last week's Herald, passed away at Postville
Hospital at one-thirty o'clock Monday morning, January 23, 1928.
Ambrose Lawrence Monroe, son of Louis and Christine Henderickson
- Monroe, was born in Castalia, Iowa, October 17, 1902, and
received his education in the public schools of that city. He was
married on August 26, 1925 to Miss Frieda Koopman of that
locality, their union being blessed with one daughter. Ambrose
was an industrious young man, upright in all his dealings, a good
husband, father, citizen and friend, well liked by all who knew
him. He is survived by his wife and one daughter; his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Louis Monroe; three brothers, Earl, George and
Charles; six sisters, Mrs. Goldie Haltzman of Fayette, Mrs. Iva
Michael of West Union, Mrs. Abbie De Sotel of Monona, Della,
Florence and Irene at home, to each and all of whom goes out the
tenderest sympathy of all in their sad and sudden bereavement.
The Funeral, which was largely attended, was held from St. Paul's
Lutheran church in this city at two o'clock Wednesday afternoon,
January 25, the Rev. E. T. Finck officiating. Interment in
Postville cemetery.
[transcribed by M.D., February 2005]