Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-07-15
Victims Of me Eour.h

VICTIMS OF me Fourth.
The general report OF celebrations
Throughout the state shows the ouietest.
sanest Fourth for years. Everybody en-
tered heartily into the sports and the tlay
was enjoyed by alI with a much
smaller amount OF money spent than in
previous years. In many towns the sale
of explosives Was regulated by the au-
thorities. Accidents were few, the fol-
lowing being list of the more serious
casualties attendant upon the celebration,
most Of them due to carelessDess.
Defoe Croft of Boston, aged ~ years.
and Linwood Law were the Morrisville
victims. The former, who was passing
the summer with his grandmother. Mr.
K. ]. Hall, discharged a blank cartridge
into one of his hands, seyering an artery
and badly laceratiDg it. Anti-toxin was
used to prevent tetsnus. Young Law re-
ceived painful though less serious injuries
than the Croft boy. A large frecracker
exploded in one OF bis hands, which was
filed with powder and painfully burned.
Regina Rizieri of Barre was holding a
| lighted cannon cracker in his hand when
the cracker exploded and the thumb and
two fingers Of his left hand were torn on.
Amputation was necessary. He was un-
used to firecrackers and did not know
there was danger in holding them.
Leon Cushing Of Fletcher was taken to
the Mary Fletcher hospital Burlington.
after being terribly burned with powder
as the result of celebration held at his
home. The recovery Of his eyesight is
doubtful. The young man was burned
about the head otherwise and a large cash
was made in one shoulder. Mr. Cushing,
with other young men, placed some pow
der in hole in a rockAn had connected
q lighted fuse to it. The powder did not
explode at first and while investigating
the cause Of the delay there was a report
and Cushing was hurled from the spot,
burned and discoIored.
Two minor accidents occurred in Win
ooski. The 16-year-old son of Mr.. and
Mrs. Victor Piche, while firing a toy pis-
I tol, had his right hand badly burned by
the explosion Of cartridge. Miss vir-
GINA Cormier suffered q similar accident
and received painful burns about the
right hand.
/ Frank Keyzer, Montpelier youth aged
eleven years, fred blank cartridge into
his hand and was disabled several DAYS.
I The most serious accident which oe-
Cured in Bennington was q painful in
| jury to the left hand of Francis fourteen
/ year-old son of Mr.. and Mrs. John II.
Leahy. The boy had never been allowed
/ by his parents to use firecrackers or other
explosives to any extent and showed no
desire to do SO. Saturday night, July 8.
however, be was with a party of boys of
his own age who had liberal supply OF
large arecrackers. Some OF his compan-
ions dared him to set one of in his hand.
Being unacquainted with the power Of
the explosive and, like all bows, unwiII-
ing to be known as 8 coward, he set the
cracker on. The force OF the explosion
Iacerated the base OF the forelnger
and q portion OF the wadding was
driven into the hand. The palm OF the
hand was also badly burned.
While Mrs. Carl Knapp OF Montpelier
was returning home from Barre on an
electric car, July 5, 8 cannon irecracker
was thrown into her lap by lad named
Burke of Montpelier. The cracker ex-
/ ploded, tearing her clothing to shreds
and seriously burning her body. No
other passenger on the car was injured.
Proceedings against Burke were begun,
but he paid for the dress, said be didn't
mean TO toss the cracker where il went,
and they were stopped.
By premature explosion of a small
cannon, Walter Landon OF MiddIebury
lost the third and fourth fingers on his
left hand and it was also necessary to am
putate portion Of the hand. He was
engaged in leading the cannon immedi-
ately after it had been discharged and it
is supposed that q spark ignited the
charge and caused the explosion.
John Playful, eighteen years OF age,
employed in Berkshire, shot himself
through the hand the Fourth. He was
fooling with the revolver. which acct
dentally went of, the bullet passing
through the palm of his left hand and
then through the side of the house.
As the result OF celebrating the Fourth,
the young son Of Mr.. aud Mrs. Edward
Greenough OF Colchester, who was visit
ing in Ninooski, was shot in the hand
by some unknown boy v 18th toy pistol
The wound is in the fieshy part OF the
hand and is q serious one. Another acct
dent happened to the young son Of Ar
thur Delage, who was shot by a boy play
mate in one eye as he was looking
through a screen door. 1t is probable
that the boy will lose the sight OF his
eye.
\ Tadiqsi hair NuOrr Mro paar