Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1909-10-15
Accidentally Shor and
Killed While Hunting


White, left here early this week on
account of the sad news that Will
Cole, brother of Mrs Gerry, had
been accidentally shot by his companion
while out hunting near Grass Valley,
Nevada county The young man died in
about four hours after receiving the in
juries. Mrs White returned Wednesday
evening, but Mrs Gerry remained until
after the funeral, which was held Wednes-
day afternoon, and to comfort her widowed
mother who is distracted by this
terrible affection. The Nevada Trans
cript of Tuesday gives the following
account of this fatal shooting
The lads started out early in the
morning, Cole going without breakfast
so as not to miss the good shooting of
the early hours. They hunted along
slowly and about 10 o'clock found them
selves on the old McKeon place on the
old Nevada road, adjoining the Hughes
ranch. Soon after 10 O'Clock the dog
scared up a jackrabbit and both started
after it. While Cole was ahead and
stepped behind bush to get out of the
view of the rabbit AS the animal ran
along Coffey espied it and drew his gun
up quickly and shot. AS he did so
Cole stepped out from behind the bush
and received the charge from the barrel
of Coffey's gun. Cole cried out he had
been shot and Coffey ran quickly to his
side. The latter saw at once that the
shot had torn an ugly wound in Coles
clothing and the blood was running from
the wound inflicted. There was no help
within mile or more and the gritty
little hunter, although he had received
his death blow, gamely walked. half a
mile towards assistance, and would have
gone further had he not dropped in
sheer exhaustion from loss of blood
Coffey tried to carry him but was OBJ
liged to abandon the idea. He then
made Cole as comfortable as possible
and ran for assistance, first to the Hughes
place, then to the Simmons ranch and
later to the Morgan ranch, where Ed and
Fred Morgan were found. They drove
quickly to where the injured boy was
lying and although it was half an hour
or longer since he had been left alone
he was still conscious and cheerful.
1t was 10 80 a. m. when the accident
occurred and almost two hours elapsed
before he was taken to his home.
Soon after o. clock in the afternoon
he passed qutely away. Coroner Gill
was summoned and ordered that an
AUTOPSY be held to determine the exact
cause of death. DR.. Carl P. Jones
opened the boy and found that the shot
had spread after entering and the little
leaden pellets were found in almost
every organ. The liver, the spleen, the
intestines and other organs were per-
forated, and even in the heart one bullet
was found. The shot in entering the
body tore hole in the flesh about four
to six inches in diameter, indicating
that the lads were not far apart when the
shooting occurred.
He was Is years of age and was learn
ing to become a cigar maker. He had
served more than three years of abpren-
ticeShip and would have been in posi-
ton to work as a journeyman next
January. He was just able to assist his
widowed mother, who has had her share
of trouble in this world. She is beside
herself with grief and feels that this
latest load is really more than she can
bear. Her boy was more than anything
else in the world to her and she can
hardly reconcile herself to his sudden
taking off. The funeral took place on
Wednesday afternoon.