Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-11-21

terrible loss.
| The sad.story can best be read by
the light OF the following eviuenc,
adduced before the Coroners in
quest:
| Abraham Reed being FIRST sworn
testified THAT he lived ia the
town OF Martinshusg. and was six
teen years Of age; that he met the
deceased in the edge of the wooel-
on the road leading toward Shep.
herds, while he was on the way
down there for load of corn. He
nad double barrelled shet gun
in his right hand, and said " Good
morning. as he passed me. l did
not see him again until / saw him
| where he now lies. When we were
coming back l saw the bedy wing
where 1t now Is, and thought it
was a drunken man and passed on,
but when / got by / looked back
and saw the smoke and then stop
ped the wagon, leaving the other
| boy in 1t, and ran back alone, and
found 1t was man shot, and WAS
on fire. / did not know who il
was. / then ran up and told Mr..
Hughes, and he came and put the
fire out. The body was laying
where / first saw 1t Just as it is now
the foot on he rail and the gun
across the feet. 1t was an hour
and more after met him before
discovered the body.
| A. j. Hughes being sworn, testi.
fled THAT he lives on the farm of
A. j. Thomas; almost opposite to
where this inquest is being held !;
that he was ploughing the field
near by, when two little boys drove
| up to the gate and told him thai
there was a man shot and on fire
down there, referring to The place
where the body lay. He went
down and put out the fire did not
| know who tie deceased was. The
body was laying as the jury found
1t, one foot between the rails ofthe
fence aud the gun &C ross the feet,
Did not moveor stir the body, ex
cept TO put the fire out. He was
dead, stiff, when found by the wit
ness. As soon as he put the fire
out he went back to the gate and
told the boys to notify the Sheriff.
When the boys first told him
he thought it was Burriel Martin,
as he knew he had gene out hunt
ing in the morning. Might have
heard the gun, but paid no atten-
tion, as there had been a good deal
of shooting about all the morning.
Suppose the deceased must have
been killed or lain about two hours
before they found him, judging
from the time the boys went down
and when they came back sup
pose they went by about quarter
last nine and came back about
half or quarter past eleven.
DIR, Il. ). Page being first sworn,
testified: That he came out to
where the body was found at the
request Of the Coroner. Saw Mr.
Hughes and went with him to see
the body; identified it as the body
of Mr., Philip cambridge, made a
casual examination Of the body
and found gun shot wound in the
right side just above the hip, and
believe from position Of the body
that the whole load went into it,
piercing the vitals, causing instant
death. 1 do net deem minute
examination necessary, as the
cause aud manner of death is fully
apparent to the jury.
The surroundings were then
viewed by the jury and the gun
exhibited, having blood upon the
muzzle,. with the right-hand barrel
charged. Whereupon the jury
rendered verdict OF /" Death by
accidental shooting ~
After the jury had performed
their sad duty the body and effects
were turned over to Mr.. Blackburn
Hughes, his brother-in-law. and
William WHEN, undertaken, took
charge OF the body and brought it
to Martinsburg, and last night it
was laid ont in the room at the
Stewart House, which was occu,
pied by him during the week
attended by bereaved friends The
deceased was about % years of age
and the second youngest of nine
children.