Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-11-01
DEADLY LONG RANGE RIFLES.
A Movement In Canada to Forbid
Their Use In Hunting.


Not far from Mont Cref, one of the
northern settlements, little tradgedy
occurred this week which ought to be a
warning to deer hunters.
A young French woman was stand
ing at the door of her little home, her
five-rionth's old child In her arms,
when she suddenly felt a shock Of some
kind, and her baby screamed, struggled
violently and, in moment or two, was
dead The father was near by, and
aroused by the screams, came in as the
mother sank to the floor unconscious.
Her long fainting was overcome with
difficulty. Then they tried to account
for the sudden death Of the child. 1t
was not until the little body was strip
ped Of its clothing that the matter be-
came clear to the investigators.
Then a stain upon the inner garment
one tiny wound in the chest, and one in
the back, told the tale Of a bullet gone
astray, the bullet itself was found in
the clothing of the mother, where it
had lodged.
1t had come from one Of the German
long range rifles, sold commonly in this
country at low price few years ago.
Whose gun dispatched 1t, or from what
distance 1t had come, is not known
probably never will be known, as many
hunters are afleld in the deer country
just now.
It was about 30 miles southeast Of the
scene Of this incident that last autumn
a sawmill hand, standing on a boom
above the f1ume, suddenly dropped his
pikepole, reeled and fell into the water
dead, with a steel bullet in his brain.
No report was heard; the force of the
missile was evidently almost spent,
and the man who killed his fellow was
never discovered-perhaps never knew
Of the outcome Of his long-range shoot
ing Indeed, he may have Been a mile
away from his victim at the time.
Only few days ago, two sons Of one
of the country's most prominent men
were crossing a lake after ducks when,
without warning Of any kind, one Of
them received a shock which almost
threw him out Of the boat. A flying
bullet had ploughed transversely in a
slightly downward direction across his
chest, inflicting an ugly, painful.
though fortunately not dangerous,
wound. AS his doctor said, that lad can
never be much nearer death, no matter
what befalls him. -
News Of somewhat similar happen
ings are being reported from other
sporting districts. In this region, the
rather slow moving settlers are begin
ming an agitation for gun license fee
and for an act of parliament behind
it, which shall compel the use Of gov
ernment stamp upon sporting firearms
certifying that their range is not above
500 yards.
How thoughtless some men are In
their use Of firearms, and how accidents
often occur were forcibly demonstrated
lately. A farmer had just retired for
the night, when he noticed the sound Of
blows upon his shingled roof.
This was followed by the noise Of
breaking glass in the attic chamber,
next to which he was lying. Forum
ately for him, he had philosophy enough
to subdue his curiosity until morning.
when he discovered that several bullets
had pierced the walls and windows Of
his spare bedroom.
During the day a couple Of hunters
came in for supplies from q large shoot
ing party encamped beside the pond
about half mile away. Upon inquiry
it turned out that as the men could
not sleep that first night out they had
amused themselves by firing In the
moonlight at dead tree top on the
other side Of the water.
The question Of where the bullets
they heedlessly set going might stop
had not occurred to them.-Hull, Cana
da. Dispatch.