, 1906-11-09
DAVID HOLMES OF OAKLEY SENDS
BULLET INTO BRAIN OF
JOHN HULL SUTPHIN
OF THIS CITY.
Was Purely Accidental, According to
Evidence Before Coroner, One Boy
Asking to Be Shown Weapon
Owned by Other-HoImes Wild
With Grief, but Not Held to Blame
by Parents of His Victim.

Another distressing accident has
been added to the list here in Laramie
this one resulting in the death of a
promising lad, who was born and rear
ed in this city, and whose future seem
ed as ~roseate as that Of any young man
in the state, and his companion living
under a load of remorse n regret
that will be his portion for many years,
1t was an accident all the more sad as
again proving how dangerous is the
seemingly harmless revolver in the
hands of one who did not know it was
loaded. 1t shows the harm that will
come occasionally-and the occasions
are growing sadly more frequent
from the habit boys have of owning
and handling revolvers, with no more
use for them as a means of defense
than a pair of wings and from an
economical standpoint even less.
Almost Instantly Killed.
At about 5 O'Clock yesterday after
noon John Hull Sutphin, the 15-year-
old son of Mr.. and Mrs. w. B. Sutphin,
was shot and almost instantly killed
by his schoolmate, David Holmes of
Oakley, Wyo., in the rooms of the lat
ter at the Hortenstein home on Fifth
street, in the presence of Sumner
Grant and James Roddy, the latter of
Diamondville, Wyo., all four being stu
dents of the university. 1t is certain
that the shooting was purely accident
al, young Holmes being almost wild
with grief and threatening to end his
existence from the weight of remorse
An inquest was held today, but it is
not likely the officers will take any
action to hold Holmes for the killing.
Wanted to See Pistol.
From the evidence of Holmes. Grant.
Roddy and DIR. Hamilton on the wit.
ness stand today, the facts are about
these: The four boys had been in
Holmes room at the Hortenstein house
during the afternoon. Sutphin knew
that Holmes owned the pistol, a 80
calibre double action revolver, with a
very long barrel, and asked that it be
shown him. At first, Holmes said, he
demurred against getting the weapon
from his trunk, telling Sutphin that he
had already seen it. The latter. &C
cording to Holmes, insisted, and
Holmes went to his trunk and got
the weapon. Raising the muzzle to
Sutphin's face. he pulled the trigger
and young Sutphin sank to the floor.
Holmes was so astonished that the
pistol had gone off that he dropped it
and ran down stairs, later realizing
hat he had shot his friend.
Made obIong Wound.
The ball entered young Sutphin's
forehead, about an eighth of an inch
to the left OF the center and on line
with the eyebrows. The bullet did
not enter point foremost exactly. ac-
cording to the belief of DR.. Hamilton.
but turned point upward. making an
oblong puncture of the skull, the
woung being ive-sixteenths of an inch
wide and ten-sixteenths long. 1t prob
ably ranged upward, for Sutphin was
taller than Holmes and the barrel of
the weapon was perhaps slanting up
ward at the time of the shot. The
brain was penetrated. but the main
artery was not cut, there being not a
great amount of hemorrhage.
Position of the Body.
From the testimony of the witnesses
Sutphin fell where he stood, receiving
what DR.. Hamilton thought was a
bruise over the left eye by coming in
contact with some object as he fell.
He stood in the room facing eastward
not far from a door leading into the
closet, where Holmes had his trunk
and sank backward, his head lying tc
the west, only a few inches from the
corner of a dresser which stood in the
corne of the room. He lived a few
seconds, perhaps, but did not speal
or attempt to speak, as far as known
Physicians on the Scene.
DR.. McCollum was soon on the scene
in answer to a telephone message from
Mrs. H~ortenstein, DR.. Tebbitt a%rrivinI
a little later. Young Sutpbin was be
yond the help of either before thei
arrival. The remains were turne
over to Undertaken Stryker, and take
to his Third street morgue, wher
Coroner Fitch and his jury, Hug.
Hynds, F. H. Eggleston and Richar
Butler, found them this morning. The
will be delivered to the griefstricket
parents later.
Was Cheap Pistol.
Holmes says he purchased the re