The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-07-14
KILLED IN THE
SHAM BATTLE
Jack Banks Shot Through
the Head.
DIED ALMOST INSTANTLY
A TARGET CARTRIDGES BALL
FOUND IN HIS BRAIN.
BUT NO BODY CAN EXPLAIN IT
The Cartridges Were All Carefully Examined
Several Times by the Officers Of the
Guards Before the
Rafflo

Guards Before the
Battle.
At a sham battle OF the Governors
2uard at Pullen Park last night George
N. Banks, more popularly known as Jack
Banks, was killed.
A bullet from the gun Of one OF the
men in the opposing battalion struck him
almost in the middle Of the forehead, just
at the root Of the hair and caused death
almost instantly. The ball ranged down
ward and passed through the brain,
broke this skull at the back part fthe
lead and there lodged.
The accident occurred at 9:45 o'clock.
The Guard, divided into two platoons,
was on the southern side OF the Park,
near the pavilion, firing at one another.
The platoon Of which Banks was mem
her. was nearest the pavilion, in COM
mand of First Lieutenant Beavers. They
had Just dropped upon their knees to fire
when Banks fell-dead.
He was near the centre Of the platoon.
The centre man was Moore Parker; to
his left was Banks. and on Banks left
was Robert Little. 1t was against the
latter that he dead man fell.
Mr.. Little says he distinctly heard the
whizz of the bullet and that the noise OF
II and the concussion almost deafened
him. Immediately he realized what had
happened, Banks toppled over and he
and Lawrence Warren caught him as he
fell. Hold me. Lawrence" were the
last words he ever spoke.
The news spread like wild-fre. The
firing had already ceased: doctor was
called for. and DIR. r. J. Price, of Will
mington, who happened to be among the
500 spectators present, stepped forward
and rendered most valuable assistance
until, sometime after reaching the arm
ory, the dead man was turned over to
the Gurdas' surgeon, DIR. Rogers.
Banks lived but a few minutes after
being shot and was never conscious. he
was placed upon two guns, taken to a
street car and carried to the armory in
the Briggs building, on Fayetteville
street. There the blood was washed from
his face and his wound examined.
his face and his wound examined and the
Bullet cut at the back part of the head.
Immediately after this the body was
dressed and taken home. 1t was far after
midnight before it left the armory. The
funeral Will be held today.
It is not known who is responsible for
the deed-there is not even a suspicion,
though, that anyone did it purpOsely,
as the dead man was very popular with
his comrades and generally well liked by
the people Of the city who knew him.
The cartridges were all examined thor
oughly before being given out to the
men, and then examined again by those
who received them. They were carefully
examined and locked up Sunday by
Can't. Crawford, and then they were
again examined last night, before being
given out, by the first sergeant and the
first and second lieutenants.
There have been no loaded shells given
out to the members of the company in
about two years. They were then used
for target practice in the armory. All the
ammunition is kept locked up, with Yale
locks. In addition to this the loaded
shells are nailed up in boxes.
Again, loaded shell weighs about
three times as much as blank one, and
it seems that ordinarily one could
easily have detected it in tax
ing it from his belt and putting 1T in
his gun, even had it escaped the eye of
the officers through whose hands 1t had
already gone.
But still the fact remains that load
ed cartridge-a target cartridge-was fir-
ed and that it killed Private Banks. That
1t was an accident in every particular,
no one seems for moment to doubt
though it has not yet been explained how
the cartridge managed to pass through
20 many hands undetected. 1t all seems
TO be one Of those inexplainable acci-
dents that will sometimes happen. II
could not have been otherwise. There
was not more popular man in the com
many than was Jack Banks. He was a
good soldier and general favorite
Twice has he won the medal for being
the best drilled man in the company
Then had any one Of the opposing side
desired to do him an injury they could
hardly have distinguished him in the
lim moonlight or have hit him with such
deadly aim at the distance (4O paces)
they were apart.
Banks is the son Of Mrs. Welcher
the proprietor Of the Union House, a
boarding house near the Union depot
His mother and sister are in Norfolk