The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-15
A LAD KILLS HIS SISTER
CECIL robson WAS ONE WHO
"DIDN'T KNOW 1T WAS LOADED"
Pistol Ball Sent Through Matte RObi-
sons Brain-Sad Affair ON
Jefferson Avenue.


Cecil Robson, fourteen years old, shot
and instantly killed his seventeen-year-o old
sister, Matte Robson, at 6 o'clock last
evening, at the home, GA Jefferson avenue
The shooting was purely accidental
1t was the old story Of "didnt-know-it-
was-loaded," with variations. The Robson
family consisted of Mrs. Elvira c. Robson,
the widow of Andrew Robson, and four
children, Peter, Matte, Cecil and John.
There is also married daughter Mrs. Car
RE Robinson, wife of James Robinson, a
c., H. & D. brakeman Peter Robson is
employed as the engineer and night attend
ant at water station at the intersection
of the Belt road with English avenue Ce-
Gil. his young brother, stays with him at
night for company. and is paid a small sum
each month for it,
Yesterday afternoon Cecil went out for
awhile, and returned about Sis o'clock to
change his clothes, get his supper and go
to work. He had changed his clothes and
eaten his supper, and was about ready to
start, when his mother came into the sit
ting room, where he and Matte were, and
said:
Pete forgot to take his pistol with him.
Matte, you go upstairs and get it and let
Cecil take it to him."
Peter had gone to his work a few minutes
before Cecil came home. Between the din
ing room and sitting room of the coy lit
tie cottage occupied by the Robisons is a
double door, draped with chenille Cecil
was in the dining room when Matte came
downstairs with the pistol, and, as she
IaI
tween the two rooms and took the revolver
out of her hand. He pointed it toward her
as he received it and pulled the trigger.
The girl fell in the doorway with bullet
in her brain.
The accident was the result of the fact
that Peter Robson had recently purchased
new revolver and had given his old one to
Cecil. He works in a lonely place, and is
likely at any time to have trouble with
toll A few days ago he discovered that
his old one was worthless and he purchased
a new one, and gave the old one to his
brother. The cartridges were taken out
first, however, and during the time that Ce-
ell had it there were never any in it. The
the place where they worked To him 1t
was toy, for it was not loaded, and could
not have been discharged had it been loaded.
When his sister handed the pistol to him
the boy thought it was his own, and as he
took it in his hand, he pressed the trigger
He admitted afterward that he had flour
lSneQ IL III MS sister lace, pressing the
trigger at the same time, but he firmly COM
WINGED Deputy Coroner DoddS and the po-
lice that he believed he had the unloaded
pistol in his hands
and Detectives Stout and Asch, Patrolmen
STREET. and Lancaster, the deputy coroner
and the police superintendent made a thor
ough investigation Of the case. All the
members of the family were questioned
and the boy was put through severe ex-
animation at the police station. He was
he
investigation, and was then released.
. The two pistols were much alike. Both
were of the bulldog. pattern and of the
same calibre and the old one was still
bright with its nickel plating. The light
in the draped doorway was very dim, and
it is easy to see how the boy made the mis-
The shooting occurred at just five min
utes after 6 o'clock. Mrs. Robinson had
reached the house shortly before. Her hus-
band went out on the road at 8 O'Clock, and
left home at $3.50 to go TO his train. Mrs.
Robinson came over to her mothers and
was met on the way by Mrs Robson and
gether. The family had eaten supper early,
and Peter had gone to work. Cecil was at
supper when Mrs. Robson and her children
came in. Matte was in the sitting room.
There were no actual witnesses to the
shooting. 1t seems that Mrs. Robinson had
gone into side bedroom to put her baby
to sleep, and Mrs. Robson and the little
boy had gone into the front room. They
heard no words, the first intimation of the
affair coming to them when they heard the
shot They ran into the sitting room and
found Matte lying on her side in heap
in the doorway.
Cecil was terribly frightened and excited
over what had occurred.
"It was the loaded gun. 1t was the loaded
gum" he shrieked several times, and then
ran out to find a doctor A neighbor con-
sented to go on his wheel, and the boy re-
turned home.
DR.. Dodds made an examination of the
wound and found the bullet lodged in the
base of the brain. 1t entered the left tenn
pie and took a circuitous route going al
must have ceased beating instantly.