Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-08-13
SHOT IN THE RIGHT BREAST.
The "Didn't Know = n was -
Loaded'' Fool Again.

Edward Herrick Pointed Pistol at
William jackson and BIazed Away
jackson Has u Bad Wound and Her
Court.
A shooting ARRAY, which came within
an ace Of resulting fatally occurred at
the Pullman palace Car shops, over
Eleventh street bridge, AT 4.30 o'clock.
Saturday morning. The victim of the
deed, which is only another of the too
frequent Observation-Disclosures"
affairs, is William Jackson, night cngl-
neer at the Pullman shop. The man
who did the shooting is Edward Herrick,
boss night Waterman at tho same shop.
Herrick had been shooting the loads
out of a pistol which he owned and
which had become rusty from infre-
quent usage. Tho weapon was five
shot 32-calibre revolver. After the
Waterman had discharged four cham
bers from the weapon this morning,
Engineer Jackson came upon the scene,
and Herrick pointed the weapon directly
at him, thinking he had discharged all
the chambers" and carelessly pulled
the trigger. The pistol went off with
loud report, and jackson received the
bullet in his right breast, between the
nipple and the right clavicle. He threw
up his hand exclaiming that he was
| shot.
Herrick appeared much agitated and
assuring Jackson that the shooting was
entirely accidental went at once for a
| physician. jackson was able to walk
| to his home, No. 1924 Kirkwood street,
some time afterwards, where Drs. Pyle
| and Blocksom were summoned and eX
tracted the ball.
The bullet had not penetrated very
deep into the mans breast, and the ply
sicians had very little difficulty in get
ting it out. DIR. Pyle, when asked this
| morning to account for the ball not
entering the mans breast at greater
depth than it did, said that it was prob
ably due to the heavy clothing which
Jackson had on and the rusty condition
Of the pistol. jackson wore heavy
suit of over-alls over his regular suit Of
clothes, and under this still were two
heavy shirts, which impeded much the
velocity of the bullet and spent consid-
cradle of its force before it entered the
mans body at all. Then the bullet
penetrated the flesh but short distance,
ana was easily extracted.
After the shooting occurred Herrick
was badly frightened lest his victim
should die. He came to the police sta
ton shortly after o'clock to surrender
himself and was locked up by House
Sergeant Whann.
William jackson, the injured man,
was seen at his home, No. 924 Kirkwood
street, this morning and gave the fol-
lowing version Of the shooting to
the GAZETTE reporters 81 was in
the machine shops early this morning
when Herrick came to me and said he
was going to shoot the loads out of
revolver he had in his hands, which had
become rusty for want of usage. | went
down through the yard with Herrick to
the edge of the Brandywine, which is
about 20 yards from the shops where |
was working. Herrick fired two shots into
the Brandywine and then | came back
again to the shops. Presently heard
him shoot twice more, making four
shots altogether. / then went down
again to the place where Herrck was
shooting and found him digging one of
the bullets out of an old shed, which is
| located there. He had fired the second
two shots into this shed and was dig
| ging one of the balls out of the wood
work. AS approached the door of the
| shed Hei rick had just finished digging
out the bullet and emerged from the
doorway. AS soon as he came out he
| placed the muzzle of the revolver right
close to my breast and before l could
recover myself or say word he pulled
the trigger. The revolver went off and
feeling the bullet strike my breast,
clapped my hand in the region of the
wound, when Herrick exclaimed:
"'My God, Jack Have shot you?
Eyes, that's what you've DONE | re-
Piled. What did you do that for?'
"'I thought the balls were all shot
out Herrick replied.
"'You know you only shot four shots
OUT i sail.
"'Well, you know 7 didn't do it ON
purpose Herrick said again.
"I don't suppose you did do it on
purpose | said, but you have shot me
all the same.
81 then walked up TO the shops, which
are but a short distance and IIerrick
went for doctor. | did not feel much
pain from the ball, but the more ] be-
gan TO think what narrow escape |
had had the more | became frightened.
| was able to walk home, where DR..
Pyle extracted the BALL"
jackson has been employed at the
Pullman shops about six years. He is
40 years old and has wife aud three
small children, He was not suffering
much pain when seen at his home this
morning, although the wound made by
the bullet WAS very ugly one and was
swelling rapidly. The flesh about the
wound had discolored in a short time.
If modification or blood poisoning docs
not set in jackson will be all right in
short time. He says he will uot be able
to go 10 work for some time yet.
When llerrick was seen in Chief
Blackburn's room at the police station
this morning he gave this statement re-
garding the shooting:
Il wanted to shoot the loads out of a
rusty pistol, SO told Jackson and we
both went down to the bank Of the
creek. jackson said he would put up a
mark on the shed for me to shoot at,
which he did. After l had fired all the
shots out Of the pistol, as | supposed, |
was placing it in my pocket when Jack
| son said TO me, look out, that may go
off, said there arc no balls in the re-
yolyer and pulling it out Of my pocket
] said: Il will show you there is no
danger With that pointed the pistol
close TO Jackson ana pulled tile trigger.
| was never so surprised in my life
when the pistol went off and shot the
| man. Jackson and | were the best Of
friends and l wouldn't have had this
thing happen for the world.n
Section 3 of chapter Els. Vol. VI.