The San Francisco call., 1898-01-17
The Weapon Falls From 8 Piece of Lace Being Raised
 by It's Owner.
BULLET STRIKES A RIB.
There Is Much Excitement Over the Affair, but the Accident Story
 Is Believed.
Special Dispatch to The Call.
Call Office, Riggs House, Wa shin ptOn ID c Ian 1c

Washington. D. C., Jan. 16
 In her apartment in the Wellington Hotel last night, Mrs. Lucille Lane, youngest daughter of ex-SenatSr Joe Blackburn of Kentucky, shot herself According to the statement given out by the family the shooting was acci- dental. Both of Mrs. Lanes physi- clans refused to discuss the subject, even to the extent of saying whether or not the wound would prove fatal, but from the best that can be learned she will probably recover, although now suffering severely from shock A friend of the family nominated to give out a statement said about midnight on Saturday that Mrs. Lane was pre- pairing to retire. Her husband at the time was in the adjoining room look ing over the paper. Mrs. Lane opened a bureau drawer to get a handkerchief and picked up a handful of gloves and laces which had been tossed together in the drawer. Under this fluffy mass was a tiny lady's pistol, gift to Mrs. Lane from her father and a posses sion of which she was particularly fond. It caught in piece of lace as she raised her hand, and falling of its 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 it is Sl- possible to say.
 Lucille is the youngest daughter of the bullet struck a rib and ranged around beneath the left shoulder, mak- ing only a superficial wound. At the same time it is said Mrs. Lane is suf- fering so from the shock that the phy sicians have devoted all their energies to rallying her without attempting to IA +, injury. The most precise statement that either physician would make to- night was that Mrs. Lane would prob ably live until morning. At the re- quest 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 af- fair occurred was summoned from his room on New York avenue, remaining thereafter at Mrs. Lanes hotel
 Lucille was the youngest daughter of Senator Blackburn. She was married in 1895 to Thomas F. Lane, a prominent business man and politician of Sum init, N. J. At the time of the marriage MT. Lane was a chief of division in the Treasury Department. Subsequently he accepted a place with the Maxim Arms Company of New York as their agent in Washington. The position is reputed a good one, and the Lanes had apparently always an abundance 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. MT. and Mrs. Lane, according to those who saw them every day were unvaryingly aftectionate and attentive to each other, and she, while of slight phy- sique. was in excellent health.
 Mrs. Blackburn. who is not in the city. has been telegraphed for. Mrs. Lanes elder sister Corinne, is the wife of Lieutenant-Colo Hall now at Fort Worth. Tex.