The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-07-18

~ DNEAPECvEO EkNDsfOn ny u v ~ y -
LrrE-goRoNER's INQUEST VERDICT OF
THE JURY-THE FUNERAL TO-DAY
sKETCH OF THE DECEASED. &c.'&c
r. shortly after II O'Clock yesterday morn
| inp 4 very distressing casualty happened in
| the inspectors Office at Shockoe ware house,
resnIting in the almost instantaneous death
Nv shooting OF Colonel Julien Harrison,
inspector Of tobacco on the part OF the own-
| ers OF that warehouse.
Colonel Harrison had gone into his office
and seated himself at bis private desk or
| table. and was alone, in his shirt-sleeves, at
the time Of the accidents The precise man
liner Of the shooting, therefore, 1s unknown,
but the circumstance, time, and place, all
20 to prove that 1t was .5t 4. -t.
{. PURELY ACCIDENTAL, :.ss
as the reader will readily perceive from the
evidence before the Coroner's jury. his
| office was on the left OF the entrance to the
warehouse from Shockoe Slip, and his pri-
yate desk stood in the corner OF the office,
on the north side, and to the left hand on
entering. There were really Two desks, or
tables, in the room, and both were In the
corner, one standing. agninst the nortn Wah
and the other against the east wall, OF side
next to shockoe Slip. - -.
DESCRIPTION OF BIS POSITION.
As Colonel Harrison sat in his Office, i'm
mediately in front Of him was one desk, MS
feet stretched underneath, while on MS
| right was the other table or desk, IN tne
drawer Of which he kept his private papers
and pistol. His drawer was partly open al
his right side, and be sat in nm ordinary OAK
(round-top) chair, with his coat on, ana IN
/ 4 .k>l kl,nfh ho WOO IRan1np
over when shot. The pistol was an oid
army cavalry six or seyen-shooter, which,
by the way, he used during the war; ana
after the fatal work had been done, ana
his friends ran in to see what was
the matter, there lay the. pistol in the
drawer, the barrel leaning In the corner
and protruding out of the, top OF the
drawer about three inches. pointing In
the direction of the ColonePs head, above
(which in the ceiling was mark Where
the ball had knocked out the plaster
ing and a pane Of glass broken in the Win
dow behind the. unfortunate gentleman, In
dicating that after striking the ceiling 1t
had ricochetted and broken the glass IN the
window.
THE DEATH-woUND.
The ball entered at the root Of the nose,
and, passing slightly upward, came out at
the back Of his head. ;.
His death must have been almost instan-
taneous, for his head dropped back and his
arms fell down to his sides and remained IN
that position until the body was viewed by
the jury at the inquest. Many persons, In
cluding number Of bis personal friends,
heard the plstol-shot; and those who dld
not soon heard Of the shocking accident ana
came crowding up to his Office to hear the
| -, o,,I fo rop5or old II QpV WAS
needed. The theory Of every one who saw
the position Of the body and heard state
ment of the circumstances is this:
THEORY OF THE. ACCIDENT.
Colonel Harrison was probably hunting
for some of his papers in the drawer. or pos
sibly arranging his drawer, and in doing so
caught the pistol by the barrel, and while
| in the act OF removing it from the drawer,
he leaning over intent upon what he was
| doing, the hammer caught against the up
per portion OF the table and was discharged,
with the terrible effect described. His LETT
hand was considerably burned ny the pow
| der, and the inside Of the drawer was black
encd and also burned, which would in
dicate that the pistol was not only dis
charged before, it had been removed from
the drawer, but that he must have had bis
hand very near the muzzle-end OF the Wea-
pom.
THE INQUEST.
| Coroner Taylor was notified very soon
after the shooting occurred, and O jury was
speedily empanelled and proceeded to the
scene Of the accident, where, after viewing
the body, an inquest was held.
The first witness examined was Mr.. F.
A. Kuper, an employe at the warehouse,
who at the time OF the shooting was in the
warehouse, probably fifty feet from Colonel
Harrison's Office, standing at his desk. Mr..
Kuper's hands were coopering some tobacco
when he heard the report, and exclaimed,
"What's that firing in the office ?" and at
the same moment ran into the office,
where his eyes met sight that will
long be remembered by all who saw
that gallant gentleman dead in his chair
| dead from an unleoked-for accident. Mr..
kuper called to his hands to come quick,
and they came, but too late to render any
aid. He then ran to the front door and
hailed Mr.. Harris, Of Darlington & Basker-
ville's house. but he probably either did not
hear the call or comprehend the situation
and did not come. Upon going to Messrs.
Darlington & Baskerville's Office he saw
Mr.. Baskerville. and told him what had
happened. By this time number OF per-
sons had gathered at the scene. In answer
to question by one OF the jurors witness
said he saw the pistol sticking. out OF the
corner OF the drawer, rs seen by the jury.
| The drawer was his own private drawer,
and witness had seen the pistol repeatedly
lying in it. The deceased was bright and
cheerful in the morning and seemed to be en-
loving his usual health, and was as talka-
tive as ever.
Mr.. W. M. Cary, who was one Of
THE LAST PERSONS TO TALK TO COLONEL HARRI-
SON BEFORE THE ACCIDENT,
and one of the first who heard of the acci-
dent, testified that between 10 and II O'Clock
Colonel Harrison inspected some tobacco
for him, after which witness went over to
the Tobacco Exchange, and had been there
| short time when MIR. Sheppard said that
Colonel Harrison had shot himself. Wit
ness ran over to the warehouse, and several
| persons went in with him, where he saw Col
onel Harrison lying in the position seen by
| the Jury. Colonel Harrison being con-
Inection Of witness, he took charge OF the
body until his son-in-laW came. The Colonel
GAspED ONCE OR TWICE
after witness got into the room. but was un-
conscious. He was as cheerful as witness
ieyer remembered to have seen him, and
never gave any indications that he meditated
suicide. ~.
MT. E. D. Crenshaw corroborated what
Mr., Gary said, and. in addition, stated that
on entering the sroom-he was probably the
first to go into the ofice-saw Colonel Har-
rfson make -s3f,. s 5r ,sa = 2zs
DESPERATE EFFoRTs TO SPEAK. 5F
He moved his Jaw little, butwas unable
yIy;tp Iuouy 110thSpp NJ