Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-12-17
TT WAS ACCIDENTAL |!
The Death Of W. G. Riggs a
Sad One.
RESULT OF A BOY HANDLING A GUN.
A Post Mortem Examination Held
Hammond and His Son Prove
Themselves Innocent.

The particulars, as best as could b,
obtained, as published In yester
days JOURNAL, created considerable
stir throughout the city. The frs
news concerning the sad accident
reached the ears Of the citizens u,
the newsboys were crying out las
evening, "CAPITAL JOURNAL, ful
particulars about the murder al
Sublimity." This was the first thai
many citizens of Salem had heard
of the sad occurrance. n0twithstand
Ing II had happened within II
miles OF the city, on Sunday even
at 3 O'Clock.
This morning u JOURNAL reporter
seated behind II fast horse started
on his way to the scene of the trag-
edy TO obtain, II possible, fuller de-
tails of the unfortunate affair.
The scene of the terrible affair IL
on the farm of Thos. Hanmond's
father aud on II tract of land used
for pasture. II would seem that
some time ago Mr.. Hammond's fa-
ther placed the farm In the
hands of Porter Bros, of Aums-
vile, for sale or rent. These
gentlemen rented u part OF the land
To Mr.. Riggs and he had been using
II for pasturing his cattle upon
Sunday Mr.. Hammond accompanied
by his, twelve year old son, started
to make u visit TO the farm, and by
the request Of the boy q gun was
taken along. When the farm was
reached they were walking over II
when, Hammond roticed band OF
cattle feeding in the pasture, walk
Ing on around he soon spied Riggs
who was sailing the cattle, and
Hammond asked him, In rather u
pert manner, "by what authority he
had In using his fathers land for a
pnslure?" Riggs replied that he,
Hammond. need not speak 30 Of
ilclally about that which he did not
know about or something to that
effect, and replied further that he
had rented the land through Porter
Bros. Mr.. Hammond apologized for
the manner In which he had spoken
aud the three, Hammond, his son,
aud Mr.. Riggs, started on around
the pasture talking together when
u band Of quails was discovered and
Hammond shot NJ the band killing
only one bird. The l2-year-old
son kept begging his father
10 let him shoot tho other
lond, (the gun being u double
barrelcd muzzle-loading weapon), 10
this the father consented, and the
qunlls kept running along the fence
aud the boy acted IN u nervous man
ner, Mr.. Riggs had his right hand
IN hIs pants pocket and wns leaning
forward with his left hand extended
pointing 10 the spot for which the
boy should alm at Suddenly the
ginils riso and iiew, aud the boy ex-
oltedly blazed away, and ~ the
SNAKE cleared away II revealed nm
awful scene. Riggs had received
the full charge on the left side NJ
lls head. Tho shot lodged under
the right enr. His death was In.
MI. Hammond left
his son with the body, aud went
vi once Ia the homo ,Of
Riggs nDd told them NJ the
terrible OcourraDce. The body
wns carried ~ the house aud tile
friends ~ Iilggs fOr u Tins were not
satisfied with the report given by
Hammond and his sou, Excite,
DsDi ran hlgli aud the friends NJ
the pOOF Victim had Hammond nDd
his sOD placed under arrest after the
cDfoDnrs Inquest WAS held, Ds.
Kitchen aud Hunter ffow hinyiOD
we're called aDd held u post mOfisD
rhaiiilDAilOn, nnd Tho examination
agreed IN every particular With the
llp report given by the defendants,
Alter lhn examination u different
fislluH swept over ibr inrHe rfDAd
llad rODRipRalsd ADd Hammond and
llis ADll discharged, The people ATe
llOs satisfied that the Whole affair
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