The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-14

Just as she was preparing to take
her lifelong friend and little playmate
out to help her eat an ice-cream sand
wich, Alice Nuhna1ly. the fve-year- old
daughter of NJ. ID, Nunnally. 71S South
Laurel Street was yesterday afternoon
accidentally shot through the head by
seventeen-year-ol Grace Browning in
the latters home at 7O7 South Laurel
Street.
1t was the old. old story of the "un-
loaded" pistol. Little Alice saw IL on
the washstand in the bedroom of Mrs.
Browning, who was lying Ill at the
time. She picked up the heavy 49,
calibre revolver, as she and the chill
dren of the house had picked It up
many times before, t oeXamine II and
see how 1t worked. Her tiny fingers
were unable to press down the trig-
ger. and Grace Browning took 1t from
the child's hands to show her how it
worked. Little Alice looked up ex-
pectantly. her golden curls clustering
around her face. sharp report
sounded. and the child fell backwards
on the floor. blood streaming from her
face. a Mortified shrek escaped from
the lips of Mrs. Browning. who had been
Ill for several days. The children in
the room screamed as the little visitor
lay still and silent on the floor.
Physician In House.
DIR. J. Frayser Jones. who had just
finished ministering to Mrs. Browning,
was in the hall downstairs, about to
leave, when he heard the blast of the
revolver.
He rushed back upstairs and ran to
the child's side. Picking her up and
getting away from the Mortified chill
dren and the woman i'll in her bed. he
made an eXamina ton and saw that the
wound was serious. The big bullet had
entered the child's head just above the
chin and had plowed its way through
until 1t rested at the base of the skull.
The child was not unconscious, but she
was unable to speak.
DIR. Jones asked that DR.. Stuart Mac
Lean be summoned, and when the lat
ter arrived little Alice was placed in
his automobile and rushed to the Vir-
GINA Hospital There an operation.
said to have been highly successful.
was performed. and the bullet was
found and removed. The child may re-
cover, as she was doing very we'll last
night, but the chances are said to be
against her.
No blame alta hes to Grace Brown
ing. Policeman Huicher, of the Second
District, made a thorough investigation
and felt assured that 1t was but an
other case OF accidental shooting, in
which the usual "unloaded" revolver
was involved.
Share With Friend.
The accident occurred at $50 o'clock.
Alice asked her mother for cents with
which to buy an Ice cream sandwich.
Mrs. Nunnally watched the tiny figure
from her door to see that she escaped
passing wagons. and saw her enter
the home of the Brownings. where she
was wont TO go upon all occasions. II
was her habit when she bought things
for herself TO have little Calls Brown
ing, her playmate and a girl of her
own age, accompany her and share in
her pleasures. Calls did not know
whether she could go to a nearby con-
fectionery. and Alice said she would go
upstairs and ask Callis's mother. as
she had a nickel to spend and to share
She walked into Mrs, Browning's room
as one of Mrs. Brownings own chill
dren. and saw the pistol on the wash
stand. In few minutes she was lying
on the floor with a bullet wound in her
head
The pistol had been in the possession
of Mr.. Browning for years, and had
never been used. He had been reading
all the stories on the Beattie murder
recently. and had decided that "a. un-
loaded p!sol was useless ia cass OF
emergency. So last Sunday morning
he told his eldest SON. Edward. to lond
the revolver. The pistol was cleaned
and loaded and left in It's usual place
But no one thought to tell the children
that their former plaything was now
an Instrument of danger. and it was
picked up and handled idly, as had been
the case thousand times before.
Families Grief-Stricken
Grace Browning. when she saw the
effect OF the deadly play was grief
stricken. as was her mother, who lay
III and powerless to help. The news
was Immediately conveyed to Mr. Nun
naliy and his wife. and they rushed
across the street, afterwards accompa-
hyinS the child to the hospital They
SAID last night that they did not attach
any blame TO Grace and held her not
responsible for the sad accident. The
girl was not arrested. though II Alice
should die the law would have to take
ITS course, and formal warrant for
her arrest would be sworn out.
The Nunnnilys were making ready to
move yesterday, and to-day expect to
move 10 Barton Heights TO make their
future home. Both families have been
lifelong friends, and the Brownings
were AS much grieved over the acct
dent as the parents of the little victim.
The Nunnallys have another child, Car
die, ten wears old