The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-07-23
Declares He Prefers Not to
Know Who Fired the
Bullet.
LAD IS KILLED
WITH OWN RIFLE
Meets Death While Romping With
q Little Girl While on
Pleasure Trip


never wish 70 know the name OF the
person VINO fired the accidental shot
that took the boys life. the body Of
'Benuie~ smith. killed while on q pleas
ure Trip al Nt. Holly, Va. late Thurs
day afternoon. lies al his home, SIG
Stanton place northeast, today.
The lad VIII be buried Jomorrow aft
erEoon from Waugh Memorial Church,
former schoolmatss OF the sixteen-year-
old victim acting as psa-bearerz-
loung Smith met his death while he
played among q group OF q dozen
young people, some OF them from
Washington and some residents Of III
Holly, which is forty-five miles below
Colonial Beach, but no one today seems
70 have any idea Of the identity OF the
bog or girI who held the rife
~Bennie'' had few moments before
been engaged IN targst practice Wit
nesses were 50 overcome that they were
unable TO Eivs any clear account OF the
peculiar accident Among them was
Walter smith. the younger brother o
the yictiuqr his motler was IN the no
tel a few rods aWsv- Mrs Smith and
her son reached washington last nigh,
with the body
Father Reaches City
Addison T. Smith. The bows father.
who IS puvaIs secretary to Senator Hey
burn was en route 10 Idaho when re-
called by a MESSAGE telling him Of the
death He reached here this morning
from Newark. Ohio, and Immediately de-
MED a report that ne would demand an
investiEati1n OF the manner in which
-lienuio' met MS death and that he vas
di5sa tis-ied with the verdict Of The Coro-
Her. who rendered a verdict OF accident
81 death
The unfortunate affair was an ac-
clce1L We de not know who fired
tie c1a-@Js shot, and I would prefer
not 10 learn i shan let the matter
i5 nam a. Z =, said Lr- Smith.
Mystery Snrcuds the entire affair
AYCnS smith and q COmpali0n- Jean
LlnSer, son OF Lieutenant Dinger. of
80 - stseel, TINS city. had been praC-
llc-nS target shooting for some mo-
"Bennie~ reloaded his gun. placing
II against a tree Walter believes ro-
eey tnat the boys and girls who later
SSs-l.S UPON lhe scene were unaware
tlat the gun was loaded. and thar ore
g Laem picked 1t up during play and
diSCnargeC IL
Mother Runs To Scene.
That Is about all that Is known Of the
tragedy Walter can recall none Of fhA
names Of those who were present.
neither can Mrs J. Kirby White. OF rbe
Gernania apartments. nor her husband.
both Of whom were within a few feet
Of the little throng on the wharf.
Mrs White ran 10 the boy as soon & :
he feli, shot through the temple, and
placed a handkerchief 10 the wound.
who did ito she asked
I don't know replied every one Of
the dozen persons present.
Jean DinSer was there: so was q Mr.
4saulng- Of Colonial Beach who had
tOYed the launch upon which the visit
ing boys and girls drew up to the Mount
HOIley wharf. but Dinger and TeatIing
were equally ignOrant as 10 the one who
Hred the accidental shot.
Washilgtonians In Party.
Mr. White recalled this morning that
several NVashingtonians were in the
party, among them the owner Of the
launc,s that bore the pleasure seekers
but after thinking steadily for several
minutes. 8Ir- White said that he could
not remember the names OF the visitors
from the Capital.
Our party had been there but a dsv
or two said Mr. White, and thev
were all virtually strangers 10 US The
boys and girls had just begun TO chat
after the visitors landed, when a shot
was heard and Bernie" fell dead It
was one Of those peculiar accidents that
no one saw directly. although e han
pened n our very midst a"
Members OF the Smith and White
families left for Colonial Beach last
Monday Wednesday they met several
young people who IiVe in the neighbor-
hood Of AL Holly, and these came I'D
10 the hotel Thursday afternoon 10 see
their new-maGe friends
Young Jennie" Smith and his COM
panion, D-neer- met them. and e was
while the smith lad played with an
unknown tWeive-year-Old -irl that he
was struck by the stray bullet. He
never reEGined consciousness
After the tragedy both Mrs Smith
and young Dinger became hystertcaI.
fading 10 the general confusion Mrs
Smith is said to be in 8 precarious con-
ditiOn at her home IN this city today
The boy died AZ the Mt. Holly Hotel,
abol three houSS after being shot The
ueal q physician was At Hague, Va,
six = les away He was Dr. H II
Tavior, and he made the cross-country
run II the dying boy in twenty min
uteS- As soon rs he arrived DT. TAYLOR
declared the wound fatal
"A more vital spot could not have been
Colonial Columns, Sz.oo Apiece.
Frank Libbey & Co., 6th & y. z Ave.