St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-27
KILLED INSTANTLY.
James MeCrossen Jr. Is Acct
dentaily Shot While Duck
Hunting
AT SPRING LAKE YESTERDAY
Left His Friend Griswold and
Went Down in a
Boat.
AT SPRING LAKE YESTERDAY
THE GUN WAS DISCHARGED L
While Pushing the Boat Off,
His Young Wife Shocked
at the News.

man of thirty-fiye, living at 674
Holly avenue, was killed early yes
terday afternoon by the accidental
discharge of his gun while hunting
at Spring lake, on Grey Cloud island.
The contents of his fowling piece en-
tered Mr.. McCrossen's body just
above the navel, causing instant
death.
Information of the sad affair was
received by the GLOBE by tele-
phone early in the evening, but was
not authenticated until nearly mid
night. AT that time G.. E. GrisWold,
of the Pioneer Fuel company, who
had accompanied Mr.. McCrossen,
arrived at Dampier's undertaking
rooms on Wabasha street and ar
ranged for the reception of the body
of his friend.
The remains of the unfortunate
sportsman were not received until
after midnight, being conveyed
here from st. Paul Park by wagon
Having completed arrangements,
Mr.. Griswold hurried to the resi-
dence of his friend, obliged to per-
form the sad duty of notifying Mrs.
McCrossen of her husbands unfor-
tunate death.
AT 10 o'clock, when a GLOBE re-
porter called at the handsome home
OF the McCrossens, it was ablaze
with light. Both Mrs. McCrossen
and her sister, a young lady, were
impatiently waiting in happy an
ticipation of the husbands return.
Here an inquiry concerning Mr.. Nc
Crossen ELECTED the information that
he had left Monday evening for
Spring lake on a hunting expedi-
t1on. Mr.. Griswold had accompanied
MIN, and their return was then mo-
mentarily expected by both ladies.
AT that moment neither had the
least intimation of the dreadful
news which was so soon to pros
trate them.
The family of Edwin Corning,
coal dealer at 341 Robert street. for
whom McCrossen had long been
head bookkeeper, were
DREADFULLY SHOCKED
by the intelligence of his death. At
first they were skeptical and be-
neVed the information inaccurate.
Il saw Mr.. McCrossen late Mon
day evening" said Gardner Corning.
He then said he was going out of
the city, but did not inform me that
he was going hunting. He asked me
If l would reach the office early
Tuesday morning and unlock the
SAFE for him, as he probably would
not arrive much before 10 o'clock.
L did so, but Mr.. McCrossen was
absent from the office the entire
day My father was much surprised
at his absence, inasmuch as Mr.. Nc
Crossen knew my father was OBJ
liged to start for New York this
evening. Mr.. McCrossen was well
liked by my father and was an ex-
cellent bookkeeper"
Mrs. Edward Corning was griev-
ously shocked by the death of MIR.
McCrossen. Her first impulse was
sympathy for the stricken wife, who
then was in blissful ignorance of
the tragedy.
HOW IT HAPPENED.
McCrossen and Mr.. Griswold were
shooting ducks from blind placed
on a wing dam on the Dakota
county side of the Mississippi. Sew
eral ducks had fallen out of reach
and were floating down stream.
Then Mr.. McCrossen started up the
shore'to get a boat that was on the
ice at the wing dam above the one
on which the blind was located. Mr..
Griswold remained to watch the de-
coys. After a while he heard a shot.
but could not see anything, and sup
posed his friend had taken shelter
behind the dam. Half an hour later
he noticed two men where he had
last seen McCrossen. They shouted
to him, and he supposed they were
directing his attention to a duck
that was coming toward him. Rut
one of the men finally ran down and
told Griswold his partner was shot.
Scarcely believing the report, he
went to the spot, and found McCros-
sen lying fiat on his back, arms out
stretched and legs crossed.
The dead hunter had removed his
shooting jacket and placed it in the
forward part Of the boat Then he
had evidently stepped out onto the
Ice again to shove the boat off into
the water. The gun was lying in
the boat with the barrels resting on
the rear seat. Evidently in pushing
the boat the piece, double-barreled
one, had been Jared or moved in
some way so that one barrel was
discharge. The load of powder and
shot struck the STOPPING man lust
above the navel, in the center of the
pooy, at close range. He received the
full charge, and must have died in
stantly. The wound was compara-
lively small one, indicating that the
muzzle of the gun was very close to
him when discharged.
NOTIFYING MRS. MCRoSsEN.
Griswold had the body convened to
the Washington county shore and Sc
cured the assistance of H. NJ. Tuelle.
an. intimate friend of the dead man.
They ordered the body conveyed to
st. Paul, and came on ahead to break
the news to the family. This delicate
task Mr.. Griswold took upon himself.
and he discharged it as tenderly as
possible Fortunately, as stated, Mrs.