The Portland daily press., 1895-07-08
CAUSED THE INSTANT DEATH OF
A FELLOW TOWNSMAN.
Gloom Cast Over Limington Villages
Yard-Coroner's Jury Investigates and
County Attorney Emmons Summoned
The Story as Told by One of the Men
With the Rifle and One Who Saw
Weston Fall.
ESPECIAL TO THE pREss.l

South Limington, July =" Man shot
coroner.
This message, dated Steep Falls and
sent out this forenoon by Stephen W.
Hobs IN, chairman of the Limington board
of selectmen, brought County Attorney
Willis T. Emmons and Deputy Sheriff
James II. Miles in haste from Saco, this
afternoon. The wording of the message
gave the county attorney the impression
that premeditated murder had been
committed, but he was happily disap-
pointed on his arrival here to learn that
the shooting was acc idental.
&William Weston, 30 years OF age, a
| former fireman on the Lake Shore rail
road. but who four years ago married a
daughter of Leonard P. Thompson of
Limington, and has since worked on the
Thompson farm, was fatally shot while
rambling through a thickly wooded
swamp just west of the Noah Randall
| homestead at South Limington.
The Randall farm is one of the land
marks in this section. 1t is situated on
the southerly slope of high hill, over
looking the whole village. Mr.. Randall
is prominent citizen and a director of
the Limerick National Bank. Also,
| Simeon Randall, 35 years of age, has a
family, and lives on the old home place.
The younger Randall ownes a small
rifle, of 32-calibre, which he has
at target placed on the fence on the op-
posite side of a sparsely Settled road.
The range measures 100 yards, and
at that distance the ball from Randall S
rifle spent its force after passing through
the target.
But yesterday afternoon new rifle was
given trial on the range. George Hol-
land came over from Moderation to call
on thes Randalls, and with him brought
his fine Winchester repeating rifle,
45-calibre. He suggested that Simeon
Randall should try it, and his suggestion
was followed. For a target they set up
q broken tobacco box, made of hard
wood, an inch in thickness.
"We never dreamed" said Randall to
a PRESS reporter today, that the bull
let's could do any harm after passing
through that box We fred in the direc-
| tion of the swamp, which is seldom ira
versed and is so full of growth it seemed
hardly possible that a bullet could pen
citrate it any distance.
Il fired one shot, and two were fired by
Joseph A. Joy, neighbor, about 4G years
of age, who happened to be over here.
"Shortly after we ceased firing, John
Edgecomb came running up through the
swamp and said
A MAN WAS SHOT
down there I bounded over the fence
and reached the foot of the hill as fast
as my legs would carry me- There
found William Weston dead. Eugene
Black was with him. There was bad
wound in Ethe left breast We sent for
Dr. Moulton of Limington and Under
taker Frank Redlon of West Buxton. The
body was taken to Leonard Lord S"
Both Mr.. Randall and Mr.. Joy, who
was afterward interviewed, gave express
sion to their deep regret at the unfortu-
nate occurrence. They said they did not
feel morally to blame; the rifle range
had been used 80 years, and no harm ever
before coming from it.6Theysspoke highly
of young Weston as citizen and friend.
The dispatch sent to County Emomns
being SO long delayed, and he not put
ting in an appearance at noon, Coroner
| CharlesyHobson of West Buxton decided
to proceed with the inquest. Constable
William H Sawyer of Limington an
nounced as Jurors Stephen W. Hobson, J.
F. Brackett Jesse g. Harmon, e. A.
Thompson, Stepen L. burlington and
Leonard j. Strout
I A view was taken Of the remains, then
of the Randall premises and swamp
where the shooting occurred The Jurors
next rode back to the village and the
inquest was begun.
Simeon Randall and Joseph A. Joy,
who did the shooting, gave testimony
in substance the same as Randall's story,
here published.
DR.. John +. Moulton told of the autop
sy, which revealed that the bullet
WENT NEARLY THROUGH
the victims body. 1t entered near the
right breast, breaking the fourth rib
went through the right lung, cleal
through the heart, through the lower
lobe of the left lung and struck the innel
side of the chest with sufficient force
to crack rib. There was no evidence
OF external bleeding
The testimony of John Edgecomb ant
Eugene Black was of Importance, az
they were with Weston when the tata
wound was received Edgecomb's testl
mony was substantially as follows:
Mr. Weston, Eugene Black and hal
been fishing at Foss pond and had starteet
or Royd's pom. We W ere crossing th'