The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-11-12
TUPPER'S DEATH.
A Few New Facts Brought Out
at the COrOner's Inquest.
The Accident Was Due to Re-
markable Carelessness by
Young Fuller.

VIM. Upper, the man who was acct
dentally shot Saturday, while hunt
ing on Jackson lake, near Amboy.
The inquest lasted we'll through the
night.
The following Jury was summoned:
a. =. Baker, w. f. Ludtke, j. III.
Cross, Hi Young, Thos, Randall and
Geo. Strong
Stewart Fuller, the boy who did the
shooting, was the first witness sworn.
He said that he and Clyde Stegall
were hunting ducks in a boat on
Saturday. They had shot at good
many ducks but had not killed any,
although they had been on the lake
for several hours. They had started
to row home along the west side of
the lake, and the waves were high.
When they passed Upper, the latter
stopped them and asked whether they
had some shells to spare, and offered
to give some ducks ia exchange. Then
the ducks began to fly, and he told
the boys to move back and they
would all get a shot at them. He
tired and was standing in his boat.
All loaded their guns, and Upper
said he had few shells left and
said he would like to get some more.
The boys said that they could spare
him some. Fuller laid his gun down,
the stock in the bottom and the bar
rell across the side of the boat, and
started to move toward Upper The
hammers were cooked, unknown to
Fuller, and the gun went off as it was
lying across the boat. Fuller had not
touched it. Upper shouted, ''oh,
boys, you have shot me-" He did not
fall, but stood with his hand to the
wound. Neither of the boys were
handling the gun. The boys saw
blood coming from the wound, and
went to shore for help. They went to
Mr.. Estwold's house, but he Was sick.
His hired man. ABBY, went out on the
lake, found Upper and came back
and sent the boys to AL Brush's. They
stopped man on the road and rode
to Brushs. Mr.. Christensen, Frank
Latin and Sheriff Bowen went to
search for Upper. The gun had
never before gone off without the
trigger being pulled. 1t belongs to
Mr.. Hocustein, and Fuller had used
it once before. The end of the gun
was about six feet from Upper when
it went off. Fuller is fourteen years
old and lives at Amboy.
Clyde Stegall was next sworn and
said that he is thirteen years old and
lives at Amboy. His story corrobor-
ated Fuller's in the main. His back
was turned toward the gun when it
went off. Just as they rowed up to
Upper, the latter told them to get
down as some ducks were coming.
Both boys picked up their guns, and
while sUegall was looking for the
ducks he heard Fuller's gun go off,
and Upper was shot. When ABBY
came back from the lake he said that
Upper was alive. Stegall thought
that the gun must have been ia Full
ler's hands when it went off. Upper
was between the boys and the ducks,
which were not very high. Upper
was ready to shoot at the ducks.
DR.. w. W. Holden testified that
the wound was on the right side,
about the seventh or eigth rib. The
direction of the wound was slightly
upward and forward. The wound
was not inconsistent with the position
Of the gun as described by Fuller.
The witness did not think that the
wound could have been self inflicted.
B. j. ABBY testified that che boys
came and told him of the shooting
and he took boat and went out and
saw Upper. The latter was lying
in the boat and did not say anything.
When he got nearly to shore, he heard
some one in Tupper's direction shout,
"Oh, boys" y
|. S. Root testified that he followed
Messrs. Latin and Bowen to the lake
and rowed Tupper's boat and body
ashore. Upper was dead when wit
ness got there.
f. V. Latin testified that ABBY
notified him of the shooting. With
Sheriff Bowen and Mr.. Root he found
the body. Upper was dead. His
gun was loaded in both barrels. This
was about 1;20 p. M.
Sheriff Bowen testified that
Tupper's body was still warm when
found, and he did not think that he
could have been dead longer than
few moments.
August Upper, of Lyra, testified
that the deceased was his son. Will
liam was 30 years old. Witness and
William arrived at the lake at 900 a.
M, and William went out into the
rushes to hunt ducks. William was
married and lived in Lyra, and left a
wife and three children.
The jury returned a verdict that
''the deceased came to his death from
l. 4