Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-03-31
DIsTREssING AFFAIR.
A Mother M0rtally wounds Her
FOur.Year-Old SOn by Accident
with n small Pistol.
Shreveport Standard,

Shreveport Standard. 81
About 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon a
great deal OF excitement was created In
Mugginsville, In the neighborhopd Of
Mitchell's wagon yard, by the announce
ment that Amy Bradford, c0lored wo.
man residing just opposite, had acct
dentally shot and mortally wounded her
four-year-old son named Simmy Brad
ford. The house was soon surrounded,
and the excitement was intense, the
grief stricken mother screaming IN ago.
ny mt the unfortunate accident. Mes
scngers were at once dispatched for
medical assistance aud DR., G. II. Jones
soon appeared, who discovered that the
little fellow had received the fatal bull
lot Immediately over the right eye and
it ranged upward into the BRAN, there
being 10 chance to save his life. Later
in the evening DR.. Jones had paid a Soc
ond visit, accompanied by DR.. H. c..
Coty, but found nothing could be done,
and it would only irritate the little fell
low by attempting TO probe the bull.
THE PARTICULARS.
At6 o'clock last evening our reporter
visited the house and found the wounded
boy lying on bed quiet, Unconscious, no
doubt, Of pain. The mother was still
grooming with grief and the room still
filled with a crowd, some being present
from sympathy and others from cnriosi-
ty. From Amy Lee Bradford, step.
daughter of the unfortunate mother, we
learned the following particulars:
About 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon,
the unfortunate mother was engaged in
looking through an old trunk tor some
articles and her little sou was standing
beside her looking on. On reaching the
bottom of the trunk she came to a small
derringer pistol, which had been in the
trunk for some three years, and there
was no. idea on the part of any of the
family that It was loaded. II was q
pistol found upon the streets nearly -four
years ago by the mother, and carried q
ball about the size ola pea. Upon see
Ing tue pistol the little fellow
reached for 1t, expressing desire to
play with it, but the mother picked it
up first and, in - good hum0red way
pointed it Mt him, saying, "Look out
I'll shoot you" Amy, who was near
by, remarked to her she had better look
ont as the pistol might be loaded, but
alas, her warning was too late, for the
words had hardly escaped her lips when
the report sounded and the deadly bul
let which had remained secretcd in the
barrel for SO many ycarshad entered tn.
brain Of the unfortunate boy, who fell
back and uttered as his last words upon
this earth, "Oh! mama" Since the
shooting he has been perfectly uncon
scious, and there is no chance of his re.
covery, as q portion of the brains oozed
out of the wound. Indeed he may he
dead Mt the very moment we are pen
ming these lines. Charles Bradford, the
father of the unfortunate boy, is u hard
working and Industrious colored man
and he and his wife and family have al
ways borne a good reputation. and have
the sympathies Of all in their tronbles.
The grandmother OF the boy, on the
mothers side, was also in the room al
the time and was an eye witness to the
distressing occurrence. Few can real
ize the grief beneath that roof last
night.