The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-04
ACCIDENTALLY KILLED

Isaac Page Shoots Himself While Re.
moving n shotgun From n Wagon at
wrtgu.tsvfIIe-He Died I'm a Few Min
utes.
Du Brutz Guitar, Esq, received a
telephone message from Wrightsville
Saturday morning about IL o'clock in
forming him that Isaac Page, a color
ed man, in his employ had been acct
dentally shot and killed on the shell
road, at Wrightsville. Mr.. Guitar i'm
mediately notified Coroner Jacobs and
went down to look into the matter, as
Page has been with him some time and
was a very useful servant.
Coroner Jacobs also went down and
held an inquest over the dead body Of
Page. 1t seems that Page had a double
barrel shot gun and was going out in
to the marsh to shoot marsh-hens, and
that in some way the gun was dis
charged. killing him almost instantly.
The coroner summoned b following
as a jury of inquest: George Harriss,
Jr., r. Oscar Grant, James Thompson,
John Moore. Larry Jones, and Edward
Johnson. Mr.. Harriss was appointed
foreman of the jury and the testimony
taken was as follows:
Du Brutz Guitar was sworn and tes-
titled: II know the deceased. He has
worked with me regularly since March
OF this year. His name is Isaac Page.
l last saw him alive about 7:45 o'clock
this morning. He asked me if / had
any objections to his going hunting
for marsh-hens. l told hifn none what
ever. l have given him the same use
of my gun whenever he wanted it,
and without any express permission Or
request"
John L. Nixon being duly sworn,
testified as follows: Il went up to Mrs.
Wright's to deliver some groceries,
then / come by Miss Hettie James and
i stopped there and asked deceased to
hold my horse. / went up and secur-
ed an oil can from Miss James to take
to Mr.. Stokleys. / asked deceased to
ride back with me but he declined,
saying he wanted to shoot some marsh
hens. Deceased was then in the wagon,
IIcH 81 yOuhS lduJ IdllCu W IL IhdI
she wanted to ride down to the store.
Deceased jumped down from the front
of the wagon and walked around and
took the gun out from the back of
wagon. In doing so the gun went off
Deceased walked off about five yards,
with the gun still in his hands where
he dropped his gun, walked a little
further and then fell. / assisted him
to the side of the road. Deceased did
not say anything. | asked deceased
if he was hurt. but he did not reply.
f. M. Davis was there by that time.
l then drove the G to the store,
and reported the action to Mr.. Stoke
ley by whom | am employed. He sent
Horace Moore to watch the deceased,
and also telephoned Mr.. Guitar to no
tify the coroner at once. Deceased
was shot in the right breast just above
the nipple, the entire load entering in
a place about the size of a quarter.
Deceased's chin and throat was burn
ed with powder. The accident occur
red between 10 and II o'clock, and the
gun deceased had was a double barrel
breech loading shot gun. | was facing
the horse and did not see the deceased
at the moment Of the explosion.
When I saw deceased after the gun
went off, he had n marsh-hen in his
hand"
The jury after hearing the testimony
found for their verdict that deceased
came to his death by the accidental
discharge of a shot gun in his own
hands"