East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-12-20
FARM LABORERS' PLAY
RESULTS IN TRAGEDY
Slayer Exonerated--- No
Know Gun Was
Loaded

AS a result of playfully pointing a
revolver at William Breeding, his friend
and fellow laborer last evening Will
helm Arp, young farm hand who has
been employed on the John Eggers
ranch near Myrick station for the past
year. today lies dead with a bullet
through his right lung. Responding to
the joking bluff in the same friendly
spirit, Breeding seized 20 calibre
rifle near at hand. raised it and pre-
sented it at Arp AS he did so his
finger touched the trigger, a report
| followed and his friend fell backwards
with a groan, expiring within a few
moments
The two young men were alone at
the ranch last evening, John Eggers
Having. come to Pendleton. Accord
! ing to the testimony at the coroner's
] inquest this morning, Breeding had
I purchased a revolver during the day
from Harry Myrick and had left it
| lying in the kitchen cupboard. About
! five o'clock he entered the kitchen
door. having been to the barn to do
the evening chores. and was con-
fronted by Arp, revolver in hand, who
jokingly commanded him To throw up
his hands.
Entering into the joke Breeding
reached outside the door and seized
the rifle which stood in it's accus-
3 toned place on the porch, and which
he thought empty. Swinging it UP,
he was Mortified to hear a report and
see his friend fall. After a hasty ex-
animation, he rushed to the telephone
and called up DR.. C. ]. Smith and
several neighbors but before anyone
arrived the wounded man had ex-
pired.
Thought Gun Empty.
! How the gun came to be loaded is
/ explained plausibly by Glen Sturdi-
want who was at the Eggers ranch on
Monday. He declares he, Arp and
Breeding used the gun on that day at
target practice and states that the
shell extractor was not in good work
ing order. 1t is supposed, then, that
/ upon returning the gun to it's place,
the lever had been thrown back to
| extract the shell but had failed to
work. Inasmuch as the throwing Of
the lever leaves the hammer raised,
the rifle had therefore been left load
ed and cooked.
Jury Exonerates Breeding.
Coroner Folsom was notified i'm
mediately of the shooting and brought
the body in last night to his morgue.
This morning he secured a coroners
jury and an inquest was conducted. the
jur yexonerating Breeding from any
criminal culpability after listening to
the testimony.
! Five witnesses were examined, Bred
! ing, John Eggers, Gus Arp, Glen
Sturdivant and John Mumm. Breeding
! told his story as given above and
Sturdivant told of using the rifle and
/ of the bad order Of the shell extract
! or. Gus Arp of Helix, father of the
dead boy, declared the boys were the
! best Of friends and. though choking
! with his grief, he eXonerated Breeding
from all blame. Eggers and Mumm
also testified to the friendly relations
! existing between the two young men.
The Verdict.
/ The following is copy of the ver-
dict as returned by the coroner's jury:
That the said William Arp came
to his death on the 10Th day of Dec.
/ 1911, by being shot by a % rifle in
J Nut ndiuS OF Wine Bredlug at about
! 5 p. m. which, from the evidence.
we are convinced that the shooting
was purely accidental and we further
] more wish to eXonerate Willie Bred
/ ing from any criminal intent.
l.. L. PENLAND,
Foreman.
]. NJ RANDOLPH,
J. l.. CARROLL,
KIT HAYS
PHIL MERRIAM,
3. S. WAFFLE.
The victim of the shooting is a son
of Gus Arp, formerly a resident of
Adams and now living in Helix. He
was about % years OF age. Breeding
has been an orphan boy since he was
a baby and has been raised by the
! Eggers family. He is a nephew OF
! Chris Breeding, well known farmer of
the county. Arp had been working
on the Eggers ranch for nearly year
ard Breeding had been employed
there about six months.