Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-30
SHOOTING A SISTER
The Toy Pistol Again at its Deadly
Works Usual, Did Not Know 1t was
Ioaded-The Result of the Accident
Likely TO Prove Fatal.
'sI7 I0FA H'TH'4g 9oHFHaf.

Loaded-The Result of the Accident
Likely to Prove Fatal.
Ns,- York NorRjng Journal.
Billy Pike. aged eight years. smoked
cigarettes. read dime novels and carried a
Toy pistol of the most formidable pattern.
He Kept his arsenal. library and cigarettes
hidden away in the cellar of his home at
Ne. 535 Greenwich street. He lived with
a married sister, Mrs. John McKeon.
twenty years old, and two elder brothers,
John and Mark. While exploring the
cellar for kindling wood Yesterday after
noon. Mark Pike. a brother, eighteen
wears old, discovered the toy pistol. 1t
amused him immensely. He snapped the
trigger. The weapon was RUSTY and
wouldn't 20 of. Then he rolled it up in a
handkerchief and put it carefully in his
pocket. thinking it would be a nice thing
o. have around. He went up stairs to the
apartments occupied by his sister. Here
he performed a supposed scene from Cap
tain Kidd before a large mirror, and flour
ished his pistol in a wild way.
His sister sat sewing. As the young
man bent down TO examine the principle
On which toy pistols are constructed the
trigger snapped. There was a flash and
then a report. The room was somewhat
dark. but Young Pike saw the blood squirt
from his sisters face. HOrrified at the
sight the unfortunate youth darted down
the stairway INTO the street. 1 lie woman )
husband. who witnessed the affair, ran
ont nj the same moment. Pale as a ghost,
Pike sped up Greenwich street and turned
into Charles. At Hudson street an officer
ran i'm front of him, waving his club
wildly. Pike screamed, Il have shot my
sister. l want to get doctor. For Gods
sake, let me gO!'
The husband and young Pike reappeared
with a doctor apiece simultaneously,
When they arrived they found pools of
blood all over the floor. The woman was
bleeding profusely.
She had a handkerchief to her eyes and
WAS CRYING. not for herself. but for fear
her brother would be arrested. The ball
was found to have ente red her left cheek
and cut of the root of a double tooth,
which fell from her mouth, and then to
have lodged IN the deep muscles Of the
neck behind the palate.
The alarm was sounded for an ambu-
lance and she was taken to st. Nincent's
Hospital in Eleventh street. The house
surgeon, DIR. BenVdict, reported late last
night that he regarded the wound as very
serious and feared it might result fatally.
Had the bullet varied a hairs breadth
from its course TO either one side or the
other. il would have severed the carotid
artery and instant death have ensued.
Young Pike. almost crazed with grief,
was taken to the Jefferson Market Police
court ana helU 10 tN ait tlt result vi HIS
sisters injuries. He spent the night in 4
cell at the Eighth Precinct Police Sta
tiOn.
Another account of the affair states that
Pixies had Just given the finishing touches
to his craNat before glass as his sister
entered the room, and that he thought 1t
would be a fine thing to frighten her, and
pointed the pistol at her in stage-villain
Wav. with the unfortunate result stated.
This is denied by friends of the family.
The latter lived in poor but neat apart
ments in a tenement house, and were all
very respectable except Billy aged :