Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-02-06
ACCIDETAL SHOT
KILLS SMALL BOY

A tragedy occurred last night short
ly after eight o'clock at the home of
Mr.. and Mrs. ]. ]. Cullen, 842 CONNER
cial street, when their nine year old
son. Kenneth, was killed by the acci-
dental discharge OF a small rifle. Mr..
Cullen is agent for the Southern Pa
cific company. In what manner the
child came to be shot by the discharge
OF the weapon will perhaps never be
definitely known. owing to tha fact
that he was alone IN the room where
| the accident occurred and the parents
were not even aware that the gun was
in the house. The little fellow had
gone up the stairs shortly prior to the
time the shot attracted the attention
OF the mother of the boy and she be.
heard strange sound come from the
direction OF the kitchen as she was
sitting in a front room Of the house
Upon going to the kitchen door to SEE
what could have caused the noise she
was met by the odor OF burnt powder
and then called up the stairs to an.
other son who answered and said that
there was gun in an ante room lead.
ing from the kitchen to the bath room,
but that II could not have been dis
charged, as he was certain IL was not
loaded. This boy, lad about twelve
years old came down the stairs and
with the mother began to investigate
AS they opened the door leading from
the kitchen to the ante-room and
through that to the bath room and
were Mortified to see the little son
Kenneth, lying on the floor uncon'
scious and with blood streaming from
wound in the right temple near the
eye.
The door leading from the ante
room into the bath room was covered
by hanging curtain, and close to
the bottom OF this curtain lay a small
target rifle Of twenty-five caliber.
In some unknown manner bullet In
the rifle had been discharged and had
pierced the brain of the child, who un.
doubtedly had been playing with gun.
1t is thought by the parents that the
trigger might have been caught in
the curtain in some manner, causing
the shot which resulted in the death
of the boy.
Investigation into the manner in
which the gun came to be In the pos
session of the youth revealed the fact
that his older brother, Jess Cullen,
had been on n hunting expedition Sun
day with another boy named Dave De-
war and they had forgotten the gun
and left it in the house where the
little fellow found It.
The dead boys brother, Jess Cullen.
states that he left the gun unloaded
but believes that little Kenneth must
have found shell on the floor OF the
bed room up staires, one CT the shells
probably having fallen from his pock-
cts after his return from hunting. II
this theory Is correct, as II seems to
be, then the little fellow, having
learned that the gun was in the house
was seized with the desire to handle
a loaded gun all by himself. as would
he natural for any boy OF his age, and
accordingly hurried down stairs to the
ante-room where he was soon limo.
! Gently in happy possession of his dan.
derous plaything. No blame for the
accident can be placed upon any one
but the home is filled with desolation
and the mother and father are nearly
prostrated with grief.
Immediately after discovering the
accident, Drs. Hood and West and
their assistant. DR.. Lagan, wore called
to the aid Of the injured lad but moth
| ing could be done to save the life that
was already fast ebbing away. The
child never regained consciousness af.
ter the accident occurred and he lived
but little more than half an hour, OK
piring about nine o'clock.
The body was removed to the Key
ser undertaking parlors where II was
prepared today for removal to Ogden
tonight. The parents will leave to-
night for Ogden on their sad mission
with the little body.
An inquest was held this afternoon
over the remains. the verdict being
that the child came to his death from
an accidental cause.