Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1903-08-07
DEATH OF W. f. STREET.
PARTICULARS OF HOW FORMER
MORRISON COUNTY MAN
WAS KILLED.

IN AAAAAD
Bemidji Pioneer, July 20: W. F.
Street was accidentally shot and killed
about 10 80 o'clock this morning by
his brother in-law, Louis Bland,
fifteen years Of age. The killing was
purely accidental and occurred about
two miles southeast of town. MIR.
Street. his wife and her brother Louis
had driven into the county on q
berrying trip. the boy taking along a
12-guage barrel hammerless shot gun.
The trio had tied their horse and we,
picking berries when the accident oc.
cured. Mr.. Street was on one knee.
stripping the berries from a bush
| The boy came rapidly walking from
behind him. the gun in his hand and
his fingers presumably in the trigger
guard. He suddenly tripped. over a
fallen limb and fell to the ground, the
gun going off and the charge of bird
shot entering the small of Mr..
Streets back, just to the right of the
vertebrae. At such a close range
the shot acted like solid bullet, max.
Zig an ugly wound and causing death
within lesss than half an hour. he
was brought to town by E. Nord. a
farmer who CHANGED to be passing,
and died after being taken into the
Office Of Street & Gibbons. Drs. Nor
rison and Henderf on were called but
death occurred before their arrival.
Young Bland is so overcome with
grief that he can make no statement
concerning the affair.
E. Nord lives nine miles southeast
of town on the Cass Lake road. BE
started from home this morning with
a wagon load of potatoes, bound for
Bemidji. His story of the accident
is as follows:
'"When within two miles of Bemidii
I saw a horse and buggy to the right
OF the road. The horse Was tied to
tree and no person was in sight. I
had driven two hundred yards past
LAG 0ROl "ACA L ACd4O SOuuSOu6 CalllQg
at me to stop. I looked around and
saw boy. young Bland I have since
learned, running towards me at top
speed, crying, waving his arms about
and acting altogether like a crazy
man: lie was SO excited and grief
stricken that at first I could not tell
what he wanted Then I made out
that a man had been shot and that he
offor holm LoL l..
himself had done the shooting. his
gun going off acciden tally. I followed
him and hundred yards from where
the horse was tied, to one side of the
road, we came to the wounded man.
he was lying on the ground, his
head in bis wifes lap She must
have been nearly wild with grief, but
retained her wits, remained quiet
and bore up nobly under the strain.
Mr.. Street was then able to talk. He
did not appear to think the wound
a mortal one at the time, but told me
to get him into the carriage some way
and drive into town q soon as possible.
Soon got the horse and buggy near the
spot and with much difficulty We cot
him into the seat and with blankets I
had in my Va gon arranged him as
comfortably as we could. I drove fast
and it did not take US long to get to
Mr.. Streets Office All the way in he
did not speak word. Mrs. Street
and her brother drove my wagon into
town.
It was about 10 as this morning
when Mr., Street was taken from the
buggy into the Office. He said little,
but before dying exonerated his
brother -in-law from the blame. He
said that the shooting was entirely
accidental and that no one ccnld be
blamed for it. 1t was feared that
Louis was going insane and a doctor
attended him this morning.
Mr.. Street was SO years old. He
was the founder of Bemidji, interested
In several valuable townsites, and
was rated az q wealthy man He was
married about two months ago to
Miss Etha Bland Of Anoka.
The deceased was q native OF
Council Btu6s, Iowa, and . graduate
Of the Nebrsska State university.
graduating in 1879 His first wife
was Miss Greedy Of Maine Praire, and
daughter, Miss Cora Street, lives
with her mother in Sank Rapids4
though they are ct present on their
farm ct Donnybrook, N. D.
Mr.. Street was admitted to the
practice Of law at st. Paul in 1879.
and later opened an Office in con-
nection with L. r. Swift ct st.
Cloud. Successively he was q practic-
ing attorney Of Sank Rapids and
Royslton, also editor Of tho Banner
In the latter place. During the real