The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-07-15
AT RANDOM Sent
This Shot Found a Deadly
Mark at the Union
Rifle Range.
WHO FIRED THE BULLET !?
Lieut.. Oliver Was the Only
One at Pistol Practice,
But DR.. Converse Says
Tt Was a Rifle.
WHO FIRED THE BULLET +?

| Sixteen year old Milton Pier, of No. l5
| Bryant avenue was accidentally shot
| hiough the eek on the Marion rifle
| range of the Fourth Regiment Saturday
| evening. He died several hours later at
+ the City Hospital. Pier was marker on
| the range. Lieutenant Alexander L. Oil
| yer, a civil engineer, thirty-eight years
| old, who was at pistol practice, was ar
rested on charge of manslaughter.
County Physician Charles B. Converse,
who examined the body of young Pier
yesterday, said this morning that it was
his opinion that the bullet was from
rifle and not bullet. He did not believe,
he said that a wound such as was made
by the bullet could have resulted from a
pistol shot fred from the distance that
Oliver stood.
The rifle range where the boy was is
20l yards Lieutenant Oliver was prac-
ticing on the pistol range, which is but
fifty yards, ard lies south of the rifle
rance. From the stories told by some of
those present it appears that Oliver was
the only q who was firing at the time.
The death of Pier was the result of his
own carelessness. He had no business to
raise mis- head from behind the butts
when the shooting was going on The
shot hit Pier in the right side OF the neck
passing through 20 the spine. This
caused paralysis of the lower limbs, He
screamed after being hit, and it was this
that attracted the attention of the other
markers and guardsmen.
AIbere Martin of Homestead ana Will
lam Ford of Hoboken were the other mar
hers. They carried Pier to his home,
whence he was taken TO the City Hospi-
tai. 1t took over an hour to get the
wounded lad to the hospital
Captain Cox and Colonel Smith of the
Fourth Regiment were at the hospital
when Pier passed away. The dying lad
exonerated Oliver, saying it was mis- own
fault He added that he did not know
who fired the shot
The County Physician is expected to
make an autopsy today to ascertain the
calibre of the bullet which killed the boy
This will settle beyond a doubt whether
the shot was from a rifle or pistol.
Colonel Smith said this morning that if
a bullet from rifle had hit Pier at 200
yards it would have passed clean through
mis- neck, cutting everything in its
path.
"a bullet from a rifle such as is used
by the regiment said the Colonel,
would go through a solid block of oak
at 200 yards So you see it is very unlike
ly that a rifle bullet killed Pier. have
no doubt that a pistol ball did the fatal
work.
"A thorough investigation will be made
by the regiment We will endeavol to get
a list of those present at the time. The
police did not get the names of any of the
guardsmen at the range.
After Pier was taken to the hospital
Dr. Buffet and the hospital staff examined
the woun Pier was conscious, but his
lower limbs were powerless. The doctors
saw Immediately that death was only
matter of short time. They could not
reach the bullet. Several arteries had
been severed and it would have killed
Pier much sooner If any probing had
been done.
Oliver is a son of former Mayor Oliver
of Bayonne. He lives at No. 4S9 Garfield
avenue He was arraigned before Police
Justice Murphy this morning in the Oak
land avenue court and paroled. After an
autopsy is made the Coroner's inquest
will take place.
Chief Murphy said this afternoon that
he thought there was no doubt that OH
yer fired the shot that killed Pier.
forty-fve calibre bullet is used in the
rifles and the bullets used in pistols are
of thirty-eight calibre. Private Patrick
O'Hare is in charge of the range and he
will assist Colonel Smith in the investi-
CATION From information gathered 1t
appears that there were almost fifty men
at the range, but that Oliver was the
only one who was shooting at. the time.
Colonel Smith speaks of young Pier as
manly little fellow and deeply regrets
the accident.
Lieutenant Oliver says he does not
know whether his bullet killed Pier. He
feels deeply grieved over the accident.