The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1923-08-03
CLINTONTHORNE
SHOT in HEAD
Victim lowering Between Life
And Death AT st. Francis
Hospital
ROSE GIRL BREAKS ARM

Lambertville--- Clinton Thorne, IL
year-old son of Mr.. and Mrs. p. II,
Thorne, of 100 Franklin street, was
accidently shot with small rifle
last Monday afternoon, and is not
expected to live. Clinton, accompanied
by Stacy Rose, Is year-old son of Mr.
and Mrs Charles Rose, of 6s York
street, had started out, they said, to
shoot ground hogs. The rifle, of %
calibre, belonged to young Rose, and
had been secured as n sales premium
from the Larkin Co., mail order
house. The boys stopped i'm the yard
of st. Andrews Episcopal Church to
watch a terrapin they saw there. Mr..
Sidney Thompson, assistant to DR..
T. J. Bensley, rector of the Church.
was in the yard at the time.
Clinton and Stacy had just left the
yard, and in a playful mood, Clinton
tackled Stacy, who held the rifle in
his right hand. The gun went Off,
and the bullet struck Clinton in the
front of his head. The bullet was hol-
low tipped. striking his scalp, was
shattered, penetrating the brain. Mr..
Thompson rushed out and found Gin
ton writing ON the ground. DR.. Lar
rison was passing by, and he was
soon joined by Doctors Closson and
Williams, and they saw the lad was
perhaps mortally wounded. He was
rushed TO st. Francis Hospital in DR..
Williams car.
DR.. Somers operated on him and
removed several pieces of the bullet,
but Il feared that particles of it pen
etrated the brain. He is conscious
from time to time, and is said 20 have
exonerated Stacy from any blame in
the accident. 1t was thought that his
left side was paralyzed, but when Dr.
Bensley visited the hospital yester-
day, he seemed to have the use Of his
limbs.
DR.. Sommers declared it to be n
miracle that Clinton is still alive. He
was thought TO be dying once, and he
kept ealing for DR.. Bensley, saying
he could make him well. When DR..
Bensley approached the bed, Clinton
recognized him and caught his hands
eagerly. His hands were icy-cold TO
the elbows, and deathly pallor had
set in. But as he held DR.. Bcnsley's
hands, he became easier and soon fell
asleep. DR.. Bensley said he could feel
the warmth coming back into his
hands as he still chung to him in his
sleep.
DR.. Sommers expressed himself as
amazed at the improvement. He said
it was only the intervention of God
that kept him alive.
In the meantime, Stacy Rose has
been completely unnerved by the acci-
dent. He was hystercal and had to
be put to bed at the Rectory. The
State Police had warrant issued in
the event Of an investigation, but
Stacy was left in charge of DR.. Bens-
ley. T. j. Mcclure, who sold the rifle
cartridges, was questioned, because it
is against the aw to sell ammunition to
boys.
Dr.. Bensley reported last night,
Thursday that when he went TO
the hospital Clinton was eating ice
cream, and was brighter than since
the accident He had improved so
that the doctors had allowed his head
elevated with pillows, and DR.. SOM
mers said he had more hope now than
ever before. 1t has been enormously
reported that a metal tube had been
injected into the head in the hope
that particles of the bullet might
pass out, but this is untrue. However,
it is Dir. Sommers' opinion that a par
ticle Of the bullet IS embedded against
the vertebra at the base Of the head.
This is primarily why it seems so
miraculous that the patient IS doing
so we'll.
ALBERTA ROSE BREAKS ARM
On Wednesday Alperta Rose, sister
Of Stacy's, fell over the railing on the
porch Of Stout's confectionery stand
on York street, and broke her right
forearm. 1t was set by DIR. Closson,
and she was able to return to her
home.