The herald., 1898-01-17
Carries a Ball Big Enough
to Cause Death
JOE BLAcKBURN's DAUGHTER
SERIOUSLY, PERHAPS FATALLY
INJURED
Members Of the Family Are Reticent,
But the Shooting Is Said to Have
Been Accidental

Associated Press Special Wire
WASHINGTON, JAM 16.-In hel
apartment in the Wellington hotel las
night Mrs. Lucille Lane, younges
daughter of ex-senator Joe Blackburn
of Kentucky, shot herself According
to the statement given out by the fam
lily the shooting was accidental. Botf
of Mrs. Lanes physicians refuse to dis
cuss the subject, even to the extent OF
saying whether or not the wound would
prove fatal but from the very best that
can be learned she will probably re-
cover, although now suffering severely
from the shock.
| A friend of the family when asked to
give out a statement said that about
Midnight on Saturday Mrs. Lane was
preparing to retire. Her husband at
the time was in the adjoining room look
ing over the paper. Mrs. Lane opened
bureau drawer to get a handkerchief
and picked up handful of gloves and
laces which had been tossed together in
the drawer. Under this fluffy mass
there was a tiny lady's pistol, gift
to Mrs. Lane from her father and pos
session of which she was particularly
fond. 1t caught in a 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 the
left breast. What became of it, it is i'm
possible to say. According to the state
ment given out it struck rib and
laff Chnnl-
der, making only a superficial wound.
At the same time it is said Mrs. Lane
is suffering so from the shock that the
physicians have devoted all their en-
ergies to rallying her without attempt
ing to definitely ascertain the extent of
the injury.
The most precise statement that
either physician would make tonight
was that Mrs. Lane would probably live
until 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 avenue, remaining there
after at Mrs. Lanes hotel.
Lucille is the youngest daughter of
Senator Blackburn. She was married
in 1895 to Thomas F. Lane, prominent
business man and politician of Summit,
N. ]. At the time of the marriage Mr..
Lane was a chief of division in the
treasury department. Subsequently he
accepted place with the Maxim Arms
company of New York as 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 fashion
able 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 physique, 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
Lieut.. c. L. Hall, now at Fort Worth,
Tex.