The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-17
BULLET FLYS IN A BoUD0IR.
SENATOR BLACKBURN'S DAUGHTER
DANGEROUSLY WOUNDED.

Tiny Pistol Given Her by Her Father
Catches in a FiImy Mass of Lace
Being Lifted From Drawer and
in Falling ExpIOdes-BuIIet Enters
Her Left Breast and Its Place of
Lodgement Not Yet Ascertained.
Result of the Wound Uncertain.
Washington, Jan. 16.-Mrs. Lucille Lane,
youngest daughter of ex-senator Joe
Blackburn of Kentucky, shot herself in
her apartment at the Wellington Hotel
last night According to the statement
given out by the family the shooting was
accidental
Both of Mrs. Lanes physicians refuse
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, al
though now suffering severely from the
shock.
A friend of the family nominated to give
out a statement of the occurrence, said
that about midnight on Saturday Mrs.
Lane was preparing to retire. Her hus-
band at the time was in the adjoining room
looking over the paper. Mrs. Lane opened
a bureau drawer to get a handkerchief,
and picked up handful of gloves and lace
which had been tossed to and fro in the
drawer.
Under this filmy mass in the drawer was
tiny pistol, gift to Mrs Lane from her
father, and of which she was particularly
fond. 1t caught in a piece of lace as she
raised her hand and falling of its own
weight, it struck on its hammer on the
edge of the open drawer.
The pistol ball penetrated her left
breast. What became of it is impossible
to say. According to the statement Civ
en- out, it struck and ranged round be-
meath the left shoulder, making but
superficial wound.
At the same time it is said that Mrs.
Lane is suffering so from shock that the
physicians have devoted all their ener-
gies to rallying her without attempting
to definitely ascertain the extent of the
injury. The most precise statement that
either physician would make tonight is
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 after the acci-
dent at Mrs. Lanes hotel.
Lucille is the younger of Senator Black
burns two daughters. She was married in
1895 to Thomas f. Lane, a prominent bus
mess man and politician of Summit N j.
At the time of her marriage. Mr.. Lane was
a chief of division in the Treasury depart
ment. Subsequently he accepted place
with the Maxim Arms Company of New
York as their agent in Washington. The
position is reputed a good one and the
Lanes apparently always had an abund-
ance of money, which they spent freely,
living at fashionable hotel, and seemed to
lack none of the good things of life. Their
little girl, something over a year old, was
the one favorite about the house with all
who knew her and is the particular pride
of her mother. The husband and Mrs.
Lane, according to those who saw them,
were on terms of most affectionate inti-
macy toward each other, and She al
though slight of physique, was in good
health
Mrs. Blackburn, who is not in the city,
was telegraphed for.
Mrs. Lanes eldest sister, Corinne, is the
wife of Lieut.. Col. Hall. now at Fort
Worth.