The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-05
WAS PURELY ACCIDENTAL
Killing Of Johnny Oates Was an
Unfortunate Mishap.
PARENTS ARE TO BLAME
Coroner's Jury Takes Occasion to State
mat People Are Criminally Negli-
gent Who Allow Boys to Use
Guns-The Testimony.

The shooting of young John Oates,
VINO died at Wells hospital Wednesday
AFTERNOON from the effects of wound
ne received at the hands of playmate,
Whlle a crowd of boys were shooting
at mark with a target rifle at Cen
terVllle Tuesday evening, was officially
| investigated al an inquest held last
evening by Coroner Julien on the body
OF the dead boy. The evidence proved
conclusively that the shooting was
purely accidental, but it also showed
that the boys were altogether too
young to be allowed to carry guns. AS
1t was within the knowledge of the
members of the jury that it is a COM
mon custom in Butte and the vicinity
for boys to be permitted to have guns
to play with, the jurymen took it upon
themselves to add clause to their YER
dict passing general censure upon pa
rents and guardians who allow their
children to follow the dangerous prac-
tice. The principal witnesses at the
inquest We're the boys who were pres
ent during the shooting. They ranged
from to 16 years of age, and all were
clearly unfit to be allowed the use of
deadly weapons
Dr. George H. Wells, the first wit
ness, told of being called to Centerville
10 attend young Oates. He found the
lad in so serious a condition that he
decided to take him to the hospital
Ihat evening he operated on the boy
ana extracted the bullet from the left
side. AT an autopsy which the witness
made Yesterday afternoon, he found the
bullet had passed through both the
stomach and liver, causing injuries
that were necessarily fatal.
Benjamin Roberts, aged IS wears. one
OF the boys present at the shooting was
next called. He said he fired at the
target and then passed the gun to John
ingram 1t was repeater, and In
gram was in the act of throwing in an
other cartridge, when the gun went off
1t was a Colts gun, and the cartridge
exploded just as it was thrown into the
barrel. Young Oates gave an cutlery
ana said he was shot. Witness did not
know of young Oates and Ingram hav-
ing any trouble and was sure the
shooting%Was accidental. The gun be-
longed to young Ingram and there was
Frank Ralph, but it was not loaded at
this time.
Harry Berriman. another of the
boys, gave the same testimony as the
preceding witness and said he stood be-
tween Ingram and young Oates and
that the ball which killed young Oates
passed between the witness arm and
body.
John Ingram, who fired the fatal shot,
said: Il was about to put a cartridge
in the gun when the gun went off and
shot Johnnie Oates. I don't know just
how it happened Further, he stated
that the gun was Colts repeating rifle
of % caliber. BY holding a finger on
the trigger and working the loading
apprenticeship gun wouldekeep up re-
peated firing, but he was sure he did
not have his finger on the trigger The
gun, however, was out of order and
would go off without having a finger
on the trigger when the loading appa-
ratus was worked. He thought this was
probably the way the gun went off. He
never had any trouble with young
Oates; was fully aware there was dan
ger in crowd of boys going shooting
together, but that the parents had per-
mitted it.
The boy, it was quite evident, felt
keenly the awful consequences of his |
carelessness and several times while
on the stand came near breaking down
and crying.
Frank Ralph. Reginald Murish, Tom
my Martin and Jimmy Burns. all little
stately TO nOlu
a gun. were the other boys who saw
the shooting. In giving their evidence |
they repeated the statement of the |
ether boys, after which the jury re-
turned the following verdict:
THAT the deceased came to his death |
at Butte, Silver Bow county, Mont, on |
the Sd day of May 1899, from the effects |
of gunshot wound, inflicted by gun |
held in the hands of one John Ingram; |
that the said shooting ocpl1rred in Gem |
terville township, Silver Bow county, |
Mont, on the End day of May. 1899, and |
from the evidence, we, the jury, find |
said shooting to have been purely acct |
dental. We further find that the said |
accidental shooting was the result of |
criminal carelessness on the part of pa
rents, or guardians, who permit boys
the use of firearms"