Omaha daily bee., 1889-10-26
RIDDLED WITH BIRD SHOT.
The Fate, of Young Charles Paul o.
Ellxhorn Precinct.
PROBABLY FATALLY INJURED
j. II. Ciampitt OF This City one OF a
Hunting Party Charged with
Having Fired the Fatal
Shot-IIis Plea.
Shots for a Walnut.


J. II. Clampltt, dealer in manicure goods
on Capitol avenue went hunting on Wodnes-
day last and rs one of the supposed results
of his skill with the fowling piece, IA young
boy is lying at the point of death at the
Clarkson Memorial hospital.
The boy is Charles Paul, the six-year-old
son of Henry Paul. of Elkhorn precinct.
Clampitt was accompanied on the hunt by
Il. Wittig, b. Bryant and several other
sportsmen. They had poor time of il and
saw no game at all until about 8 O'clock in
the afternoon, when one of the party treed q
squirrel. Four of hem at once began shoot.
ing at the animal, and finally killed IT. A
number of boys had been following the hunt
ers and were hanging around them when the
shooting at the squirrel was indulged in.
After the hunters had captured the prize,
they went to the residence of MIR. Oswolds
near Elkhorn and were having an evenings
| enjoyment in making cider and drinking it
when constable appeared on the scene and
placed Clamptt under arrest, on the charge
of having shot young Paul.
Clampitt was taken before Justice Smith
at Elkhorn, VINO refused to fix bail, was
brought to Omaha and placed In Sheriff CO.
burns charge.
That official refused to give the reporters
any information in regard to the prisoner or
to even tell his name or the offense for which
notwithstanding.
Young Paul, the boy who was shot, is in a
critical condition He received charge of
bird shot in his abdomen. He says ho is
sure that the shot was fired by Clampitt
The shot flied one side of his abdomen, and
inflicted wound from which il IS very
doubtful the boy will recover.
Clampitt claims that the shooting was en-
tirely accidental.
The above is stated TO be Clamptts YER
sion of the case.
There is another side to the story, however,
which, If true, throws an entirely different
light upon the affair.
JEFF Megeath was In ElShorn precinct when
the shooting and subsequent arrest took place.
The facts in the case as learned by him, are
as follows
Clampitt Benny Virgins and one or two
other hunters were going from Bryant's
farm, where they were stopping, over to
Oswald's place, whore they had in
tended to spend the evening. On the
way they passed Charles Paul's farm,
where two young boys were pumping
water for the cattle. The hunters stopped
and had a drink of water. Clampitt had a
bottle of whisky and gave the two lads
drink out of it.
The hunters then started on. their way
when the boys commenced guying them,
One of the little fellows, it is said, picked up
a walnut which had fallen from "a tree under
which they were standing and threw it at
the hunters, at the same time yelling Rats
AT this, Clampitt turned around and said
"ril fix you for that" and fired his gun.
Without waiting to see the effects of the
shot, he proceeded on his way with his
friends to Oswold's place, where he was
afterwards arrested.
Charles Frank who was one of the party
of hunters, told virtually the same story.
He did not know, he said, of Clampitt having
given the boys any whisky, but the rest of
the story tailed with what Clampltt and
Bryant had told him.
1--WE were at Oswald's," said Mr.. Frank,
''making cider when Clampitt and Bryant
came over They had been there but
short time when a constable came
from Justice Smiths court at Elkhorn with
a warrant for the whole party of US. None
OF us knew anything about the shooting but
Clamptt and Bryant, and the boy who was
shot said that it was the fellow with the
white pants who did the shooting. Clampitt
was the only one of the party who wore
white pants, and so the constable went back
to Elkhorn to have the warrant made out for
him alone. He did not know anything
about it and we did not tell him at the time
but kept him playing high five until 10 O'Clock
when the constable came back and arrested
him.
'When Clampitt was arrested he and Bry
ant both told the same story. They said
they were passing Pauls place when the
two boys began throwing walluts at them.
Clampltt, to scare them as he claims, turned
and fired his gun iuto the tree
and did not know that he had
shot one of the boys, until the constable came
and placed MIN under arrest"
Reports from Ekhorn are to the effect that
the neighbors of Paul are very badly ex-
! cited over the shooting. They take no stock.
| whatever, in the story of accidental shoot
! ing. An examination shows that the pump
| by which tho boy was standing was filled
| with shot, complete contradiction, they
| claim, of Clamptts statement that he fired
| his gun into the tree.
Excitement ran SO high over the matter
| that the constable having Clampitt IN charge
| decided to bring him to Omaha for safe keep
| ing.
| When he took the train at Elkhorn Thurs
| day night there was a large crowd around the
| depot, and for while it was feared that the
| prisoner would be taken from the officer. No
! attempt of the kind was made. however
| Justice Smith, of Elkhorn, has refused to
| fix any bail for Clampitt, pending prelimi-
| nary hearing of the case, which will not be
| held until the result of the shooting is
| known.
| Clampltt is young man about twenty
| eight years of age, and has lived IN Omaha
| several years.