The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-07-09
Responsible For Death of
James Dreury
Coroner Says the Case
Looks Like One of
Accidental Shooting.
User of Revolver Held
at County Jail.
(From Mondays Daily News)

was no uOuDJ accountable LOT the
death of James Dreurey. son of Mr..
and Mrs Alonzo Dreurey, who live on
the Fulton road, about four miles from
the city. The accident, which it is
thought it was by all persons ac-
quainted with the facts in the case oc-
CURED shortly after the midday meal
Saturday at the Dreurey home, and
the house which sheltered a number
of visitors for quiet country Fourth
Of July celebration was thrown into a
home of mourning
1t appears from statements made
that among the visitors at the home
Saturday was Florin Spuhler, the six
teen year old son of Mr. and Mrs.
John Spuhler, living on the Whipple
road, not great distance from the
Dreurey home. and in order to cele-
brate he and the victim commenced to
fire off their revolvers, as young boys
would. They fired their revolvers sew
eral times before dinner was an
nounced, and when the meal was fin
ished the work of firing was again re-
sumed a short distance from the
house. Several young ladies were
seated on the porch at the house and
watched the boys firing their re-
volvers. 1t is said they would whirl
them around their heads and then fire
them off, seemingly enjoying the
sport. While this was being done
James Dreurey dropped to the ground
and the blood spur$ed from a big
hole in his head. A telephone mes
sage was Immediately sent to DR.. L.
d. Stoner, who responded as soon as
possible. He made a hurried exami-
nation and pronounced the young
man IN a serious condition, and the
ambulance from Miller & Blanchard's
was called and he was hurried to
Aultman hospital. At the hospital
DR.. Walker and DR.. Schuffell assisted
Dr. Stoner with the case They found
a large hole in the young mans skull,
portions of the bone being imhedded
in the brain. When these were lifted
the young man seemed to breathe
easier and appeared to regain con-
sciOusness for a short time. but was
unable to tell what happened. He lin
gered until about II o'clock Saturday
night, when death came.
The father of young Dreurey and
his brother were in the city at the
time the accident took place, but
upon his return home the brother I'M
derstood that there might be some
grounds for the arrest of young Spuh- |
'er, as he had understood that this |
young man was jealous of his brother, |
on account of a young lady named !
Rice, who was visitor at their home |
at the time He consulted with Chief |
Smith in regard to the matter. ana !
later Sheriff Wilson was called in, |
and 1t was decided that young Spuh- !
Ter should be arrested. He was found |
at the home of his parents ard |
brought to the city and placed in the |
county jail, pending an investigation
into the case. Young SDuhler was |
greatly excited, and did not seem to |
know exactly what did happen, al |
though he thought it was the bullet |
panion. He denied that there was
anything in the jealousy story, say
ing that he had never met the young |
lady friend of his companion until !
this day.
Young Spuhler said that he had
started out after groundhogs and
when he got as far as the Dreurey
home he was invited in. He says that
himself and a number of other young
men engaged themselves for a while |
in shooting mark at old tin cans and
barrel slaves. and that the shot that
killed his young friend was acci-
dental.
Miss Helen c. Rice, of 1886 North !
Cleveland avenue. who had been in
vited to spend the Fourth at the Dreu-
rey home by young James Dreurey,
the victim. said that there was moth |
ing in the story that caused the arrest
of young Spuhler, as she had never
met or heard of him before the day
of the accident. When it was stated
that James had been shot they
thought it was only a joke, but after
running to the place where he lay
still she found that 1t was true. His
companions famed him until the ar
rival of the doctor, and Spuhler
tried to have the unconscious boy talk
TO him as he waved the fan over the
pale face of his companion.
An autopsy was held over the body
of the boy Sunday at the undertaker's
rooms by DR.. Schuffell and DR.. H. A.
March, the coroner They found the
bullet that did the work. and say that
the injury at the back of the head
must have been caused from the splin-
tered bone of the skull. While Cor
oner March has not made a full ex-
animation. he said Sunday evening
that he believed the shooting was
purely accidental. This is the same
view OF the affair that was taken by
the father Of the dead boy. Young
Dreurey was IS years Of age.
The body OF the victim was taken
to 110S West Ninth street. where
friends of the Dreurey family reside,
and the funeral will take place from
this plrse at time 70 be appointed
JafaM