The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-08-12
A A
The Details Of the Accidental Shoot
ing Of Bert Smith.
A Loaded Winchester Cooked, Does
the Work.
Arrival Of the Remains on the Wsy
East for Burial.

for buflal.
On Wednesday afternoon the friends
OF Mr.. Bert A. Smith, in this city were
startled by the receipt Of sad and brief
telegram from Fort Steele. announcing
that Mr.. Smith had been fatally shot,
through the accidental discharge Of
some frearm, and that the remains
would arrive Thursday, yesterday
This much appeared in yesterday morn
ing's LEADER. The many friends and
acquaintance Of Mi. Smith remained
In suspense awaiting further particu-
lars until the train from the west ar
rived yesterday afternoon having on
board the body Of the deceased, accom-
panied by Thos. J. Swan, Mr.. Hopkins
and Others. The body was taken to an
u~ndertaker's where a casket had been
prepared for its reception. and was
taken east on No. 4 to the home of Mr..
Smith at Indianola, Iowa, for inter-
ment. Mrs. Smith, Thos. j. Swan,
(who was a partner with Mr.. Smith)
and bis wife, accompanied the re-
mains.
A representative Of the LEADER
called upon Mr.. Hopkins at his room at
the Inter Ocean, and was kindly furn-
ished with the sad facts in this lament
able tragedy. The accident occurred
In the ranch of Hopkins & Page. Mr..
Hopkins was an eye witness, and hence
what he related must be correct. Said
Mr.. Hopkins: On the evening before
the occurrence Of the accident. a young
man, Harry Lowe by name, went out
TO shoot some antelope. using q Win
chester rife. He shot at two, and re-
turned to the ranch and laid the gun
upon the bed. Whether or not the gun
was cooked at the time 1t was thus laid
down, no one al positively say, but it
Is very probable that it was. That eve
ming, Mr.. Hopkins, when he retired, re-
moved the gun and laid 1t upon the
table, but two feet from the bed. 1t
was dark In the room at the time, so he
did not notice mol can he tell whether
or not 1t was cooked at the time. In
the morning after arising, the gun was
again placed upon the bed, near the foot,
the muzzle away from the wall. For
the better understanding of the further
causes which brought about the sad
tragedy, a brief description Of the room
will suffice. Entering the building
through the door a little to the right of
the middle Of n side, in the nearest
right hand corner, stood the cook stove,
and In the further corner, to the right,
stood the bed; directly In front and but
o little removed from the wall was the
table, with three seats on either side.
This table was but about two feet from
the bed. Smith occupied the middle seat
at the table on the side furthest from
the wall. He sat with his back to the
table talking; Mr.. Swan sat next be-
yond him and Mr.. Hopkins stood just
outside the door. As MI. Smith sat,
he "a about four feet from the bed.
Mr.. Walden came in and sat upon the
foot Of the bed. Swinging his feet up
on the bed 80 rs to bring his back
against the wall, he hit the barrel Of
the gun and swung it around In such a
manner as to bring Mr.. Smith directly
within its range. Then he made a
move to put his hands on either side Of
his body uponithe bed to carry himself
back against the wall. In doing this
his right hand struck the gun In some
way and it was discharged. The ball
entered Mr.. Smiths left side about six
inches below and o little In front of the
arm-pit. In his coat pocket was a
packet Of letters and papers nearly an
inch thick, which fiattened the ball very
much. The ball passed through the
body and lodged in the lining Of the
vest or coat. Mr.. TT Swan, who was
sitting beside Mr.. smith, was directly
within range, and had 1t not been for
the package Of papers, the affair would
probably have been q double tragedy.
Every attention was paid the unfor-
tunate man, but from the first 1t was a
hopeless case. At every respiration the
blood would gush from the wound and
the terrible pain he suffered hastened
the failing strength. He lived but an
hour and a quarter after receiving the
wound. and was conscious during an
hour. He said but little more than to
express the pain he was suffering and
ask for water or for some one to fan
him. As Mr.. Hopkins was removing
the clothing from about his chest he
asked, "How bad am I shot?n and be-
ing answered, Pretty bad" said, II
want" or 'swish i could make a will"
After his death the remains were taken
to Fort Steele and q coroner from Raw
Inns summoned. The evidence of eight
witnesses was taken, substantially the
same as related, and of course a verdict
Of death by the accidental discharge of
q gun was rendered. The accident oc-
Cured about 8 O'Clock n the morning.
Mr.. Smith was q young man of about
SO years Of age, and much respected by
all who knew him. At the time of his
death he wa cashier Of the Warren
County national bank at Indianola,
Iowa, and was recently elected as Sec
Rotary and treasurer of a leading min
ing company-the Hugo. He merited
this prosperity by faithful endeayor.