Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-25
KILLED BY A FRIEND.
The Tragic Death of Private
Bennington, of the Fiji
teenth Regiment.
SHOT THROUGH HIS BODY.
A Fellow Soldiers Revolver Acci-
dentally Discharged.
DEATH THE RESULT IN ONE HOUR.
Pathetic Details of Camp Blacks First Fatal
Accident.
Death THE RESULT IN ONE HOUR.
Pathetic Details of Camp Blacks First Fatal
Accident.
A DULL DAY FOR HOMESTEAD STRIKERS


Regiment. was killed, his funeral was sol
emnized with all the pomp and ceremony o
military lite and the entire camp wa
plunged in grief
Just before noon Yesterday Private Fort
Smith, of Company K, was in his tent HI
was engaged in the task of cleaning and ad
iusting a Smith & Wesson revolver. Pri
vate William Brown was in the tent at the
time. The two troopers began to chaf eact
other about the relative merits of theil
weapons. Ford's revolver was a self-cock
ing weapon, and he acknowledged that he
really didn't understand the mechanism o.
the hair trigger. Brown attempted to make
clear the mechanical workings of the
weapon to Ford. The latter held the re-
volver in his left hand.
Thought H. Understood.
'I think understand" he said, as he
fingered the hammer of the pistol The
words had hardly left his lips when there
was sudden report, flash of flame and a
puff of smoke.
"Mv Godp" exclaimed Ford, sthe blamed
gun has gone off. I"
Both men gazed at small black-edged
jumped to their feet and rushed to the door
of the tent. They looked out and saw
Private Bennipghoff stagger out of the ad-
joining tent His face was CHASTITY white
and his hand was pressed to his left side.
For moment he stood tottering in the
roadway and then with an awful groan he
fell face downward in the yellow dust.
In a moment a dozen men had gathered
around the PROSTATE trooper. Blood trickled
from hole in his left side and stained his
blue coat "Pm hurt" he muttered. 'The
bullet went into nv side and it's all up with
me. Take me into the shade and leave me
alone"
Cared for Him Tenderly.
Tenderlv and gently they lifted him ont
of the dust and carried him into the hos
pital tent nearby. Surgeon Major Heilman
and Surgeons Martin and Finnerty awaited
his coming. The wounded man was laid on
a cot and the trio of surgeons began their
examination. In 10 minutes Major He'll
man turned to the bvstanders and whis-
pered: ''The wound is fatal; the man cam t
possibly last an hour"
The man on the cot read the verdict in
the surgeons face. Turning his face toward
Colonel Kreps, who was standing in the
doorway, he said: 81 know it's all up with
joining the Guard. 1t was against her
wishes that Joined the boys. Fred Smith
didn't mean to shoot me. He Is my best
friend and 1 want you all to tell him that
exonerate him. Goodby all; my side hurts
so / can't talk.
And then with groan he buried his head
in the pillow. Forty minutes later he was
dead. The surgeons covered the pulseless
body with sheet and then, accompanied by
Colonel Kreps and the other officers, they
left the tent
His Parents Notified
General Wiley was Immediately notified
By his orders telegram was sent to Fred
erick Bennington, of Greenville, Mercer
county, the father of the dead private
Then the General ordered an investigation.
He cleaned from the testimony of Ford
Smith, William Brown and other members
of Company X, that Benninghof's death
was accidental.
The dead man and the man who had fred
the fatal shot were the best of friends They
hailed from the same town, were members
of the same company, and were, in tact,
chums.
When the bullet left Smiths revolver it
passed through the sides of the tent and
lodged in Benninghof's LETT side, just
below the heart. Benninghof was
lying on the floor of the tent at the time.
When he felt the sting of the bullet he
struggled to his feet and staggered out of
the tent The surgeons found that the bull
let had passed through the left lung and
kidney and lodged in the muscle Of the
back. When he learned that Benninghoff
was dead Private Ford Smith tainted. When
he recovered he swore that he would kill
himself His comrades watched him closely
during the afternoon and did their best to
pacify him. He was not arrested.
The Last Sad Rites,
An hour after Benningboff's death, the
officers of the Fifteenth Regiment began to
make preparations for the funeral. In a
few hours all was ready. The body had
been placed in cloth-covered coffin by q
Homestead undertaken and carried to regi-
mental headquarters; the colors of the regi-
ment had been draped in somber black, and
Chaplain Kenn. Hayes had been notified.
At in the evening the regiment was
drawn up on the patch of green before the
headquarters. The band played a dirge
and as the last solemn strains lost them
selves in the shadows of the gathering even
tide General Wiley and his staff together
with the commissioned officers of the Fif-
teenth and Sixteenth regiments filed out of
Colonel Krepps' tent and formed a semi
circular line around the flagstaff. Then
Chaplain Hayes stepped to the front and
as he raised his hand the officers bowed
their heads A prayer was offered and after
that another dirge was played. Next the
chaplain spoke. 1t was no stereotyped
speech that the reverend gentleman de-
livered.
Tribute to the Dead.
In simple language and with trembling
voice he spoke few simple words to the
little army before him. He pointed
out the danger, spiritual and ply
sical, of soldiers life and
paid glowing tribute to the dead He
closed his address by telling in few words
the details of the accident and exonerated
Smith.
When the chaplain had done the regi-
ment was dismissed. Later in the evening
dispatch from Benninghofi's father was
received by General Wiley 1t requested
that the body be forwarded to Greenville
at once. This morning a detail consisting
of two men from each company OF the Fif-
teenth Regiment will accompany Benning-
hoff's body to Greenville and deliver it to
the family.
Aside from the tragic episode yesterday
proved dull and colorless day to Home
stead and her people. The Advisory Board
held a meeting in the evening, but did
nothing. Acting Chairman Tom Crawford
announced that the board would have an.
other statement to make public on Friday.