The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-01-31
OFFICER SHULTS DEATH.
THE FATAL BULLET STILL IN
HIS BODY.


Officer Charles w. Shults breathed
his last at the Delaware Hospital about
8 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The
shooting by unknown assa5sins,
and the events connected with 1t are
too well-known to require repetition.
Up to noon yesterday slight hopes
were entertained OF his recovery, but
a radical change for the worse set in,
and IL was soon evident that he was
moned, and at the time OF his death
there were present. besides his wife
and five smal children, a brother OF
the deceased, the Rev. I. Gardner Lit
tell and the Rev. Father Bradford.
@rhe immediate cause OF death was
,peritonitis. The fatal bullet was still
In his body, and Dr. Draper in speak
ing OF it last evening said;
.grhe bullet struck the loft side and
travelled downward TO the right. 1t
was detected FROM its course toward
the right side OF the pclvis or hip. We
hoped that tho ball had not entered
the abdominal regions, but from later
Developments the bullet may have
penetrated the abdominal regions and
injured the tissue OF that locality.
The fact that peritonitis set in and in
iiammation spread so rapidly the in
ference would naturally be thBt the
abdominal regions hQd beel injured,
Our post-mortem Examination TO-
morrow will disclose the exact nature
of the inlliction Of the wound"
When asked why an attempt had moi
been made To remoye the ball from the
injured man DR.. Draper said;
AFTER DR.. Shortlidgc and myself had
made q careful examination OF the
wound we deemed IL advisable not to
probe for the ball while the patient
was in his present ntcondition. IL would
only have had u tendency to agitatG
the patient, and besides might have re.
suited In death sooner. When bullet
has entered mans body the harm has
practically been done. The ball may
remain for time without immediate
injury TO the patient. Soldiers. have
carried bullets for years, and yet no
immediate harm has been experienced
with reference to the ball taking a
downward course the case Is similar
when bullet Is fired into the water.
1t will not 20 straight downward, but
striking the water glanccs ut an angle
OF several degrees. When the ball
comes In contact with solid body oi
flesh, 1t likewise glances downward
into mans body. Iii trucing tho
course OF the ball in this case 1t was a
difficult task, as the bullet passed
around the arch OF the stomach, it Ii
supposed, and in following its course
1t would have been probing around q
corner
The remains were taken in charge
by Undertaken Fox and removed last
evening to the late residence OF the de.
ceased, at No. IL West Twentieth
street lie was conscious almost uT
TO the last, but during the afternoon
vomited freely, lie was fully aware
that bis epd was neaf, and while he
did not fear death, seemed greatly
concerned In reference to his wife and
children.
The deceased was native OF Ken
nett Square, Pa, and was born In 1854
He was a painter by trade, and about
II years ago removed to this city with
his wife. He was appointed OH the
police force by Mayor Harrington i'm.
mediately after his election in June,
1855, and hns proved a faithful and
efficient officer
The funeral will take place on Mon
day morning from st. Patriek's II. G.
Church, and will be attended by the
entire police force and n delegation
from Washington Conclave, No. 3
Heptasophs, or s. W. NJ, OF which hC
was member.
The parents of the deceased, who re
side at Kennett Square, were notified
at once of his death and came to this
city last evening,
The membee5 of tho police force arc
makipy I'm effort TO raise fund FOL
tho widow and children, and their ef
Forts should meet with a generous re
sponse,