Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-01-11


section fair; westerly winds.
A DISTRESSING ACCIDENT.-An old
pistol, an expiring young girl and 6
frantic family produced sad scene on
south Lee street between three and
four o'clock yesterday afternoon and
cast gloom Of sorrow upon the entire
neighborhood, and added another 20
the list OF fatal accidents which so Of
ten follow the careless handling of fire.
arms. The victim was bright young
girl named Clara Armor, thirteen
years old; her unintentional destroyer
Mr.. William Harvey, her brother-in-
law. The facts in the case are as fol
lows Mr.. Harvey, a tugboat engineer,
is married man, living at 403 south
Lee street. He is employed out of the
city during the week and spends his
Sundays at home with his family.
Last week his wife gave birth to an in
FAINT and Yesterday afternoon he was in
the room with her when Miss Clara,
sister of his wife, entered the house.
While she was in lower room MIR.
Harvey was in the act of taking some
thing from a bureau drawer when he
saw an old and almost forgotten pistol
which he had purchased for ten cents
about two years ago and which was
supposed TO be nloaded-that, is four
of the chambers which could be seen
were empty. Mr.. Harvey raised the
hammer from the other chamber and
found after he had cooked the weapon
that the hammer wouldn't go back into
position. He then undertook to re-
yolve the chambers which was difficult
from the fact that the weapon had
been so long out of Use. By this time
mis- little sister-in law bounded up the
stairs into the room, when Mr.. Harvey,
thoughtlessly reieaged his hold upon
the hammer (and he must have touch.
ed the trigger at the same time) and
che weapon was discharged. The child.
who was passing the mantel piece at Il Q
time, received the charge into her head,
it entering over her left eye. The ball
ploughed its way through her brain.
passing out of the back of her head and
buried itselfinto the wall. The uDfor-
tunate child fell unconscious to the
G1or. and ia less time than it takes 20
tell it other members of the family
who had called to see the mother and
the newly born infant, and who had
heard the report OF the pistol, entered
the room and the scene which followed
was heartrending, bringing tears to
many not members Of tho family who
entered after the sad news reached The
street. One soul had but recently en-
tered the room and another had just
made its exit. The blow to the invalid
mother and sister and others of the
family was sudden and severe, and al.
though the little one was beyond all
human aid and virtually dead, attempts
were made to procure physician, but
nearly an hour elapsed before one
reached the scene. OF course. when he
arrived he could do nothing but pro-
nounce the child dead. The sad affair
cast decided gloom over the southern
end of the city. Nearly every one
knew the ill-fated child and her father,
Mr. George Armour, as we'll as the
other members of the family, and ex-
pressions of sympathy for them in their
terrible silliction we're on all lips. Sub
seguently kind friends took up the life.
less body of the little one and removed
it to the house of the grief-stricken
parents, and everything calculated to
alleviate the sutferings of those TO
whom the dead one was near and dear
was resorted to. But how impotent
are all human methods TO guild ter
rible sorrow or comfort while the sable
mantle OF Death rests upon house
hold DR.. Purvis, the Coroner, subse-
duently made an examination iuto the
tragedy and concluded to hold an in-
quest this morning. AS may have been
supposed, the jury brought in verdict
that the child's death was purely the
result of an accident. The jury assemb-
led at Mr.. VIM. Demaine's undertak-
ing establishment and proceeded to the
house where the tragedy was enacted
and where the testimony of the invalid
sister was taken. The jury, OF which
Mr. Julius Dienelt was foreman, after
viewing the body, returned the follow
ing verdict "TheIdeceased Came to her
death by tho accidental discharge OF
pistol in the hands of VIM. Harvey:
who, in their opinion, is exonerated
from all blame" While sympathy
is expressed for the immediate family
in their afiliction. no little commissera-
ton is felt for Mr.. Harvey, whose SUI
ferings are poignant. He WAS but ali
unwilling actor in train of unfortu-
nate circumstances. and although the
part he played was far from intentional;
time only can dull The recollection OF
the terrible scene. What lesson for
all who, without proper cause, persist
in keeping loaded firearms in the house.
POIIcv CoJrRp-The following cases