Evening star., 1912-09-02
EYES ARE SHOT OUT
Stephen Aron, First Victim of
1912 Reedbird Season.
TWO OTHERS ALSO HIT
W. r. Pruitt, Jr., Accidentally Fires
Into Faces of Other Hunters.
MANY GUNNERs IN MARSHES
Owing to Low Tide, Sport Is Poor,
But Game Captured Is in
Excellent Condition.

Stephen Aron. one of party of gunners
on the Eastern branch, was the first VIC
tim reported for the reedbird season Of
1912. While shooting short distance
above the power house at the Benning
bridge this morning, Aron received the
larger part of a load Of birdshot in the
face. the sight Of both eyes being destroy
ed. The shooting was done by w. r.
Pruitt, jr., and was purely accidental.
Pruitt will be arrested, to await the out
come Of his victims injuries, as soon as
he Is found by the police.
Aron, with NJ. and Jim Chaconas of $50
Pennsylvania avenue, went out. In boat
early this morning. Because Of the low
tide and the thickness Of the wild rice
along the marsh 1t was impossible to
take the boat into the swamp. and the
party was shooting along the shore.
Pruitt, who was wading near the party.
did not see the men in the boat when he
fired at a flock of reedbirds. The birds
were flying low, and the charge from
Pruttt'S gun caught the three men in the
boat full in the face.
Taken to Hospital.
Arons face was filled with the small
shot, while the two other members of
the party were literally sprinkled.
Norman Pruitt, an uncle of the man
who did the shooting, took the party to
Millers boathouse, whore the police
were notified and an ambulance was
called. Aron was taken to Casualty
Hospital, while the others went to the
city and had the shot picked out OF
their faces by physician.
Pruitt has only one eye, his other eye
having been shot out in an accident on
the marshes about eighteen years ago.
He lives in Twining City. Aron Is en-
ployed at Chaconas' fruit and vegetable
or OF al
Shooters were almost as thick as reed
birds on the Benning marshes this
morning, and the sport early In the day
was reported poor Birds are re+ plentiful len
tremely low tide this morning kept
the boats out of the marshes. and most
of the shooting was done from along
the shore or by waders Before the day
was many hours old guns were popping
all over the marsh and the birds had
begun to fly very high, making 1t i'm
possible to obtain large bags
Bags Uniformly Small.
Many hunters spent the night at the
lighthouses along the Eastern branch, SO
as to be on hand at the first peep OF
day. These early birds. Of course. had
the cream Of the days shooting. but. as
were shot fell into the thick rice and
could not be retrieved. The bags brought
in were uniformly small. though the
birds were fat as butter
The high tide this afternoon. making
1t possible to get the boats into the
marsh itself, made the shooting better,
though by the time the water was high
enough for the hunters to go into the
rice the birds had become wild.
Gunners were out in force on the
marshes on the Virginia shore this
morning, and birds were reported plenti-
full and fat. The wild rice this year is
heavier than for several seasons.
Max Kirsche, who told the police he is
employed as cook at the Willard Hotel,
was trying his aim on reedbirds near the
Anacostia bridge this morning. He got
within the 200 yard limit of the bridge,
the police say. and Policeman c. r.
Brown of the eleventh precinct arrested
him. Kirsche deposited 81 collateral for
his appearance in the Police Court tomor-
row morning. ......-