The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1903-03-04
MISTAKEN FOR BURGLAR
AND SHOT IN The DARK.
Young Guy LOudOn of Yakima CITY
Reaps the Fruit of a Practical Joke
May Not Recover.

About l 80 O'Clock Monday night in
Old Town occurred most deplorable ac-
cident. The seventeen year old boy of
Mrs. E. Carmichael, Guy Loudon, had
been out to dancing party in the even
ing and when the aff@ir broke up he
and another young man evolved what
they considered quite a joke. Unhap-
PLY the tables were turned in this
instance and Guy Loudon now lies at
st. Elizabeth's hospital lowering be-
tween life and death, as the result of
a pistol ball entering his left side and
perhaps fatally wounding him. These
two young fellows full Of fun and bent
on playing a joke started from the
dance hall together following a girl and
her escort. The young lady was the
servant girl of Tom Wheeler the well
known milkman OF Old Town. When
the couple had reached Mr.. Wheeer's
gate and the young man departed she
went at once to her room, but had been
there only a few minutes when some
one was heard climbing the pillar OF the
front porch obviously endeavoring to
reach the upstairs porch. Leaving her
room the girl went downstairs and told
Mr.. Wheeler there was man on the
upper veranda. He thought she must
be mistaken and argued with her to the
contrary all to no avail, as nothing
would suffice, but that he would have to
go up and see. Mr.. Wheeler admits
that at this stage of the game he began
to feel little shaky but grabbing an
old pistol he went out on the porch
/ The figure OF a man was seen crouch
ing close to a column. "Who are your"
Throw up your hands" I'll shoot, >"
all came in one breath, then click, click
went the old pistsa twice without a re-
port and all this time the figure had
crouched immovable, as it were and
/ speechless. At the second clicking of the
hammer he began to realize his peril
Gus position and endeavored to slide
down the pillar in the vain hope of
the pistol again missing fire. But at
| the third attempt the fatal shot rang
j out and Guy Loudon who had hoped to
scare the girl, shambled down the post
and out into the garden where he was
soon after picked up in front OF the
gate and suffering intensely.
AS soon as the pistol was fred Mr..
| Wheeler who had by this time aroused
two OF the hired men on the place, to-
! gether with them went out with a
lantern to try and find trace of the
supposed burglar. After search of
four or five minutes the boy was discov-
cred. The approach to the apparently
helpless body was cautiously made as
one of the men said she might be play.
ing 'possum." 1t soon became evident.
however, that such was not the case
and suddenly the words, "Is that YOU
Guy" even before the affirmative
answer came back was sufficient to
freeze the blood in the veins of those
standing near, for every one knew
young Loudon, and the question was
only needed to lift, as it were, the veil
of mystery and reveal the outline of the
unfortunate youth.
| He was at once taken into the house,
his mother and brothers, James and
John Loudon were notified. Medical
aid was sent for and everything that
could be done was not left un done.
\ Tuesday morning the Young man was
/ brought on a stretcher from the Wheel
er ranch to st. Elizabeth's hospital
where Drs. Fletcher and Lynch operated
\ upon him for the bullet, which had
lodged III the back close against the
spinal column. The bullet entered
about the eighth rib on the left side.
I pierced the lower part OF the left lung
and ranged upward. As near as can be
ascertained without cutting into the alb
domen, it would seem that the intes-
( tines have not been pierced. The doc
tors are sanguine of recovery, should no
other complications set in.