The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-11
AN ACCIDENTAL KILLING
Albert e. Haskell Shot by j. G.
Whitehead.
LIVED BUT A SHORT TIME
Carelessness In Cleaning a Gun Was the
Cause OF the Sad AFFAIR = The
Dying Man Exonerased White
head OF All Blame.
Special Dispatch to the STANDARD.

Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Helena Dec. l0-The coroner re-
turned tonight from Little sheep
creek. 81 miles northwest OF here.
where he held an inquest into the kill
ing of Albert r. Haskell. who was acci-
dentally shot yesterday by J. c. White
head. The evidence adduced at the
inquest showed quite conclusively that
the shooting was another of those de-
plorable affairs that result from care
lessness in handling firearms. White
head is but a boy OF Is and was a warm
friend OF the deceased. He told such
a well connected story OF the occur
renee and so plainlv indicated that his
words were founded on truth and sin
certify that the coroner's jury had no
difficulty in arriving at verdict ex-
onerating him.
He and a man by the name Of Tom
Finn, who was called in after the
shooting. were the chief witnesses.
From the evidence IL appears that
young Whitehead. who lives not far
from the scene OF the killing, went to
Haskelrs cabin yesterday morning. in
tending to help the latter haul some
wood from the mountains In the after
quite numerous in that locality. they
proposed to take a 30-30 rifle along and
try TO kill some OF them. While Has
kell was preparing dinner Whitehead
sat upon the bed few feet away and
cleaned the rifle. IL is a hammerless
weapon. rather difficult to load. As
the boy finished cleaning II he inserted
cartridge and was about to lay the
weapon aside, when II went off while
pointed towards Haskell.
The ball struck the unfortunate man
I'm the back. just to the right of the
spine. took an upward course. coming
out below the left nipple and passing
through the window Of the cabin. Hor-
rlfied at what he had done. the boy as
sisted the wounded man TO the bed.
Haskell realizing he was mortally
| wounded. told the boy TO hurry to VIII
| liam Johns place. six miles away, AMI
telephone TO Marysville for Dr. Ian
| strum.
"It won't do any good. as I'll probably
die before you return" stoically rS-
! marked the wounded man, at the same
time assuring the frightened boy tina,
| he exonerated him Of all blame.
| While going to Johns. the boy came
| across Tom Finn. He told him what
| had happened and asked him 10 go "a
| the cabin and remain with Haskell. The
| boy sent the telephone message. but by
dead. Before dying. he had assured
| Finn that the shooting was an accident
and he did not blame the boy. In view
Of this evidence the coroner's jury re-
turned a verdict that Haskell came to
his death accidentally at the hands Of
young Whitehead. The latter was ar
rested. however. and brought to town.
| He was released upon his own recog-
nizance and will have n hearing Mon
day. He feels all broken up over 'he
| affair.
The dead man. famiharly known as
| Abe Haskell. was about 55. a miner
| and prospector. and had lived In this
| locality many years. So far as known
| he has no relatives in Montana IL Is
not known from what part of the coun-
try he came orig, g,nally. Among his ef-
fects were found papers showing he
was a veteran OF the civil war and had
| but recently applied for a pension