Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1886-02-21
A FATAL
A Boy Handling q Revolver That
He Believes to be UnlOadcd Acct.
dentnIIy ShOOts His Father.

A Boy Handling y Revolver That
He Believes TO be UnlOadcd Acct
dsntaIly shoots His Father.
Another very sad accident occurred on
Ruby Hill yesterday morning at about 8
o'clock. 1t appears that James Berry
man, a rancher out o few miles from
town, and an intimate friend OF Thomas
Pedlar, called at the ~latter's house at
about the hour named. and while there
pulled q small second hand silvef-mounted
revolver from his pocket, which he said
he had purchased the night previous for
use on his ranch. Mr.. Pedlar took the
revolver in his hands, examined it, and
then handed it to his son Harry, a boy OF
16 years, who had expressed q desire to
see 1t. The boy, believing as did the two
men, that it WAS moi loaded, pulled back
the hammer that slipped from his thumb,
and the piece was discharged. 1t being
| pointed at the father he received the bullet
in the lower part of the abdomen on the
right side above the crest Of the hip bone.
The wounded man cried "Oh," q put
his hands over the wound and for q
moment stood upright "a il paralyzed.
Mr.. Bergman and the boy took hold OF
him and laid him on . sofa near by and at
once sent TO town for a physician, but be-
fore DR.. Owen arrived the unfortunate man
expired. 1t is believed Q large blood
vessel was cut BY the bullet and that be
bled to death. He died within half an
hour after receiving the wound.
Acting Coroner Sweeney was notified OF
fhc oad affair and ahnut half.naak IN
O'Clock o jury consisting of Messrs. Frank
Rogers, John Nicholas, William Tregoning.
Richard Moorish and A. K. Buchanan was
impaneled to inquire into the cause Of the
death. After they were duly sworn the
body was inspected and the testimony of
the witnesses summoned was then heard.
Inasmuch as Mr.. Bergman and the son,
Harry, OF the deceased were the only ones
present at the time Of the shooting we pro-
duce only their testimony.
James Bergman, being duly sworn,
said: l came down from Ruby Hill at
about half-past 6 o'clock this morning to
Mr.. Pedlar's house to start out to the
ranch; went into the house; / remarked
to Mr.. Pedlar that / had got q pistol; I
took it from my pocket and was showing
it to him; he took it into his hands, and
was examining il. after which he passed il
over to his boy Harry to examine, and
while he was examining it he accidentally,
to all appearances, cooked it with his
thumb and letting 1t slip the pistol was
discharged, the bullet entering his father,
who happened at the moment to be stand
ing directly in from. Of the pistol. After
the accident occurred ! assisted in laying
Mr.. Pedlar on the lounge and afterwa in
the bed.
Harry Pedlar. being duly sworn, said:
/ came in from milking; Tom Bergman
and my father were looking at the pistol;
1 asked my father to let me see 1t, and he
passed IL over to me; / took 1t into my
hands; I did not know IL was loaded; /
pulled back the hammer, and it slipped
out Of my fingers, and the pistol was dis
charged accidentally.
Following ia the verdict Of the jury as
rendered: 1--WE the jury ~impsneled in
the case of the death OF Thomas Pedlar.
who came to his death ON Ruby Hill, Eu-
reka county, New, February 40, 1886, find
on examination of the case that he came to
his death by the accidental discharge Of q
pistol in the hands OF his son, Harry Ped
lar. while examining the pistol. We find
the deceased TO be Q native OF Roach
Parish, County Of Cornwall, England, aged
40 years."
The deceased was for many years a
highly respected resident Of Eureka county.
For a time he lived on the ranch owned by
Mr.. Bergman, after which he removed to
Ruby Hill. where he has since worked as q
tributer in the Eureka Con. mine. He
was about 40 years of age and leaves a wife
and five children. His remains will be
buried from the NJ. E. Church on Ruby
Hill this afternoon at 2 O'Clock. A cordial
invitation TO friends and acquaintance to
be present is extended.