Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-09-14

gether. McQuaid finished his supper
first and going out into the office,
picked up a pack of cards and com
menced playing solitaire. When the
others came out some card tricks
were done, and finally Mead said he
had pack in his grip and would get
il and show them another trick. He
opened his grip and when he returned
TO the table he had in his hands the
cards and also an automatic pistol.
Mead was seated at one end of the
eight foot table, Slavik at the oppo
site end, and the other two men on
one side of the table to the left of
Mead. Mead held the pistol in his
hand and asked, Did you ever see
anything like that?" And then, to
the surprise of all, the pistol was
discharged. Mr. Mead Immediately
asked rs anybody hurt?" Mr.. Nc
QUAD and Mr.. Davey answered that
they were not hurt, but Slavik neither
spoke nor moved. The latter was
sitting in a high back chair and look
ing in his direction Mr.. McQuaid
thought he saw him settle down a lit
tie, but otherwise he did not move.
He was Immediately examined and it
was found that the bullet from the
revolver had entered his left breast
and that he was dead. 1t is be-
lieved that the ball passed through
his heart and that death was in
Simultaneous. Except for the slight
sinking down in his chair he did not
move after the shot was fired. DR..
Webster of Amherst was called but
of course could do nothing.
Slavik had intended to leave the
Junction during the day on the Green
Bay & Western, but missed the train
and was waiting for the next one.
Mr.. Mead, who is a young man
about twenty-five years of age, was
completely unnerved by the accident.
| He tainted several times and in his
excitement called for the sheriff and
also for his mother and fiance,
both of whom live at st. Paul The
latter, at his request, were tele-
graphed for He is quite well known
to some of the business men of this
city.
Mr.. McQuaid came to this city
over the Green Bay & Western We'd
nesday evening and this morning ap-
peared before District Attorney Mel
son and made a statement of the sad
affair He said he thought it was
his duty to all concerned to give the
full details, and the account here
given covers all the material stat E.
ments made by him.
LATER.
This forenoon District Attorney
Nelson and Coroner Boston visited
Amherst Junction, where the former
interviewed the persons who were
familiar with the particulars of the
accident. 1t was learned that after
getting the revolver out of his grip
about to draw the cartridge from the
barrel, when the weapon was dis
charged When handling the pistol
he was pointing it toward the win
dow, but appears to have uncon-
sciously pulled it around The bull
let struck the hardwood table, max
ing a mark about one-sixteenth OF
an inch deep and nearly two inches
long, and then glanced and struck
Slavik, as above stated. The wea-
pom was a 80 caliber Colt automatic.
Slavik, it was learned from papers
found on his person, had been work
ing as a farm hand in one of the
Dakotas, and was on his way to his
home in Forestville, Door county.
L. F. Mead, the owner of the re-
| volver, is % years old and travels
for Finch, Van Slyck & McConvill
of St. Paul.-Stevens Point Daily
Journal.