The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-05-20
William Wallace Miller, 10 Year
Old Somers Boy, Shoots Him
self on His Birthday
ScHOOLMATES FIND BODY
Little Boy had Taken Revolver From
His Home and Shot Himself While
on the Way to school-Body
Found Late Monday

One of the saddest accidents ever
reported in Kenosha county occurred
on Monday when William Wallace Mil
Ter, the ten-year-old son of Mr.. and
Mrs. John w. Miller, we'll known peoa
pie of Somers, shot and instantly kill
ed himself in an orchard on the farm
of Joseph Bishop, one of the prominent
farmers of the town. The shooting of
the little boy was a tragedy of child
hood which has stirred the sympathy
of the entire town. 1t is supposed that
the Miller boy died just before nine
CLOCK Monday morning while he was
on his way to school at district No.
| in Somers, but the facts of the
tragedy did not become known Until
late in the afternoon VIXEN his school
companions returning to their homes
found the lifeless body of the little
boy lying in furrow on the Bishop
farm. Mr.. and Mrs Miller and the
members of the family were Frustrated
by the sad fate of the boy.
Monday was the birthday of the lit
tie Miller boy. He was ten years of
age and he was in great spirits when
he left his home to go to the district
school half a mile away from the house.
Last Saturday one of the chums of the
boy had celebrated his twelfth birthday
and on this occasion he had been pre-
scented with rife. This had been a
matter of great interest to the Miller
boy and before he left his home for
school he went into the pantry of the
house and sought out an old Smith and
Wesson revolver which was owned by
his father and which had been kept on
the top shelf of the pantry The re-
Holver was fully loaded and the BOY
climbed up and got it and slipped out
of the house with it without the fact
becoming known to either his father
or mother He started across the
fields to school happy in the possession
of gun and this was the last seen of
him alive. He failed to arrive at
school and this caused some discussion,
but as it was his birthday the teacher
concluded the Miller boy had decided
to take, holiday and that he was at
home with. his parents and little more
was thought of the matter.
During the morning little Baelia An
derson, one of the children in the same
class with the dead boy, declared to
the teacher that as she came past the
Bishop orchard she heard a shot and
saw a man laying in the orchard with
his head on fire, but the teacher and
students did not pay much attention to
the story thinking that the little girl
was imagining the story. After school
closed the Anderson child led her COM
panions to the spot in the orchard aud
there they found the dead body of
their former school mate. The boy had
been dead for seven or eight hours
when found. A bullet wound in the
top of his head showed the cause of
the death and the bullet had pierced
the most vital portions of the brain.
The little fellow must have died in
stantly.
The children who found the body Of
the boy ran to the houses in the neigh
borhood and summoned help. DR..
Andre was called and he summoned a
jury and viewed the remains after
which they were removed to the Miller
home. The jury returned verdict of
accidental death. An examination of
the revolver which was till e1utched in
the hand OF the dead child showed that
two of the chambers had been emptied.
It looked as if the boy had stumbled
and fell over fl1rrow and it is sup
posed that in falling his hand struck
the trigger of the old fashioned revolt
yer and it was exploded close to his
head. The cap which the boy was
wearing had been burned by the fire
from the revolver and it was this
smoking cap that had been seen by
the little Anderson girl as she was
walking near the orchard.
The dead boy was a general favorite
in the neighborhood and his tragic
death has caused great sorrow.