The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-05-24
Homicide by an Infant.

CumStanCeS surrounding IL, owing 10 the
extreme youth of the parties concerned,
occurred this afternoon on Holyoke street,
at the South End. The murderer was
little boy named Dudley Kimball, four
years old, and the victim Stephen Cox,
two years his senior. Both boys belong
to families of responsibility, living oppo-
site each other on the street mentioned,
the Kimballs being on the west side at
No 26 and the Coxes at No. %. 1t ap-
pears, from all the information CLEANED,
that the two boys, with large party Of
children, early in the day were at play
together, and that for some trivial cause
they quarreled.
The little Kimball boy, who is COM
monty called MAJOR" said he would six
him." meaning Cox; but no trouble of q
serious nature occurred until afternoon,
when both boys again met on the side
walk, in front of the garden of Mr.. Kim
balls residence, large party of children,
boys and girls, were with them; and
while the majority were playing in the
garden, the Kimball and Cox boys again
renewed their quarrel. During the chill
dren's war of words that took place,
Joseph Cox, eight years old, brother of
the little fellow murdered, crossed the
street, and soon after joining his brother
Kimball said again in an angry tone to
little Stephen that he would Elk him."
and thereupon hastily entered the house.
It seems from what afterward transpired
he went to get his fathers revolver, with
the cool determination of shooting young
Cox. The pistol, it is said, belonged to
his father, John T. Kimball, and yester-
day was secreted by member of the fam
lily in order that the young hopeful could
not get it into his possession. How he
found the weapon has not been learned,
but it is supposed that he became aware
of its whereabouts while overhauling
things about the house. On coming out
of his parents dwelling he walked up to
little Stephen Cox, who was facing him,
but who had not the least suspicion of
his assailant's intent.
The Cox boy stood leaning on the fence
which surrounds the garden, and before
he could move step young Kimball de-
iberately and coolly pointed the muzzle
of the revolver at his head and fired. The
ball entered the forehead, over the right
eye and close to the temple, penetrated
the back of the skull. Young Cox fell
bleeding against the fence, on which he
was leaning and, with the blood trickling
from the wound in his head, from which
the brain also oozed, he soon became un-
conscious.
His mother, who had been sitting at the
window, little imagining the terrible trag-
edy that was being enacted almost before
her eyes, had her attention attracted to
the affair by seeing her boy lying uncon-
scious on the sidewalk, and rushed fran
tically to the scene. On reaching the
child she learned the facts and almost
tainted.
The little fellow was removed to his
house opposite, and Drs. Fuller, Leech,
Reed, Stone, Sanders, Cheever and Evans
and Dsctoress A. E. Gilbert were sum-
moned at once. They did all in their
power, but the wound was fatal, and the
little fellow lived only few hours. The
father, Mr.. Matthew Cox, who is men,
Der of the firm Of G. s. NJ. Cox & Co.,
No. AZ Pearl street, was also at once sum-
moned, and upon reaching the house he
became almost frantic with grief.
Directly after the shooting young Kim
ball went into the house, and upon officers
of station No. calling upon his family
to inquire into the affair he appeared
greatly frightened. 1t was generally re-
ported by the neighbOrs, among whom
there was considerable excitement, that
the shooting was accidental, but there is
no ground for such theory, as the state
ments of the children who witnessed the
shooting and other evidence in possession
Of Coroner Evans goes to show that the
rash act was premeditated by young
Kimball. Kimball's father is q member
of the firm Of John Kimball & Son, No.
SO Sudbury street. An inquest will be
held on Monday.
NEW STYLE OF SLEEPING CARs.-A
number of Wagner's sleeping cars are
now being rebuilt on an entirely new
plan, and will be put on about May l..
Mr.. Wagner will build no moro new
sleeping cars upon the present or rather
old plans until new inventions are ex-
hausted in the effort to overcome the OBJ
lection to the heavy and cumbrous coach
es now in use. 1t will be remembered
that the Pullman Palace-Car Company
has brought suit against Wagner for in
fringement of patent, and this, together
with other causes, have prompted Mr..
Wagner to make careful inquiry into
new inventions applicable to sleeping
cars. He has found four new plans
which seem to be practicable for the
purposes sought. The patent which
Wagner has adopted does away with the
heavy construction Of upper works and
additional necessary weight. The COM