Omaha daily bee., 1898-01-17
SURROUNDED BY MYSTERY
Mrs. Lane Receives Bullet Wound in the
Left Breast.
IS DAUGHTER OF EX-SENATOR BLACKBURN
Friends OF the Family Say the Shoot
Ing is the Result of nm Accident,
and other Details Cannot
lie Learned.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16.-Mrs. Lucille
Lane. youngest daughter of ex-senator Joe
Blackburn Of Kentucky, shot herself in her
apartments at the Wellington hotel last
night. According to the statement given
out by the family the shooting was acct
dental. Both of Mrs. Lanes physicians re-
fused to discuss the subject even to the ex-
tent of saying whether or not the wound
would prove fatal, but from the best that can
be learned she will probably recover, al
though now suffering severely from the
shock
friend of the family nominated to give
out statement Of the occurrence said that
about midnight Saturday Mrs. Lane was
preparing TO retire. Her husband at the time
was In the adjoining room looking over the
paper. Mrs. Lane opened bureau drawer
to get handkerchief, and picked up hand
full of gloves and laces which had been tossed
together In the drawer. Under this fluffy
mass was a tiny womans pistol, q gift to
Mrs. Lane from her father and a possession
of which she was particularly foad 1t
caught in a piece of lace as she raised her
hand, and falling Of it's own weight, struck
the hammer on the edge of the open drawer.
The pistol exploded and the ball penetrated
her left breast. What became of 1t is i'm
possible to say. According to the statement
given out, IL STRUCK IT'D ana ranged around
the left shoulder, making only a superficial
wound. At the same time it is said that
Mrs Lane is suffering so from the shock
that the physicians have devoted all their
energies to rallying her without attempting
to definitely ascertain the extent OF the in
jury. The moet precise statement that either
physician would make tonight was that Mrs.
Lane would probably live till morning At
the request of the family, the block in which
the hotel is situated has been roped off.
Senator Blackburn is deeply affected by
the occurrence. He does not live with his
daughter and when the affair occurred was
summoned from his room on New York ave-
nue. remaining thereafter at Mrs. Lanes
| hotel.
Lucille was the youngest of Sen
ator Blackburns two daughters. She was
married in 1895 to Thomas f. Lane, promi-
nent business man and politician of Sum
! mitt, N. j. At the time of the marriage
Mr.. Lane was chief of division in the
treasury department. Subsequently he ac-
cepted a place with Maxim Arms company
of New York as it's agent in Washington.
The position is reputed as a good one and
the Lanes had apparently always an abun-
dance Of money, which they spent freely,
living at a fashionable hotel and seeming
to lack none of the good things of life. Their
little girl, something over a year old, was
one of the favorites about the house with
all who knew her and the particular pride
OF her mother Mr.. and Mrs. Lane, ac-
cording to those who saw them every day,
were unvaryingly affectionate and attentive
to each other, and she, while of slight ply
sique, was in excellent health.
Mrs Blackburn, who is not in the city,
has been telegraphed for. Mrs. Lanes elder
sister, Cornne, is the wife of Lieutenant
Colonel Hall, now at Forth Worth, Tex.