The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-28
COrOner's Jury in Asa James
Case Make Finding.
Killing of the Boy the Result of
Gross Carelessness.
BLAME ON THE UNCLE.
Severely Censured for Giving
Boy a Cooked Gun.
Trial of Children in Probate
Court Next Week.

The coroner's jury in the inquest
into the cause of death of Asa C.
James. the nine-year-old boy shot and
killed last Sunday at Rossville, return
Ted a verdict at Z o'clock last night
finding extreme carelessness on the
part of Peter Kovar. the ten-year- old
playmate, who fired the shot, and more
particularly on the part of his uncle,
Will Kovar, who had given him the
gun.
The jury went further to recommend
that the elder Kovar be censured for
his act and suggest that the law of
children carrying firearms be more
vigorously enforced. The verdict as
returned is as follows:
THE said jurors, upon their oaths,
do say that Asa c. James came to his
death by gun shot wound, the gun
being in the hands of Peter kovar, on
the evening of May. %, 1910, and we
further find that the shooting was
carelessness on the part of" Peter Ko-
var and that if his uncle, William
Kovar, had used good Judgment and
not allowed the boy to have had the
gun, the shooting would have been
prevented. We censure the said Will
liam Kovar for his carelessness and
recommend that the law be more
vigorously enforced in regard to fire
arms and especially on the Sabbath. y
A crowd of more than 400 people as
sembled in RossvilIe to attend the
hearing and the town hall being too
small, Mood hall was hired for the in
quest. Sheriff J. D. Norton, County
Attorney Schenck and Coroner H. H.
Keith returned to Topeka this morn
ing.
The evidence in the case they re-
port showed that William Kovar had
given his nephew the 80 caliber rife,
put a shell in it, cooked it for him,
and saw him go off with John Selik
to shoot crows The Selik boy also
carried a gun, a % caliber rifle, and
had plenty of shells.
Several witnesses testified that they
had heard two shots fired. Selik had
turned the gun with one shell in it
and had no more. He said he had
gotten that other shell a week before
from another playmate, Joe Churney,
of the same age. Those two shells so
far as can be learned are all the lad
had to hunt crows with. Selik's gun
was a smaller one and his ammunition
was of no avail. Hence it was simply
the uncle slipping shell in the gun,
cooking it, and sending the boy off to
explode it.
Great excitement prevailed among
the crowd of farmers and townspeople
who are said to have been free in CEN
surfing the uncle. The boy, Kovar,
told on the stand the same story ne
told the officers here about his gun
getting caught in his clothes when he
turned to leave Asa James. He told
it in a straightforward manner and
was not doubted.
Furthermore, his recital was cor
roborated by John Se1ik and by Joe
Churney, who were with him, though
the latter had no gun. He testified
further that the boys had previous to
getting the rife from Will Kovar,
been shooting at a mark with Seliks
rifle.
The jury in the case which lays the
blame so largely on the shoulders of
the uncle was composed of J. M.
Franklin. L. F. Page, M. R. Wood,
Marion Lasswell, B. c. Lvnde, H. Mil
Ter. Coroner Keith officiated.
The trial of Peter Kovar and John
Selik on the charge of being delin
quent children Will be held next Fri
day in the juvenile court