Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1913-01-08
AUNT ACCIDENTLY
SHOT BY NEPHEW
Shot Gun in Hands Of Roland
Cundiff ExplOdes.
MISS EVA CUNDIFF VICTIM
Top Of Her Head Blown OF in
Tragedy at Admiral. This County
Boy Frustrated

While standing with an armful Of
wood, kindling a fire in the kitchen
range, Miss Eva H Cundiff, 40 years
old, of Baltimore. was instantly
killed yesterday afternoon by the ac-
cidental discharge of 16-bore shot
gun ir the hands of her nephew, Ro-
land Cundilf IL years old, at 2
o'clock in the afternoon The trag-
edy occurred at the home of Miss
Cundiff's brother, John c. Cundiff. at
Admiral. in the Fourth district Of
this county, whom she had been visit
ing since Thanksgiving
Miss Cundiff's i death was practi-
cally instantaneous. The top of her
head was literally blown off, and the
brains were spattered all over the
kitchen floor. 1t was a gruesome
sight that greeted neighbors who ar
rived at the house shortly after the
accident.
The lad ran. screaming. from
the houes, and but for che prompt
arrival of a neighb0r. w. J.. Moss,
it is believed he would have sought
to end his own life. The young man
is in state of collapse, and on the
advice of DR.. o. H. Mcnamara the
authorities did not place him under
arrest.
Both Coroner Byron Phelps. who
summoned a jury of inquest, and
Chief Deputy Sheriff Grafton Boone,
who went to the scene soon after be
ing notified. declared it was a case Of
accident, and after a brief hearing
the inquest was adjourned to meet
Saturday evening.
The only persons in the home of
the Cundiff at the time of the trag-
edy were the principals. Miss Cundiff
as been keeping house while Ro-
lands mother was in Baltimore pay
ing Christmas visits. Young Cundiff
was in such a state of collapse that it
was impossible to interview him, and
jIst what happened is best told by
the neighbor, Mr.. Moss, the first per-
son on the scene, who is caring for
the lad at his home.
81 was coming down the road, =
he said, when Roland ran out. wiring
ing his hands, exclaiming: 'Oh,
have killed my aunt. ! didn't do it.
The gun just went off. Then / tried
to calm him and he told of its hap
pening in this way:
My aunt said come over to tht
fire and look ct the wood sparkling
and I said auntie you are making fun
of my wood again. The crews were
making lot of noise in the woods
and said I'm going to give father
a surprise. AS | said that | reached
up for the gun and it went off.
Il took the lad home and rushed
into the house and found the place
filled with smoke. Miss Cundiff was
lying in front of the stove and lid
was off the stove. She must have
had the lid off putting wood in when
the shot went off. Part of her head
was on top of the tea kettle and the
hair was being singed, for it was
resting on one of the lids of the
stove. ] put the hair on the floor and
then telephoDed for the doctor.
Mr.. Cundiff. father of the lad ard
brother of the victim, who up to two
years ago was well known as a build
er Mount Washington, is now en-
ployed as carpenter in the shop of
the Washington, Baltimore and An
napolis Railroad at Academy juno
tion. He was notified shortly after
8 O'Clock of the affair and hastened to
his home. He at once dispatched
another son to Baltimore to -acquaint
his mother with the accident. 1t was
necessary for him TO visit all of the
Baltimore relatives before he was
able to find his mother, and then she,
too, collapsed from the shock.
Mr.. Cundff was in highly nervous
state. In speaking of the aifsir he
said:
81 know it will eventually kill my
| bov. He will never be able to sur
yive the shock. He will lose his
mind. He will always say that peo-
pie blame him FIR killing his aunt,
and know it was an accident He
and his aunt got along together as
lovingly as ady two people could.
| They were real chums, and this thing
will haunt him as long as he lives.
bad luck SEEMS to follow me.
have not been we'll Ny Business
wedt all to smash after six years at
Mount Washington. Now | am here
and | am sorry that ever came to
Anne Arundel county. 1t SEEM 3
bad place for me and, if | didn't
have everything possessed in the
world tied up here, ! would pull VI
stakes. =