The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1912-07-05
However, the Racket from
"Wednesday Evening to
Thursday Midnight Was
the Same as Usual.
A FEW ACCIDENTS
MAR THE HOLIDAY
Little Girl, Thelma Kelly,
Struck by Spent Bullet
Several Hands and Faces
Are Burned.

Fourth of July in Richmond through
a kindly fate was safe and sane" less
than a half dozen being painfully in
jured by explosives. 1t was fortunate
that the toll of dead and injured did
not equal the usual casualty list of In
days when the safe and
sane agitation was unknown because
there was more gunpowder exploded
yesterday than has been used to date
in the Italian-Turkish war.
The immense giant firecrackers were
conspicuous by their absence and the
so-called repeating canes" were miss
ing but there were other canes, just as
dangerous and the smaller firecrack-
ers apparently made as much noise as
the large ones of former years. Despite
the ban on revolvers young men and
boys. and, in few instances, young wo-
men chased about the streets firing
their six-shooters promiscously. Rifles
were also used. In one instance, at
least, a citizen celebrated with re-
volver loaded with ball cartridges.
One of the spent bullets from his gun
after travelling a long distance, lodged
in the side of baby girl who was in
the back yard of her home in the north
end of the city. Fortunately the wound
was not serious.
Noise Started Early.
The racket began at sunset Wednes-
day and died in spasmodic volleys
about midnight Thursday. Thursday
,f+orooox, ~ tho coptral socfiou of TN O
city the gunpowder smoke was almost
thick enough to cut with knife.
Those who have wondered what the
sensation was to be in a naval en-
gagement experienced 1t by taking a
ride in a street car. How those vener-
able vehicles withstood the lombard
ment is remarkable. Torpedo mines
placed along the rails at times fairly
lifted the cars off their trucks Except
a ball game and the theaters there
were no amusements provided for the
holiday crowds and thousands fled to
Glen Miller or to the country. The park
was filled with picnickers throughout
the day and the city band gave two
concerts.
uul Sudy evening thCAS "SiS AAe>AJ
beautiful fireworks displays. Red
lights Of countless balloons illuminated
the black dome of the heavens and
glided gracefully between brilliantly
spraying rockets.
Shortly after midnight when the last
dull boom of giant cracker died away
and peace once more reigned, Mr..
Nervous Citizen rolled over in his bed
and went peacefully to sleep, murmur-
ing, Thank heavens that's over for
another year."
Baby Girl injured.
Probably the most serious and at
the same time the most fortunate ac-
cident in Richmond on the Fourth was
the shooting of little Thelma Kelly,
two-year old daughter of Harry E. Kel-
ly, 712 North Seventeenth street. The
child was in a hammock in the back
yard of her home when a spent bullet
fired by some unknown person, struck
the child on the ninth rib on her right
side The force of the bullet was not
enough to fracture the rib and pene-
trate the body, and it glanced down
ward, inflicting only a painful flesh
wound. Had the ball struck between
the ribs it would have penetrated the
child's liver and would, undoubtedly,
have killed her. The child was prompt.
ly cared for by a physician and is out
of danger.
Cecil. the nine-year-old son of Mr..
and Mrs. Joseph Bender. South Fifth
street, was burned about the left arm
yesterday morning. Young Bender had
a number of firecrackers on the side
walk and while he went into a store to
secure a match another youth lit one
of the crackers. When Bender stopped
to light the cracker it exploded, burn
ing his arm. The accident will not re-
suit seriously.
The eight-year-old daughter of Mrs.
Ethel Patterson, North Second street,
was burned on the left arm yesterday
afternoon. The girl was burned from
the powder of a blank cartridge. The
attending physician stated that the &C
cident was not serious.
Face Was Burned.
While talking to a friend at Ninth
and Main street yesterday morning
shortly before Il o'clock. powder from
a Roman candle, which he had just Lit,