Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-10-24
A Terrible Accident.
YOUNG PEYTON GRAHAM Is KILL
ED BY THE ACCIDENTAL DIS
CHARGE OF A GUN.
His Head Was Partly Blown OFF and
He Died Almost Instantly-A
Terrible Shock to His
Relatives.

AS IL result Oh Iub dSC1AcHtdl ui
charge of a shotgun, Peyton s. Grs
ham, son of Mrs. Robert Graham, W;
killed at his mothers home c
South Jefferson street. The sad acc
dent occurred about II O'Clock Monda
morning. Peyton and two compar
ions were in the back yard cleanin
out two shotguns and making prepal
atoms for a squirrel hunt this after
noon. One of the guns was n shol
single barrelled shotgun which ha
been purchased yesterday, and it We
from this one that the load was fire
which sent the soul Of the dead DO
to his Maker.
When seen by a LEDGER reporter
one of the boys who was with Peyto
at the time of the accident, told tn
following story of the same:
eve had just finished cleaning tn
short barrelled gun, which we hat
gotten yesterday, and a loaded shel
had been put in it to see how the PIX
tractor worked. Then the gun wa
laid down and the shell was supposed
to have been taken out. Peyton wal
lying fiat on the ground, near the
bench where we were working, WIFI
his head resting on his elbows. One
of the boys asked if he could try the
trigger, but was todd not to. He die
not hear, however, and picking upthe
gun he started to cock it, but the
trigger slipped and the shell went on
killing poor Peyton."
The load entered the face on the
right side near the nose, and passed
through the upper portion OF the LETT
side, tearing away the skull and ieaV-
ing the brains oozing out. According
to the statement of an eye witness
Peyton did not utter a sound, but
shaking his head rolled over on the
ground. One of the boys rushed
frantically into the house and inform
ed the boys sisters of what had hap
pened. DR.. Basket was Immediately
summoned but the boy was beyond
mortal aid. About ten minutes after
the shot had been fired he breathed
his last. He was perfectly uncon-
scious and probably never knew what
had happened.
Mrs. Graham was at her farm, about
two and one-half miles out in the
country, when the terrible news was
borne to her. She was nearly crazed
with grief and could hardly be made
TO believe that her boy was dead.
The oldest brother, John Graham, is
near Auxvasse on a fishing expedi-
ton, and he was Immediately tele-
graphed for, as was also E. ID. Ora
ham, who is in st. Louis. No inquest
was held, as it was plainly an acci-
dent.
Peyton Shumate Graham was
the youngest son of Mrs. Robert
Graham, whose husband met his death
ABOUT five years ago in the railroad
yards at Bloomington, ILL.,, and was 13
years old on the Goth day oflast April.
He was a pupil in room 8 of the Pub
lie school and was a bright boy.
In their terrible sorrow the mother
and relatives of the boy have the most
sincere sympathy of the entire COM
nunity and the LEDGER extends con-
dolence to the grief stricken family.
All that was mortal of Peyton s.
Graham, the fourteen year old Sol OF
Mrs. Robert Graham was laid to rest
Tuesday and the soul that Monday
was the life and joy Of a happy
home is to-day with Him in whose
power is the gift of life and the taking
away of the same.
The funeral services, conducted by
Rev. N. r. Pittman, assisted by Revs.
Johnson and Shouse, were held at the
residence ON South Jefferson
street Tuesday afternoon. The fol-
friends of the dead boy acted
pail bearers: Hardin Rixey, Russell
Owen Luckie, Joe Potts,
Babe Mckinley and Paul Harrison.
The residence was crowded with the
many friends and relatives of the de-
leased and the services were most
Impressive.
At the time of the fatal accident
Graham was IA years 4 months
Ind q days old. He was a bright boy
md was loved by all his companions.
He was the youngest child Of Mrs.
iraham and for this reason his loss is
sad, The one great consola-
ion which remains to the grief
stricken mother and relatives is that
le did not suffer at all, and just as his
eyes were closed to the happy scenes
Of his boyhood they were opened to
he brighter realms of Paradise.