The herald., 1896-01-06
Charles Taggart Accidentally
Shot by a Companion
HAD JUST CALLED TO HIM
When the Entire Charge Entered His
Face and Neck
The Deceased Was the Only Son Of Joe Tag,
gart, the Timing 1an-Narrow Escape
for q Second Boy

deplorable tragedy occurred yesterday
afternoon in the foothills about six miles
from the city. The only son of Joseph P.
Taggart, the mining man. was shot and al
most instantly killed by the accidental dis
charge of gun in the hands of Frank I.
Howenstine, jeweler, with whom he had
been out hunting.
1t was just 80 o'clock yesterday morn
ing when Charlie Taggart, accompanied by
r. Peck, another young man, and Howen-
stine, left his home at 322 North Hill street
to go for a days outing. Charlie was
armed with twenty-five calibre rifle, and
the others carried shotguns. They took
the Temple street line and headed over
toward the foothills in the vic nifty of Pros
pect park. Thy met with fair success,
and o'clock found them near Chinese
vegetable garden about mile or so west
of Vermont avenue. Here they stopped
and ate their lunch. remaining probably an
horr before resuming the hunt.
When they again started they went along
the hills, staying a little toward the bot
tom. clump of saplings and brush was
encountered and young Taggart plunged
in to try and jump rabbit. Honors had
not been even in the quantity of game
killed, and Howenstine natura ly wished to
have as many rabbits TO his credit as Peck,
so he struck off by himself, going up the
side of the hills. The boys got nothing,
and as they happened to be i'm a small
gully, descended toward the bottom and
after a short walk found themselves at the
opening of tunnel in the side of the hill
Through this ran pipe from which flowed
a tiny stream of water.
The tunnel had been built by Mr.. Grif-
Al a
The passage had been timbered with
boards, but has not been used for some
time past. To the top of the tunnel is
about 80 feet From this edge. the slope
of the hill then begins, and as the sage and
o her brush is very thick, a person on the
hillside above the place could not know of
the existence of the tunnel.
The water did not flow freely from the
pipe, but young Taggart took drink and
was kneeling by the side of his companion
when Peck remarked, II wonder where
howenstne is?"
Young Taggart Immediately raised up,
his head and shoulders being thus exposed
over the top of the tunnel, and called
"Howenstine.' The instant that the word
left his lips there came a sharp report and
the boy fell backward, turning partially,
striking on his left side on the ground.
HIS rifle had been resting against the
timber and it fell also. At first Peck
self with his own gun, and turning said:
whats the ma ter, Charlie, have you hurt
YOURSELF" The boy answered not a word,
and in few seconds the death rattle was
heard in his throat. AT this juncture How
enstine appeared, and when he saw the
dead child exclaimed: "Oh, my God. l have
killed him" howenstine soon hurried to
several adjoining houses and told the news
and then we II back and joired Peck to
wait by the side OF the body until someone
came.
Almost the entire charge of No. shot
had entered the boys face and neck. 1t
was a narrow escape for Peck, too, and but
by the merest chance was not double
tragedy. Peck had been kneeling by the
side of young raggart. his head being on a
level with the latter's stomach and Just
started to look up when the report of How
enstine's gun Was heard.
The latter had been thrty-tive feet from
the others and was carrying his gun with
the muzzle pointing downward in direct
line with the edge of the tunnel. He at
tempted TO draw his gun through the brush
and the heavy growth caught the trigger of
the right barrel causing 1t to snap on the
cartridge and discharge the load. There
was not the slightest po sibility of his hav-
ing been able to see the other boys.
j. Lewis and friend hi ched up a team
and drove to Los Angeles and informed the
sheriff's Office Of he affair. Coroner Camp
bell was also notified. His deputy and a
HERALD reporter Immediately drove to the
scene. The coroner and sheriff Burr ar
rived some while after. The officials ques-
toned the companions of the dead boy and
satisfied themselves that it had been an ac-
cIdent, so Mr.. Burr decided that it was not
necessary to make any arrests. The body
was removed to Kregeio IL Bresse's under
taking rooms,where an inquest will be held
this morning.
A relative broke the sad news to Mrs.
Taggart. She was completely overcome,
fainting away Her husband is absent at
his mines in Vanderbilt, and was notified
by telegraph. His nephew is in San Fran
cisco, and word was also sent TO him. The
child was about i years OF age, and was