The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-05
Conductor Ferrie Skillnran Acct
dentally Shoots George Black
well, FellOw-Employe.
MINOR CASUALTIES NUMEROUS.
Pfaymates Wound Little Russell
FACET in the .AbdOmen-Chil-
dren and Adults Victims
of Explosions.

Ntes III winch young ana OLD persons
ankle figure as the victims. Many OF the
| injuries sustained are of serious nature.
nut the greater number probably will re-
euire only few days treatment.
The reckless use Of firearms and fire.
works was responsible for many OF the ac-
cidents.
There was only one fatality recorded In
| the course of the day. Fcrrie Skiliman. a
conductor on the Olive street line. shot
and killed George Blackwell. a fellow en-
pioye, while examining a revolver.
KILLED HIS FRIEND.
Ferrie Skillman. a conductor on the Olive
street line, shot and almost instantly Killed
George blackwell. a fellow conductor in
ssi,ansn room at No. 3t3s Olive street
Statements of Skillnan and a number Of
acknowledges who were In the house at
the time, the shooting was an accident. the
result or the careless handling of a IS
caioer revolver b. Skilman, who is now
under arrest at the Eighth District Police
Suation. awaiting the result OF the Cor
oners inquest.
Ferrie skiliman Is q years old His home.
ne says IS In EufauIa. Ala. He came here
E!y-Walker Dry Goods Company, where he
Ias an uncle employed. When times got
duIt and he was thrown out OF a position.
IN May last. he accepted a place with the
transit company. George Blackwell was
employed by the company also In the ca
paclty or conductor. Blackwell and Skill
man We're close friends and were much to-
geiher during their leisure hours. Black
Wen had been boarding and lodging at The
company's sheds. on Olive street but hal
made arrangements to secure a room and
board at Mrs. Kate Lang's boarding house
b Mo StsS , olixe street. where he had a
his weeks board to-day.
Yesterday, according TO the story Of Skill
man. BlackweI. who was off duty. visited
MIN az his boarding house. They spen,
some time together ma We're in an amiable
mood. They had decided TO take little
HeII "a, ABOUT town In the evening. Black
the third floor. skillman says they went up
she c,e, In order that Blackwell might put on
a ciean shirt. He wanted To- go UP 10 the
car shecs TO get shirt OF hts own. but
Skiiiinan says ne prevailed on him to go up
TO his room and use one of his (Skillmsns)
When they reached the room. skillman
says. he SAT- down on the edge of the bed.
Wniie blackwell set about changing his lin-
en- Skilman had revolver. loaded with
cartridges. with which he had been cele-
blank cartridges. and was calculating on
exchanging some il-caliber loaded car
trfdges for ss-caliber blanks. with which to
continue the celebration. He says he was
engaged In unloading his revolver. while !
seated on the bed. when the hammer fell |
a acc, exploding one OF the charges
Jaw, just in front of the ear. and ranging |
upward. penetrated the BRAN.
plaChWeii. NEeH Snpl, Tell 10 the MOOR !
without a groan. and lay lifeIess Skllman !
screamed when he saw him fall. arousing /
the household. Blackwelrs brother. who was |
at the supper table at the time, was one |
of the first to arrive on the scene. When he |
saw his brothers condition he Immediately |
sent for physician. but his brother died /
parted
Skillman, who was almost beside himself .
with grief. was taken in charge by the po..
liceman. who was attracted by the noise of ,
the shooting. He declared the shooting ac- I
cidental. and the statements Of witnesses
to the previous behavior of the two men
bear out his assertion.
Blackwell was IS years old and unmar !
ried. He came here from Arkansas when /
the transit company's employ ever since.
About three weeks ago Skillman was
caught between two moving cars df the
Olive street division. near Sarah
street, and pretty badly injured.
SHOT by A WOMAN.
william Bunneman of No. 2si2 South
Eleventh street was shot in the chest by
Seventh street while the latter was cele-
brating with revolver. Zimmerman was
walking in front of Mrs. Thompson's house
when the latter commenced firing at a
board fence in front OF her property. one
of the bullets struck Zimmerman. knocking
him to the pavement. He was assisted TO
his feet by a policeman, who sent him to !
the South Side bispensary. where his wound
was dressed. Mrs. Thompson was placed
under arrest. Zimmerman is a carpenter and
is IS years of age.
WOUNDED BY 4 PLAYMATE.
Russell Paget. years old. was dangerous
ly wounded yesterday BY some small boys
Paying with ,s s small po s at nanE
ridges and twigs In the pistol. When little
Paget was shot they ran away and their
taken to the City Hospital. where ne was
examined. It was at first thought that he
had only flesh wound, but more care
twigs which the boys had put in the mug
zle of the pistol had entered the child's
2 abdomen and inflicted serious wound.
These were taken out by probing. The in
iured boys parents live In a tent at For
give him the care and attention the nature |
of his wound demands.
MINOR CASUALTIES.
John Peters. 80 years old, living near
Tenth and Market street. shot himself in the |
eg with Ss-caliber revolver while ceIe-
brafng. He was sent to the City Hospital.
"A: T. Woolforth of No 1904 Morgan
street was shot In the right leg near the
knee while walking north on Claiming ave-
nue.. between Locust and Washington. Two
negroes were firing a revolver in the alley
passed the mouth of the alley one Of them
discharged the weapon. the bullet taking
me OF the negroes into a house In the neigh
oorhood, but Woolforth was unable to iden-
ify the man who had fred the shot.
AT 10 o'clock in the morning Edward |
cole Of No. S2l Olive street was accidental
y shot in the face with a blank cartridge |
BY boy named Grover Cleveland. Coles |
ace was burned by the powder and he was |
AIKEN home. The shooting was accidental.
Arthur J. Butler, II years old, of No |
MI South Broadway. was badly injured by
while he was firing II. The cannon was a |
asst iron affair. weighing about ten pounds. |
md took a considerable charge of powder |
Butler overloaded IL and the weapon burst |
number OF the fragments tearing his right |
eg and hip. He also received a number of |
powder burns. He was taken to the City
Hospital
1t No. 2s3S North Eleventh street, was
struck by spent bullet while standing on
lis rear porch in the morning. He sus-
aimed severe scalp wound and was treat
ID by Doctor Wilson of No. 26lO North |
Tenth street. |
Early in the morning Nellie Curtis, s
Years old. of No. 35ll North broadway re-
rom the discharge of a pistol Loaded with
blank cartridges, with which she was play
ng. She was treated at the North End Dis
oepsary.
William Jennings a negro, S years old. |
living at No. 1904 Brooklyn street, was shot
n the arm at 10 O'Clock in the morning. |
rhe bullet was of IS csliber and struck him |
Tenth and Brooklyn streets. The wound is |
luite serious. He was treated by Doctor |
Perry Of No. 1874 North Twelfth street
-Patrick Keenan,. 66 years old, living at
NO. ~ North broadway. was injured in |
he lege BY the explosion of a cannon |
irecracker which practical Joker placed |
lnder the chair on which he was asleep In |
used to 20 to the City Dispensary.
John Gin3ling of No VIA North Twe,ffb /