Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-05-07
AUTO RIDE HAS Fatal ENDING.
Gus rribbie, fa Wears OF Age, Died
from Accidental Pistol Discharge.

Su Win l1tAi lSoullS Lux ouS VI euS
young men in the party was partici-
pated in last Friday night by Gus
Tribble, the young man who lost his
life; w. T. Edwards, S. P. Abbott,
Thos. Nimmons, Of Seneca, and Har-
old Brennecke, Of Walhalla
Young Tribble operated a public
service car out of Seneca, and he and
the three young men from Seneca
drove into Walhalla quite late, Stop
ping at the drug store Of DR.. j. w.
Bell, where they invited Harold
-Brennecke, who clerks for Dr.. Bell,
to join them, which he did, and the
party drove to Westminster.
On their return one of the tires of
the auto received pupcture and
Tribble stopped the machine to eX-
anime for the extent of the injury.
He had gotten out his pump and was
Initiating the defective tire, when, be-
coming heated, he pulled off his coat
and threw 1t across the fender Of the
machine. This act was Immediately
followed by a loud, half muffled re-
port, which the occupants of the car
attributed to the tire, thinking that
in blowing it up tight it had burst.
But almost instantly young Tribble
sank to the ground and the boys re-
allied that something had gone
wrong. They went to Tribble's as
sistance, but he was unable to artic-
ulate plainly, and gave no indication
as to where his wound was. 1t was
later discovered that his inability to
speak we'll was due to the fact that
he had been shot in the throat,
though there was no outward evil
dence of a wound. Close examina-
fition, however, disclosed a bullet
wound in the throat, which was
bleeding internally. thus preventing
the young man from talking readily.
1t was then discovered also that
when, Tribble had thrown his coat
over the fender pistol, which was
carried in his inside coat pocket, had
been discharged by the jar of the
coat as it fell against the front of
the car.
The other. four occupants of the.
car realized, as soon as the wound
was located, that 1t might be very
serious, and they dispatched a young
man whom they awakened from
house nearby for doctor. Not one
of the young men was familiar with
the running of the car, but Harold
Brennecke made the attempt to start
for Walhalla, accomplishing the feat
SO well that they reached town al
most as soon as the young man
whom they had sent ahead OF them.
The accident occurred between two
a. d three miles from Walhalla, near
the residence Of Dr.. r. G.. G. Fahne-
stock, on the Walhalla- Westminster
road.
On reaching Walhalla the young
man who was injured was examined
by DR.. j. w. Bell, who rendered such
assistance as could be given at the
time, and Mr.. Tribble was taken cn
to his home in Seneca, later being
put on the first train for Greenville,
in the hope Of being able 10 reach
surgical attention and hospital treat
ment, but he died just after reaching
the city.
The unfortunate young man was a
son of the late DR.. Gus TTibble His
mother resides in Seneca now, as
does his grandfather, DR.. John Hop
kinS, and number of close rela-
tives. The bereaved ones have the
sympathy Of host of friends in their
great sorrow.
On Saturday afternoon an inquest
was held in Seneca, Coroner Whit
Knox in charge, when the following
affidavits relative to the sad acci-
dent were made:
Sworn Statement
of Harold Brennecke. S. P. Abbott,
w. T. Edwards and T. r. Nimmons:
1--WE, the Undersigned, while riding
in an automobile between Westmin-
ster, s. c., and Walhalla, s. c., and
driven by the deceased, Augustus G.
Tribble, stopped on the road about
three miles from Walhalla on ac-
count Of a leaky tire. Mr.. Tribble
was rearing the tire, and removed
his coat, throwing same on the auto
mobile, and we heard an explosion,
and saw Mr.. Tribble sink to the
ground, and when examining him
found that he was shot. Then, ex-
amining the coat, we found a pistol
on the inside pocket, with an explod-
ed cartridge in the pistol and the
coat perforated and burned by the
| explosion. We Immediately placed
Mr.. J'ribble in the automobile, took
MIN to Walhalla, and summoned
physician, DR.. j. w. Bell Mr. Trib-
bic was conscious and talked after
he was shot. None OF us knew that
he had the pistol until after he was
shot. None Of us was ;iaaer the in
fiuence of Intoxicating liquors. We
were driving from the town of West
minister to the town OF Walhalla, on
the main road, when the accident
happened near the residence of DR..
t. G. G. Fahnestock. There were no
stops made on the trip except a short
one for the sole purpose Of repairing
tire. tSigneO:
"W. r. Edwards,
"T. r. Nimmons,
IS. p Abbott,
Harold Brennecke."