The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-09-15
Leroy Harrison, Son of Weber
Sheriff, Accidentally Shoots
and Mortally Wounds
Joseph Wadswortl.
DRIVEN TO SUICIDE
BY SHOCKING SIGHT
Probably Insane From Re-
morse, Youth Places Shot
gun to Breast and Fires
Charge Into Heart.
Special to The Tribune.

Special to The Tribune.
~ GDEN, Sept. 14.-Driven to re-
morseful insanity by the sight
" of his dead companion, Joseph
5. Wadsworth, 13. whom he had
accidentally shot, Leroy Harrison, IL.
son of Sheriff Z. e. Harrison of
Weber county, placed the muzzle of
the shotgun TO his own breast and died
instantly from the charge which en-
tered his heart. The shooting occurred
at the ranch of Sheriff Harrison near
Roy, SIX miles southwest of this city,
at $50 o'clock this evening.
The facts concerning the shooting
of the Wadsworth boy will never be-
known, but there is every reason to be-
lieve that it was accidental. John
Cisco, farm hand employed on the
ranch, was the only man who saw the
Harrison boy alive after the shooting
of Wadsworth and his only words
were: My God, John, we shot Joe
Were Boon Companions.
The two hoys had been companions
for the last two years, during which
time no word OF anger had ever passed
between them. The suicide Of young
Harrison after returning alone TO the
house, where he killed himself, is taken
as almost conclusive evidence of the
accidental death Of Wadsworth.
Wadsworth was also shot with the
Ill
The top and back of his head was torn
off by the charge.
Die in Same Room.
Both of the bodies were found In
the same room by Cisco after he had
returned from the home Of neigh
Dor. where he notified the sheriff's of
flee by telepone- Tho sheriff was
at that time aware of the death of only
Wadsworth and the death of his own
son did not become known TO him Nm
til he, accompanied by Deputy Sheriff
George Leatham, an uncle of the boy,
arrived ut tho ranch house.
Mrs Harrison, the mother Of the sui
eide, is in a preca,ious condition TO-
night az a result of the tragedy. She
is at tho home i'll the county building
here.
Fond of Hunting.
The Wadsworth boy was son Of
Frank A. Wadsworlh, residing at Burch
Creek, IL settlement not far from the
Roy district According to Sheriff Har'
rison, his son and the Wadsworth boy
had for sometime past spent their Sat
nrday nights on hunting trips to tha
foothills OF down to the lake. It is sup.
posed that they were ut tho ranch house
preparing for tho regular trip this
evening when the accident occurred
From the position Of Wadsworth's
body il is believed that he was lying on
a cot in one corner of the room when
the shotgun was discharged. Cisco re-
ceivcd his first intimation of the shoot
ing while at work in 6eld about
eighty rods from the house The sher-
if s son ran to where Cisco was and
told of the accident After returning
TO the house with the Harrison boy and
discovering that Wadsworth was dead,
Cisco went to the home Of Dean Brown,
a short distance from the Harrison
farm, to telephone to this city,
Fires Gun With Foot.
Cisco was absent not longer than
twenty minutes. When he returned he
found the body of young Harrison lying
on a bed opposite that on which the
other body had been found. The sher-
iff's son had apparently sat down on
the edge of the bed and fred the shot
gun by buckling a strap over the ting"
ger and firing the weapon with his foot,
The full charge had entered tho left
breast and ranged upward, penetrating
the heart. Harrison was dead when
Cisco arrived at the ranch house.
Temporarily Insane,
Sheriff Harrison said tonight that the
sight OF Wadsworth with the entire
back of his head torn away was sight
which might have driven I'm older per"
son 10 suicido, knowing that the death
Of the person had been caused by him.
Both of the bodies were brought to
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