New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-01-07
New Years Eve Tragedy In
Home of Wenzel Kraus in
Wallachei.
Daughter Dies of Wounds
From Gun Used in
Celebrating.

Years Eve, Barbara, the seventeen
year old daughter of the family hu
was at bt me on Christmas visit wac
accidentally shot by her brother Wen.
eel, and died at the hospital few
hours later. This is the sec md sud.
den death IN the family in the year
just past as Joseph BIGGER. twelve year
old step-brOiher Of The dead girl, was
accide ntally drowned while bathing il
the Cottonwood last Decoration Day.
The regre,table shooting accident
took place Wednesday evening after
the family had been enjoy ing Second
Christmas Celebration about the
lighted tree. The children had been
told to 60 to bed after the candles
burned low and Barbara, with her
step-sister, Bertha Rieger, we're i1
their room undressing. The former
was seated on the bed as she made her
preparations for sleep when her
brother, Wenzei, lad of fifteen, wa.
told to bring " his father the gun
which the boy bad been using tn at
afternoon to hunt rabbits. Mr.. Kraus
had mind To usher in the New Yea,
with as loud nOlse AS he Gould pro.
duce aud the gun was to be the noise.
making instrument. Wenzel, Jr.
started to obey his father and was o..
his way down stairs With the weapon
When Something, no one can say VIA
II was, caused The gun TO explode AUD
as 1t was just in lire with the p,r,
Gated on the bid she r. ceived the fuI,
charge OF No. shot in the sil- just
above the appendix. The shot tore
great wounds IN the intestines and thu.
she was at once hurried IT, The upe, a..
Ing table NJ LnrelLO Hospital the shili
OF three surgeons could not Nv rcome
the shock of the injury and the yuun.
girl died just after Midnight, some
three hours after the accident
occurred.
Meanwhile, Wenzel, Jr. was taken
10 Charge by bis uncle, jus. Rewi,z-r.
New Years morning he was taken il.
custody by the police and was placed
IN Jail to await results OF til, iuvesti.
CATION but was released in the eve.
ning when his parents pleaded Tor him
and promised to have him on hand y,
the investigation Friday morning
Inc story told by all witnesses was
Identical and no blame beyopd thu,
attributable TO carelessness could H..
tach to anyone. The members of the
family, generally. placed the blame on
the gun, claiming it was poorly made
and that the safety lock on il would
work ohly in certain POSITIONS. Tn.
boy thought it was working when the
she'll was exploded. That the ioadeu
shells were left in the gun was also
shown to have been unintentional as
they were left there after the bows
hunting expedition.
The Cor''ner's Jury consisting of J.
+, Graft, Otto Meyer, Herman Cordes,
M. Hlppert, Anton Wlesner aud
Eugene A. Pie fferle, after hearing the
testimony, returned a verdict of acc,-
dental death by shooting. Coroner
Reineke denounced The sale of firearms
Of the type OF the one concerned. r.
appears the gun was purchased in
New UIm and was absolutely unre.
liable aitho The safety device az.
peared to work satisfactorily when the
gun was held in certain POSITIONS
Coroner Reineke declared that So
long AS the sale of such firearms il
permitted so long will there be TRACE !.
dies similar to the one which has
shocked everyone by it's pitiIul as pect.
The funeral was held Saturday
morning from Holy Trinity Catholic
Church, Rev. Father Schlinkert oftici.
ating.
At the annual meeting Of Denkm Il