The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-04-23
George Jones Shot and Killed today by John Alex
ander, Nine-year old Son of Mr.. and
Mrs. Charles Alexander.
MARRIAGE WAS SET FOR SATURDAY
Appalling Tragedy Occurred Shortly Before 8
o'clock at Alexander home, 1920 Ash
Sfreet-RepOrled Accidental.
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: = . . . = . . . = . = = . . =,
= Shortly before o'clock this .
. morning in the basement of the .
. Alexander home, 1920 Ash street, .
. George Jones, a middle aged man, =
. was shot and almost instantly . /
. killed, when a single barrel shot .
y gun in the hands of John Alex . |
. ander, the nine-year-old son of . |
y Mr.. and Mrs. Alexander, and . |
. feeble minded lad was discharg- . |
. ed, and the contents of the shell .
. buried itself in the left cheek of .
= the victim. Jones was to be mar .
. ried tomorrow to Mrs. Lena =
. Hammond who was present in .
y the room at the time OF the trag- .
' edy. The coroner's inquest will =
= be held Saturday morning at =
= o'clock and owing to various .
= circumstances connected and .
= leading up to the affair, the .
. county attorney will be present =
= when the evidence is heard.
%>~~ = . . = . . . = . =. -
Again the pages of history are re-
peated and the record is written m
the blood of a citizen
This morning an appalling accident
occurred which not only caused
death and extreme SORROW in fam
ily. but hlighted a romance which was
to have eliminated in happy mar
riage in Keokuk tomorrow.
cEn hnfnrn
o'clock in the basement of the Welsh
no lie, 1920 Ash street.-the house be.
ing located beyond the North roao
r. road tracks some distance from the
Tenth street bridge-John Alexander,
th, nine year old son of Mr.. and Mrs
Charles Alexander, of 1920 Ash street,
shot and killed George Jones, man
who has lived in the city off and on
+ some time, but who is not very
well known here.
The accident drove terror into the
heart of the mother of the young boy
who accidently committed the deed,
saddened the heart of Mrs. Lena Ham
mond, who on the eve of her marriage
was forced to see her sweetheart kill
= in her presence, and placed the lit
tie boy in state of nervousness from
which he will not recover for some
time.
"a Did Not Know
George Jones, the victim OF the
same old tragedy-"I did not know II
was loaded"-receiyed the full dis
charge of single barrel shot gun In
his left cheek. and his death followed
after very few gaspl.
In the room at the time of the ac
cident were George Jones, the victim
John Alexander. the nine year Old boy
in whose hands the gun was at the
time it was discharged, and Mrs Lena
Hammond, who was to take unto her
self a husband on the following day
Al the time of the shooting Mrs
Alexander, mother of the lad, was II
the yard only short distance away
She heard the shot and next met he
boy with blood streaming down hi
face as a result of the terrific kick 0
the heavy gun. Thinking only of he
younger son, George, whom sh
thought was the victim, she took holt
of Johns arm and together they rush
ed in the direction of the bakery 0
Mayor Charles Off.
Ran to Mayor.
81 did not mean to do 1t, Il di
not mean to do it,
This was all that the frenzied won
an could obtain from the young la
and together they almost ran the er
tire distance to the mayors place
business.
SIN excited tones Mrs Alexander tol
the mayor of the accident, thlnkln
the young child had been killed an
word was sent to the coroner and Tn
police
Coroner Korschgen, officer Wilson
DR.. Dorsey, Blynn Dorsey, John
Ferris. John Leindecker, and Mayo
Off soon reached the scene and toe
whatever evidence could be obtaine
and Undertaken John j. Crimmlr
was called. He Immediately toe
charge of the body and removed 1t
the undertaking par2ors of Grimm
& Chase.
Coroner Korschgen selected a jul
composed of John Ferris. May'
Charles Off and C. A. Wright.
Events Preceding Shooting.
George Jones in company with MI
Lena Hammond arrived at the Ale
ander home some time before the a
cident happened, Mrs. Hammond b
Ing a sister of Mrs Alexander, al
the visit was for the purpose OF Q
tanning such clothes as the form
mad there previous to her marrias
George Jones and Mrs. Hammol
We're seated in one of the baseme
rooms of the house when little Jol
Alexander came in, and known