Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-02-08

HE WAS 25 YEARS OF AGE.

SsAASA AVAAA6 AAA0AA DAAtpSN
and Fell.
The community was shocked and
Mortified Saturday afternoon about
three o'clock to hear that Alive M
Wright, young. unmarried man
twenty-five years of age who has
made his home with his brother,
John Wright, for the past five years,
had met his death in a shooting ac-
cident on the farm operated by the
latter--the former F. A. Edwards
farm, just southeast Of the city.
The young man had left the barn
yard to hunt and set traps about ten
o'clock in the forenoon and the fam
lily becoming anxious after dinner,
began a search for him finding his
lifeless body about two o'clock in the
afternoon. within calling distance of
the barn, stretched out on the icy
hillside, a gun shot through his
head. The body was lying about
twenty-five feet down the side Of the
hill just below the barn lot a little
northwest Of the north barn.
Indications were that the unfort-
unate young man had. upon leaving
the barnyard, made his way down
the hill which is very steep, to a
point where, he had evidently chang
ed his course and started to climb up
the hill again to cross over a point
or land just outside Of the barn
fence. Tracks in the snow showed
that he had been within about twen-
ty feet of the top when he began to
slip and as he slipped, he threw his
head little to the left. He had
carried the shot gun in his left hand
ana the shells showed that as he
slid, he must have struck the stock
of the gun severe blow on the ice
for one Of the shells was exploded
the shot entering the head just In
front of the left ear so close to the
head that powder burns were visi-
BILE. The wound was q CHASTITY one,
for the shot plowed its way out on
the right side Of the nose disfiguring
it beyond all recognition.
The victim df the accident must
have died a painless death and
doubtless never had moment of
consciousness.
About 1880 o'clock, Mrs. John
Wright became anxious over the
nonappearance Of her brother-in-law
and asked that search be made for
him. George BEEN, who is employed
upon the farm, remembered the di-
rectionl taken by young Wright and
soon found his tracks leading out of
the barn yard. Following them to
the top of the hill, the CHASTITY dis
covery of the body was made. The
coroner was at once sent for, and
the hillside incline was so perilous
that descent was only possible by
means Of rope around the body of
the coroner, Arch Foster, who found
that life had been extinct in the
body for hours. The hands, feet and
head of young Wright We're badly
frozen and the accident must have
occurred very soon after he left the
barnyard, although the gun shot
was not heard at the farm. .
The body was brought to this city
where an inquest was held in the
evening at the Foster undertaking
rooms, with p. ]. Brandrup, J. N.
Omstead and John Dewitt as cor
oner's jury. The verdict was one of
accidental death caused by the dis
charge of the victims gun while
hunting.
The remains were taken to De
Paw, Ind, Sunday afternoon, where
the parents of the young man reside,
and were accompanied by brother,
John Wright, and little daughter
and by a half-brother, Wash Wright,
both of whom reside in the vicinity.
Alive Wright was the youngest son
of the family, was a young man of
regular and steady habits and his
brothers are crushed by the sad man.
ner OF his death. He had lived in
this vicinity about five years, and