Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1916-01-07
met HIS DEATH
WHILE HUNTING
Fifteen-Year-Old Son OF Mrs. II. O..
Hendricks Instantly Killed When
Charge From Shotgun is Accident
ally Shot by Bransford Mason.

henuIickS instantly Killed When
Charge From Shotgun is Accident
ally Shot by Bransford Mason.
Joe Hendricks, the 16lyear-old Of
Mrs. r. Q. Hendricks, was instantly
killed at 2:45 Thursday afternoon,
while hunting northwest of town, by
the accidental discharge of shot
gun in the hands of Bransford Ma
son, 15-year-old son Of John Mason
of this city. The full charge Of shot
struck the little fellow In the back
of the head, and peppered the en-
tire left side of the face, neck and
shoulders. Death was instantaneous
Arthur Hall, tenant on the George
Mason farm, where the accident oc-
Cured, John Aderholt and Arthur
Roland were quickly summoned, and
the little fellows remains were taxi
en- to the Durant Furniture Co.'s un-
dertaking establishment, where an in
quest was held and where the BODY
was dressed for burial.
Soon after noon Thuraday, Joe.
with Brans Mason, and Hall and
Dan Mason, the two latter sons of
| George Mason, left the Hendricks
home, northwest of town. to hunt
rabbits. They walked to the George
Mason farm, about two and a hali
miles northwest of town, and had
been there but short time when the
accident occurred. AS Brans explain
ed to his father, he and Joe were
walking up one side of little branch
and Hall and Dan on the other side.
Joe was about twenty feet ahead OF
Rrans. A rabbit hoped out of the
branch and ran off between Bran7
4 and Joe, to their left. Brans cooked
his shotgun and made to turn around
slightly to the left to get better
shot at the rabbit, when his feet be
came entangled in some briars and
he fell, the gun being swung around
and discharged involuntarily by him
as he fell. Seeing little Joe fall anC
lay still, Brans screamed and ran tC
him, picking up and holding him
. when he saw that he was dead, anC
then he cried out to Hall and Dal
to come there quick, that he hat
killed Joe. Hall and Dan did no
see the little fellow fall and cou.,
not believe that an accident had oc
Cured, and Brans had to assur
them that he was not joking, whe'
they came on the run and saw thei
little playmate lying dead, with hi
head full of shot. Mr.. Hall. plowln
nearby, had seen the boys go towar
the branch, and had heard the shot
Hearing the boys scream, he kne'
that all was not wen, and rushed t
the scene. He and Messrs. Ande,
holt and Roland wrapped the littl
figure In sheets and started to hi
home; but the mother of the boy wa
prostrated by the news of her child
death, and the remains were brough
to town instead. The body was tai
en- to the home Of George Mason, q
sevehth and Cedar, where funera
services we're held Friday Afternoon
followed by interment in Highlan
cemetery. 800" ...-.
Joe was the youngest of six chi'
. dren. Two older boys are in Cali
. fornia, an dtwo of the daughters ar
married, one the wife of Waite
Kirkpatrick, another the wife of WY
/ lie Harrison. One daughter and 10
I were the only children at home, an
: they and their mother earned thei
y livelihood by selling butter and eggs
a and marketing garden truck in sea
e son. Their father, r. G. Hendricks
!. died last June.
:. AS soon as the news of the acciden
reached Durant, Sheriff Phillips ar
. County Attorney Turnbull, accom-
panied by BTans and Dan MasoI
went to the scene OF the accident ali
saw just whore and how it iccurre,
: Rrans is badly torn up over the a
fair. A coroner's inquest was hel
in the undertaking rooms, in chare
Of Justice Shannon, and returned
g verdict to the effect that the boy ha
J. met his death accidentally