The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1922-10-19
WILLIAM 0. MINOR
V|cT|M0F ACCIDENT
While With Hunting Party In Noun
tains. Prominent Heppner Citizen
Received Wound From High Power
RiHe.-Dies In Portland Tuesday.

By the accidental discharge of a
high power rife while In camp on
Penland prairie, about 80 miles south
east Of Heppner on Sunday, W. o.
Minor, prominent pioneer resident Of
this city, received wound from
which he died at Good Samaritan
hospital in Portland early Tuesday
morning
With party of hunters composed
Of Judge W. T. Campbell, Willard
Herren and W. G. McCarty, Mr.. Minor
was deer hunting in the vicinity Of
Penland prairie. The party had re-
turned to camp after getting a deer,
and Mr.. Minor and Mr.. Herren stood
their guns up against tree, not TAX
ing the preeaution to unload them.
One Of the guns, belonging to Mr..
Herren, was a hammerless Savage,
and when putting the gun down, Mr..
Herren put on the safety device. The
party went on and had their dinner
and were sitting about the camp rest
ing, their backs to the tree where the
guns we're standing, but some so or
90 feet away and on higher ground.
Mr.. Minor was sitting next to Mr..
Herren when suddeny there was
discharge OF gun, and thinking
someone near the camp had taken a
shot at something, Mr.. Herren turned
about and at the same time Mr.. Minor
exclaimed, ~ am shot," and pitched
forward. Mr.. Herren noted that his
dog was just leaving the tree where
the guns were placed, and his gun was
lying on the ground, examination Of
the weapon revealing that 1t had been
fred when 1t struck the ground in the
fall. The bullet had passed through
about 1s inches Of dirt, was DETECTED
and raised sufficiently to strike Mr..
Minor In the right shoulder.
All attention was directed to the
wounded man, and all aid was given
him that il was possible to render.
and he was hurried to Heppner. On
the way in they telephoned to Hepp-
ner for doctor and DIR. McMurdo
met them several miles up the creek,
but waited until Mr.. Minor reached
home before an examination was
made. Mr.. Minor suffered great pain
and nausea all Sunday night, but on
Monday appeared to be somewhat bet
ter, but It was impossible to locate the
bullet, which was soft-nosed cart
ridge from 303-calibre rife, and an
X-ray examination would be neces-
sary
Mr.. Minor failed to show symptoms
Of improving later Monday afternoon
and he was taken to Portland, DR..
McMurdo and Mrs. Minor accompany
ing him. The engine and baggage car
on the branch line was secured and
left Heppner at 900 p. M, catching
No 20 at the junction. The injured
man was taken at once to Good Sa-
maritan hospital upon reaching Port
land, but died just after being placed
on the operating table. An X-ray ex-
animation revealed the course Of the
bullet, which struck Mr.. Minor in the
shoulder and ranged downward, lodg-
ing near the heart. The attending
physicians announced that there was
no chance whatever Of saving the life
Of the injured man.
Some mystery attaches to the dis
charge Of the rife, but Mr.. Herren
Is OF the opinion that the gun was
pushed over by the dog rubbing
against It. The safety was on, but
this device seems to be defective and
does not prevent the discharging Of
the weapon when it is dropped to the
ground. A demonstration Of this was
made on Monday by Mr.. Herren Judge
Campbell and Ralph Benge. The safe
ty was put on, the gun allowed to fall
on the ground three times in success
sion, and II discharged every time.
The remains Of Mr.. Minor arrived
from Portland last evening and the
funeral was held from |. 0. 0. F. hall
today at 300, being very largely at
tended by people from all over the
county, as Mr.. Minor was one of the
highly esteemed pioneers of this Sec
tion. Rev. W. 0. Livingstone deliv-
cred the funeral address and burial
was in Masonic cemetery.
William Oscar Minor was born in
Linn county, Iowa, near the present
city of Cedar Rapids, on August 7,
1850, and died in Portland, Oregon,
on October II, 1922, aged SO years, 2
months and 10 days, At the age Of
five years, he crossed the plains with
his parents, Ellis and Ann Minor, in
company numbering about forty
families, using horse and mule-teams
and consuming about six months in
making the journey. They settled at
Waconda In Marion county, where
the family remained until 1871, when
they came to this section, known then
as Umatilla county, and settled on
Rhea creek. Living there for five
years, the family then removed to
Heppner, at the time not more than
trading point, and Mr.. Minor has
had his residence here continuously
ever since.
When but mere lad, he invested
his entire capital not large sum, In
business venture, a tobacco and con-
fectionery store, and from this devel-
oped the general merchandising es-
tablishment Of Minor & Co. He had
as partners at various times Taylor
Dodson, M. c. McDougal, G. A. Minor,
Vim. johnson, M. D. Clark and W. r.
Irwin, and while he was successful in
merchandising, his great pride was
the raising of fine stock and for