Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-12-16
IS FATALITIES.
Results Of Accidents Dur
ing Hunting Season.
Twelve Were Due 10 Shooting
and One 70 Drowning.
Season Was Accompanied by Usual
Number Of Accidents.

The record of the Maine hunting sea-
son which closed at midnight Tuesday
shows that during the time when the
law allowed the killing of game in the
State Is persons met their, deaths by
accident, II of them by the use of fire.
arms and one by drowning. Two were
shot by brothers, two by companions,
five shot themselves by the accidental
discharge of their weapons, two were
shot by being mistaken for a deer, and
one man was shot by a hunter while
the latter was aiming at a deer.
Ralph Downs was fatally shot by a
gun in the hands of Seth Chambers, in
the woods on Chadbourne's Hill, about
two miles from Sanford, on the after
noon of Sept. %. The young men had
been out cunning and were laughing
and joking on their way home. Cham
bers lifted his gun. and pointing it at
Downs. pulled the trigger. not think
ing that the weapon was loaded. 1t
was discharged and Downs shot in the
back. Raymond Downs, q brother of
Ralph, while driving for a doctor at a
furious rate of speed, was thrown from
wagon on Chadbourne's Hill. His
face and body were severely cut. one
shoulder was dislOcated and he also
received internal injuries.
Andrew MusherO, aged 1? years. of
Danforth, while hunting with Joseph
Wheaton Sept. %. in getting his gun
out of boat care1essly pulled the
weapon toward his body and it was
1t, 81, iii, in CT nf
the seats. The bullet entered his abb
domen, and he lived but few hours
dying a few minutes after arriving at
his home, a mile away, where he was
carried by his companion. Coroner M.
l.. Porter of Danforth deemed that an
inuuest was unnecessary.
Irving Pickard, aged q years, was
accidentally shot by his brother Will
liam, aged 25 years, while the two
young men We're out duck hunting on
the Eastern river. some distance from
their home at Dresden on the after
noon of Oct 3. The younger brother
heard the crack of Williams gun and
started towards him to see how sue
cessful he had been just as William
fired again and received the shot full
in the head. The wounded boy fell in
his tracks and died Immediately. The
coroner being at distant point, the
selectmen acted on the matter and
we're satisfied that the shooting was ac-
cidental. .f
Roy Jarvis. aged % years, of Middle
ton, Mass, was killed at Charlotte.
Washington countN,3 on the afternoon
of Oct. 8, by the accidental discharge
of his gun. Jarvis and companion
started out hunting shortly after noon
and after reaching the place where
they intended entering the woods,
hitched their team and proceeded to
remove the guns. Jarvis rife. a A
caliber Winchester, was lying in the
bottom Of the wagon. and the young
man took hold of it by the muzzle and
started to pull it towards him when
the trigger caught in some unac-
countable manner and the weapon was
discharged, the heavy ball entering his
stomach and passing through the lower
corner of the left lung, just grazing
the heart.
An inquest was deemed unnecessary
after an investigation by Coroner Fred
p. Adams into the killing of Wilfred
fdfdtlS, dSSu 10 SCdiS, VI A<etnS A'AS
santic, Quebec, in the woods at Skin
ner Village, near Lowellton. Oct. D
Paradis, who had been employed fight
ing forest fires by Skinner, French &
Co.. with another young man was
walking the Canadian Pacific Railroad
right of way when a deer was seen on
the north side of the track half
mile east of Skinner settlement. His
companion went back and notified
Cahuncey Skinner who is the senior
member of q large lumber concern
and he came down the track with a
rifle. The deer was in plain sight when
Skinner fired. Going towards the
deer they found Paradis lying face
downward on the north side of the
track, shot through the chest and
shoulder. He died in few moments
He had been lying flat on his stomach
in a direct line between the deer and
Mr.. Skinner but was not visible
Probably he arose to see what become
of the deer and received the bullet in
tended for the deer. Coroner Adams
found that Mr.. Skinner is an expert
enced hunter, that he plainly did not
mistake the man for deer as the deer
WAS Ill pIdlIl NlSN eIhN eAhA@ Wy
was killed out Of the range of vision
and entirely by accident.
Ernest f. Fowler, aged q years, was
killed by the accidental discharge of a
rifle in a room at his home at Brewer
on the morning of Oct. S. the buile'
entering the left side of his body anC
causing almost instant death
Coroner Hall was notified but did moi
deem an inquest necessary.
Milford Fox. aged IS years. of Chap
man Plantation, died Oct. 13 from tn;
effects of bullet wound received thu
previous day. He and a brother, L
| years old, were playing with %
| caliber revolver. The younger boy
not knowing it was loaded. pulled tn
trigger and the bullet enter Milford
| abdomen.
| Herbert w. Cummings of Bethel