The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-10-03
IT WAS ACCIDENTAL
Miss Grace Riggs Seriously
Wounded by a Bullet
FROM A % CALIBRE RIFLE
Gun Was Held in Her Young
Brothers Hands.

Miss Grace Riggs was accidentally shot
and seriously wounded by a ball from a
22-calibre rife in the hands of her
brother, Guy Riggs. The ball first enter
ed the flesh Of the left arm. Then it took
a downward course through the abdo-
men 1t passed near the stomach and
lodged under the lowest rib on the right
side.
Immediately after the accident Miss
Riggs was removed to the Martha Wash
ington hospital for treatment.
The young woman and her brother
were joking each other in the home. The
young woman secured s1.50 Of her broth
er's money. To tantalize him she told
him she intended to keep It. They scuf-
fled around the room for some time all in
good hunor. The boy could not get his
money by force, so he playfully secured
his brothers 22-calibre rife, and, laugh
ing all the time, he pointed it at his sis
ter and commanded her to give up the
money. But she did not pay any atten-
ton to his commands, for the gun was,
as usual. supposed to be unloaded
At this point the play was interrupted
by friend calling to see Miss Grace.
So she left Guy and went into the adjoin-
ing room to entertain her company They
had seated themselves and begun q con-
versation, when Guy poked the rife barrel
around the door casing from the other
room and. with a hooking warning Of
Look out, Grace" he pulled the trigger
There was flash, a puff of smoke, and
Grace Riggs was shot.
The report Of the gun brought Mr. and
Mrs. Riggs into the room. Grace calmly
told them what had happened, and DR..
Shuts was Immediately summoned.
When he arrived the patient was re-
moved to Martha Washington Hospital
and there careful preparations were
made for an operation to remove the bull
let
The girl was at all times very compos-
ed, but when chloroform was admins
tered she did not do very we'll The ball
was not located to a certainty, but its
course was ascertained.
DR.. Shuts said yesterday afternoon
that the patient was much better for the
operation. although the ball could not
be dislodged. BY the operation an outlet
would have closed up and probably re-
suited seriously. While the patient is
yet in a very critical condition, every
thing is favorable for her recovery. Last
evening she was resting very easy and
seemed cheerful
The father of the children, Mr. NJ L.
Riggs, is a wholesale hay dealer The
accident was quite a shock to both father
end mother. Mrs. Riggs. when seen by
reporter for the Eagle last evening,
SAID:
1T was wholly accidental. Grace and
Guy are in the habit Of romping over the
house together, and two more affection
ate children never played together. They
sometimes pretend to quarrel, but are
never angry at each other.
Guy had worked for some time and
earned few dollars with which to en-
JOY the street fair. This morning he had
1t out showing Grace how much there
was Of it. Just for fun she grabbed
part of the money and pretended she was
going to keep II. Then began the tusse
After little while Guy secured the rifle
His brother had been hunting a few
days before and must have left a load in
the gun. It is a repeating rife, and Guy
snapped the hammer once or twice be-
fore the gun went of. It was all in
fun. but the children ought to have been
more careful.
Il blame myself for letting them play
with the gun. They have used ii that
way many times before in their frolics,
but we were always careful to see that
Il contained no loads"
Guy is years old and very fond Of his
snster Grace. No one is more sorry than
he that the accident occurred He cried
nearly all day yesterday and looked very
pi.8ful last night Miss Grace IS Il. but
rather large for her age. After the acct
dent had occurred she said she saw Guy
point the rife at her. but did not pay
any attention to him. She said that
when ne pulled the trigger he was laugh
ing.