Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1882-06-17
A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
Arnold T. Ewing Accidentally Kill
ed at Higginsville.


Tuesday morning last Arnold T. Ewing
was accidentally shot aud instantly killed at
HigginsviIie. The circumstance are about a.
follows: Monday night Sheriff Elliott started
out with q posse. consisting Of Joseph Bow.
man, Frank X. Tut, David Callahan, Jos.
Chinn and Ed Ciaypool, all armed with Bal
lard rifles or carbiues, to hunt up some horse
thieves supposed to bs in the neighborhood
Of HIgyinsyille. aud after an aIl-night horse
back ride, returned to that place about Z
O'Clock Tuesday morning. About the same
time Messrs. Frank Trigg AMI Arnold Ewing
arrived by the Chicago Il Alton road from
Wavsrly. Both parties stopped ut the Oc-
cidentiy hotel. During the night.ride the
horse OF MIR. Chinn gave out, and Mr.. Bow.
man,, who had removed the csr<ridge from
his gun, rode along behind, aud occasionally
urged Chinn's horse forward by prodding
him with the muzzle Of his gun. Sheriff
Elliott had a Ballard rife, exactly like Bow.
mans. but the cartridge coniu not be easily
extracted, and thinking no harm would re-
suit, 1t Was left In the gun. At the hotel the
guns were placed behind The counter, while
the parties Went In to breakfast. Sheriff
Elliott got through with his breakfast first,
and coming out, reached over the counter
aud took q gun. which he supposed TO be
his own, but which proved to be Bowmsn's.
When Bowman came out he took Elilott's
gun. supposing Is was his own, aud empty,
OF course. On the hotel porttco Bowman
found Frank Trigg and Arnold Ewing. who
engaged hin In conversation, while all the
members OF the posse had zone ahead, and
one or two OF them were calling back to him
that he would be lett Il he did not max Q |
haste as the Lexington train was about TO
leave. As Bowman started OF he had the
gun on bis right shoulder, aud Ewing called
to him : "Tell all the boys Ia ts." Bowman,
still moving of, slightly; turned to make q
reply. at the same time shifting the gun from
his shoulder into the hollow OF his loft 81.
bow, where he was carrying . gum coat, and
In doing SO. by some means the gun was
discharged, and Ewing fell MORALLY wound
ed, and died in q few seconds. The ball
o ruck E"ing near the point Of the left
shoulder blade, ranged upward, and came
out on the right side of the neck then struck
under his jaw bone, came out through the
right cheek. and passed through his hat
brim. Some OF the by-standers say that he
exclaimed, ppm shot," while others think
he never spoke or breathed aftsrwxrd.
Esquire Payne. OF Higginsvllle, summon |
ed d jury, and held an inquest on the body. +
Mr.. Luce, editor OF the Higginsyills Al.
vance, was called upon Io.act as clerk for the +
magistrate. He favored US with hts "otes. |
and The following Is the evidence, 80 far a.
We were able to abstract 1t from tue notes: F
Alex. Smith: Noticed the men, and inquired
who were these dirty looking fellows; said to
Bowman hothing in the gun; I was at the Pres |
byterlan church when the gun went III; 1 think
and Ewing were twelve or fifteen feet
apart; saw Ewing fall; Bowman had the gun
across his right arm; 1 thought the ball went |
the right side of his neck; helped lay 4
out the corpse; think the shot was accidental; |
did not See the gun cooked.
A. j. Groves: l was at the hotel to see what
the posse was doing; was within three feet OF the |
men i; they were fooling with the gum; Bowman |
started up the sidewalk with the gun in his right /
hand; Bowman said to Ewing '.Look out! I'u |
and Ewing fell; they we've eleven steps
apart; don't think Bowman knew what he had
done; Ewing's back was toward Bowman when |
the gun went of; Bowman did not see Ewing |
when the gun went of; Ewing was standing
straight; was in the act of going into the hotel |
when the gun. went Off.
Frank X. Tutt: The cartridge was taken out
of Bowman's gun; all the guns were Ballard
rifles and carbines; Bowman had Elliott's gun
when he shot Elicit had previously tried to get
the cartridge out of the gun. had failed, and had
probably left the gun hslf-cocked.
The following is the verdict of the jury:
HIaGINsvILLE, Mo-, June l3. 1882
: we, The jury, alter y careful examination of
the body, and hearing the evidence. fluid that
Arnold L. Ewing came to his death by an accl- |
dental discharge of u gun In the hands Of Joseph |
bowman. H. l.. GROOM, Foreman.
l. H. Il |
Z. ID BROWN,
CuAS. HEEER,
U. A. JONES,
L. w. AVITT.
The remains reached this city Tuesday |
noon, and were taken to the residence OF Mr.. |
4. Winsor, where they remained TIL 10
Wednesday, when they were carried
to the Methodist church. aud from thence to |
their last resting placs-MachpsIah cemste-