The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-15
SHOT IN A CE METERY
JOHN CARSWELL, IL YEARS OLD,
PUT A BULLET INTO HIS LUNG.
SHOOTING IN LAUREL GROVE.
WAS ACCIDENTAL AND RESULTED
FROM POOLING WITH 4 Gun.

The Young Man and His Sweetheart
Had Gone There to shoot SparrOWs
with Miniature Winchester
Rihe-Were Talking Under n Tree
when the Gun Was Accidentally
DISCHARGED and the Bullet Pierced
Young CarsweII's Lung-Was TAX
en- TO His Home in n Critical Con-
ditiOn.
While toying with rife which he
die not know was loaded. John Cars
well. a young man L years of age,
was shot through the right lung in
Laurel Grove Cemetery yesterday af-
ternoon and is at his home in a pre-
carious condition. The accident oc-
CURED shortly before O'Clock. in the
western portion of the cemetery.
With young Carswell was a young
girl, said to be his sweetheart. When
the bullet pierced the young mans
breast she fed from the spot and never
slackened her pace until she reached
the young mans home, where she noti-
fed his parents. The police ambulance
was called, and the unfortunate boy
was taken to his home. where last
night he was suffering from hem
orrhages as the result of the wound
in his lung.
The young man had a very narrow
escape from death. Had not the bullet
first ploughed it's way through his
hand it is probable that the wound
would have proven fatal. The bullet
entered the right side, at about the
fifth rib, and ranged upward through
the fieshy portion of the breast. strik-
ing the collar bone, and glancing, en-
bedded itself in the lobe of the right
lung.
The weapon is nothing more than a
22-calibre parlor rifle. 1t had lain about
the house for several years, and had
not been used. The boy cleaned it up,
and in company with the young lady.
Miss Stella Synder, went to the ceme-
terry to shoot English sparrows. They
wandered through the shade to the
rear part OF the cemetery, but no birds
were shot. Under the shade of a large
oak they sat to talk. and the young man
unbreeched the rather harmless look
ing gun, holding the barrel in his right
1.
Suddenly there was a report, and a
bullet ploughed its way through the
boys hand and entered his side. BY
reason of the peculiar mechanism of
the rifle ii is possible to discharge it
without pulling the trigger, and even
when the stock is disconnected with
the barrel. The plunger of the gun
had struck against a rock and dis
charged the bullet.
In
at what looked like a fatal accident,
ran with all haste from the cemetery
to the young mans home several
blocks away. The wounded boy was
taken to the keepers quarters n the
cemetery, and the police ambulance
was summoned. The young man was
taken TO his home. where the wound
was dressed by DR.. Harmon.
The young lady begged last night to
see young Carswell, but it was thought
prudent not to allow this, and she was
denied her request. Mr.. and Mrs
Carswell had never seen the young lady
before, though rumor has ii that they
have known each other for some time.
The young man has not talked of the
accident. He is suffering intensely
from the wound, and the doctor has or
dered that he be not allowed to talk.
Ine bullet has not been removed. Dr.
Hartman said that he apprehended no
danger, unless complications set in.
The proverb, that misfortunes sell
dom come singly, surely has its appli-
cation to the Carswell family. for at
present four of the family are victims
OF some form of misfortune. The faith
er, Mr.. Louis Carswell, is on crutches.
as the result of an accident having
been thrown from his bicycle on West
Broad street a short time ago. and sus-
tanned several fractures of the knee
Mrs. Carswell has been i'll for several
DAYS, and one of the boys is suffering
or n IL. IL