The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-10-03
FATAL ACCIDENT.
Dave Bell Meets With Death
While Squirrel Hunting.

Skunk River bottoms northeast OF
the water works. The young man was
shot in the left leg about six
inches below the groin and death re-
suited from loss of blood.
Dave Bell accompanied by Isham
Ewing and John Young left the city
Sunday morning for the avowed pur-
pose of going on the Skunk River
bottoms for hunting trip during the
day. They had remained together
and had worked their way into the
timber northeast of the water works.
A squirrel had been freed. John
Young had shot at and wounded it.
The animal ran down the tree and
then started up again. Both Bell and
Ewing were intent on knocking the
prey down from the trunk of the tree
and they started around the tree in
opposite directions andiran together.
A gun was discharged and Dave fell
badly wounded. tits likely that when
the boys came together. Bells gun
struck the trigger of Ewing's gun
and the discharge followed. Ewing
was completely stunned by what had
occurred and fell forward in apartial
faint across Bell as he lay at the foot
of the tree. Young came up i'm.
mediately and restored Ewing to his
senses.
Edgar Farnsworth and Will Carney
were at little distance from the
scene of the accident and Bell called
to them for assistance. They res
pended to the call Immediately and
gave all assistance possible. One
went to the telephone at the viii
Lindley residence near at hand. The
blood flow was stopped as much
as possible. The boys tore their
shirts into strips and tied about
the leg above the wound to- cut off
the hemmorrhage and the wounded
boy was taken to the Lindley home
where the physicians and surgeons
found him. Medical and surgical
attention was secured for him as
soon as possible. DR.. L, A. Rogers
saw that the wound was very serious
and that additional help was neces-
sary and hence little was done
until the arrival of assistance.
Doctor G Barringer had been
hastely summoned fromO skaloosa and
was soon at the wounded boys side.
These did everything they could 10
stay the life but the boy had lost so
much blood that his strength was
nothing and he passed away at 7:15
O'Clock p. m. His sister, Mrs. James
Porter was brought to the bedside
but the boy had lost consciousness
and did not recognize. her.
The wound was a verya peculiar
one. The charge of shot struck fairly
against a number of coins that the
young man had in his trousers pocket.
The coins, in addition to spreading
the shot in all directions, we're them
selves doubled up and driven through
the flesh. One of thesIdollars was
found a distance of six inches below
the wound. A number of other coins
were found in the wound along with
the lead shot and gum wads. The
wound was at the tjuncture Of the
upper and middle thirds of the left
thigh on the inner anterior aspect.
The femoral artery and the veins
were shot away and all of.the mus
cular tissue on the inner partl of the
leg was completely destroyed. Had
the patient lived it is almost certain
that the leg must have been amputat-
ed at the hip. The bonelwas consid-
erably injured and it would have been
impossible to save the leg.
Dave Bell was 25 years of age and
well known in the service of the Iowa
Telephone Company in addition to a
large acquaintance in the.city. The
young man was first known in the
city in connection with the feathers
& Wheeler grocery and later with the
Cruzen grocery. He then went to the
Iowa Telephone office as a night
operator. This was in 1898 under B.
F. Reno. He took a great liking for
the work and made rapid advance
ment until he was capable of handling
any portion of the telephone business.
Mr.. Reno soon found his services in
dispensible and the young man was
not long in gaining the place of chief
Inspector and at handsome salary.
He was a most exemplary young man
in all respects. He was thoroughly
reliable and trustworthy in all that
he did and his place will remain I'M
filed for many long day.
Services were held at the home of
the sister Mrs. James Porter, No. 6O7
North A street at 8 O'Clock this Mon
day afternoon, The remainsl win be
taken to the old family home in West
Newton, Pa, departing from the city
via the Rock Island Route at 7 O'Clock
Tuesday morning. The funeral will
be held in West Newton the home of
his relatives and many friends. The
young man is mournedl. by host of
,Oskaloosa friends and by;an army of
acquaintance who have had to do
with him through the medium of the
Iowa Telephone lines in all parts Of
the state.
The taking of of the young man is