Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-07
SHOT IN THE HEAD.
Young Wickham Killed by the Accidental Dis
charge Of n Revolver.

Thursday about noon very distressing
accident happened near the home of
Charles Wickham, about four miles south
west Of the city, ON the Medidian line road.
The particulars of the sad affair were yes
terday related by lady who was present
very soon after its occurrence. She said
that her attention was attracted by seeing
men short distance ahead of her on the
road, carrying between them what she
soon recognized as human being. OBJ
serving too, that the person was either
dead or seriously injured, she stopped at
the house to which the body was carried,
in the hope that she might render
some assistance. AS she alighted
from her buggy the body was
deposited in the house, and the members
of the family were crowding around in
the vain hope of getting some sign of rec
ognition from the wounded person. But
he was dying, and not word or sign
could be obtained by the anxious ones who
lowered over him.
She commenced an inquiry and elected
all the facts that were possible to be OBJ
tanned at the time.
A man, who was a stranger to her, as
well as to the people at the house, was
driving along the road when suddenly his
horse stopped and SHE'D around the form
of boy lying stretched across the road
He got out of the buggy and soon
satisfied himself that the person was
dangerously injured. Driving rapidly to
farm house near by he communicated to
them the news and asked that one of the
men go with him to bring the boy to the
house. 1t was the house Of Charles Wick
ham. and making stretcher from d bed
they went out to bring in the injured per-
son. The young man who accompanied
the stranger no sooner saw who it was that
lay upon the road than he gave a cry of
surprise and terror and said that it was
Mr.. Wickham's son. They placed the al
most lifeless body upon the stretcher and
carried to the house. As. soon as the wO-
men the recognized young Wickham they
were almost postrated with the grief, but
did everything to assist and save the life OF
the boy.
The lady who gave the information said
she remained in the sad household short
time; the injured boy was sinking rapidly,
and although ne was not dead when she
left, yet she learned that he died soon after
Htl QC par
Young Wichham had died from shot
over the left eve The ball crushed through
the skull entering the brain. When found
in the road he had evidently been lying
there about an hour. The ball was from a
% calibre revolver, which was found near
where the body lay.
There appears 20 be but one theory adj
yanced as to the cause of the
death, accidental shooting. The deceased
was boy OF fifteen, but being rather tall
and slender appeared older He hal left
the house about an hour and a half be-
fore his body was found, intending, it was
stated at the house, to go black berrying.
One of his brothers heard report, but
thinking it was only fire cracker IA d
but little attention TO it. This was the shot
which no doubt ended young Wickham's
life. From the place of the wound, just
over the left eye, the general opinion was
that the boy was looking into the barrel of
the revolver and it was accidently dis
charged.