Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1903-04-11
Shot by His Friend.

dental discharge OF rifle in the hands
of VIM. Kelly, at Colfax, last Saturday.
the sad story is told by the Gazette as
follows:
While William Kelly, who lives on
Union fat, was shooting at a 60-yard
target, his rifle was acciden tally dis
charged. The ball struck Charles Hick-
man in the right breast, near where the
arm joins the body, passing entirely
through his breast, killing him in
stantly. The rife is the property OF
Edward Johnson, and is 40-S2 calibre
gun. The ball must have either pierced
the heart or passed through the body
just above that organ, severing the main
arteries and veins, for Mr.. Hickman fell
forward, blood squirting from his mouth
in great stream. The unfortunate man
undoubtedly never knew what hit him,
for he was dead before men who were
standing only few feet from him could
res CHI his side.
There were probably twenty or twen-
ty-tive witnesses to the accident, all OF
whom were standing only a few feet
from the young man. George Perkins of
Rosala was standing leaning against
the same tree with Mr.. Hickman when
the accident occurred. Mr.. Kelly, when
ne saw what had happened, was pros
trated with grief, and it took great effort
upon the part of those present to sooth
him. He cried like heart-broken child
when he gazed upon the pale features of
the man he had accidentally killed.
Charles Hickman and William Kelly
had been fast friends for long time.
There are none of the witnesses who
place any blame upon Mr.. Kelly, all
agreeing that the accident was one of
the queer freaks of fate which happen
when least expected.
Just how the accident occurred can
hardly be known. 1t is supposed, how
ever, that as Kelly was laying down to
range his rifle at the target that an I'M
usual motion of his body must have set
off the gun, for the rife carries what is
known as a hair trigger, which the
SLIGHTEST jar will set off should the ham
mer happen to be set. Had the rife
been in exact range with the target, the
slightest motion of the gun might have
thrown the barrel out of range quarter
or half an inch, which would have been
sufficient to have carried the death
dealing missile in the range which it
went.
No inquest was held over the body,
which was brought to the Hall under
taking parlors as soon as carriage
! could be summoned from town. After
the body had been dressed, large crowds
viewed the remains. The body was
taken to the family home near Almota
Sunday morning, where it lay until the
funeral. Alec and Frank Hickman, two
uncles of the unfortunate young man,
were in the city at the time of the &C
cident.
Charles Hickman was the eldest son
of Mr.. and Mrs. Henry Hickman of Al
mota, one of the oldest and most re-
spected pioneer families of Whitman
county. He was q years of age at the
time of his death, and was member of
Royal Camp No. 1l6, Woodmen of the
World. His untimely death fell as a
heavy blow upon the family and the en-
tire community. Charles Hickman was
one OF the exemplary young men of
Whitman county. He was addicted to
no bad habits, but was very fond of guns
and took much interest in legitimate
sport with rifles. He has had the man.
agement of his fathers large ranch for
the past five or six years, and gave
promise of proving splendid business
manager. Henry Hickman, his father
was in Colfax with him on that day, and
it is understood that he had just closed
deal whereby he had decided to Charles
fine farm in the southern part of the
county. Mr.. Hickman was soon to have
been married to Miss Oslo Wilson. His
prospective bride was at the Hickman
home on Saturday afternoon and an
5 swered the phone when the sad news o
the accident was sent to the mother o
the young man. Miss Wilson was al
: most Frustrated with grief as she lis
! tened to the account of the terrible new
over the telephone. This Academia
death is one of the saddest ever chron
: icled in the annals of Whitman county