The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-07-12
BOY, SHOT BY
BROTHER, MAY
Die OF WOUND
Lads Find Old Revolver in
Closet; Discharged as
They Play With It.
TRAGEDY TALE TANGLED
Gun Had Been UnIoaded,
Says Father; Shells in
1t, Youth Contends.

Clifton Diamond, 13, shot his
brother, Butler, 10, through the
stomach this morning while the boys
were examining an old revolver
found in a sewing basket in closet
at the home of their parents, Mr..
and Mrs. Oscar Diamond, SO7
River Ave.
City hospital doctors believed they
had q Slight chance to save the
boys life by operating.
Meanwhile, the boys mother is
motoring toward Elgin, Tenn, with
relatives, unapprised of the shoot
ing. To add to the horror of the
news which the mother eventually
will receive, the gun which exploded
was unloaded by her only last night,
for fear something of this kind
would happen,
Boy Is Questioned
Detectives detained Clifton and
took him to Detention Home for
questioning. He was so agitated
that they had difficulty learning
what had happened
The youth appeared willing to re-
count all, but was so Mortified that
he could not talk connectedly.
Clifton finally regained enough
composure, after his father arrived
at city hospital from his work az
the Puritan Bed Springs factory, TO
make this statement:
81 got up and came downstairs
and ate my breakfast after mother
had gone this morning.
"I went to look for my cap in the
closet so Butler and could go out
to play. I bumped into the sew
ing basket hanging from the door
and felt the gun inside.
"I took the gun out and 1t was
loaded. I unloaded it and we played
with it. Finally ! reloaded it and
started to put it back in the basket
and it went OF.
"'You've shot me. You've shot me-
Butter said and ran toward the
door I didn't really know he WAS
shot. 1 went to him and helped him
across the street and then 1 knew
he was shot,"
The father, who lost leg in an
accident several years ago, stood IN
front of his son when he made this
statement. The father looked the
boy in the eyes and sorrowfully said:
Boy Sticks to Story
"Clifton, that gun was unloaded
by your mother last night. She
told me that the shells were in the
dresser drawer in a cigar box. I
looked and it was just as she said." :"
The youth refused to alter his
story. Detectives doubted that they
had the whole truth from him and
took him to the Detention Home
for later questioning.
The injured lad, however, tried
desperately to clear his brother. AS
Clifton helped him stagger to the
home of Mrs Dora Cress, 80 River
Ave, he gasped between groans:
"Clifton didn't mean to do It.
He didn't mean to. Don't tell my
mother or she will die"
A sister of the boys, Mrs. Jessie
Wilson, 81, lives at the family home,
but was at work at the Hoosier OPP
tical Company when the shooting
occurred.
Robert Morris, 1922 w. Ohio ST.,
told police he was walking past the
house when Clifton came on the
porch with the gun. He said he
noticed it because he thought it a
bit dangerous for small boy to
have weapon like that.
Hear Gun Shot
A moment later Morris heard the
shot and then saw the two boys
come out of the house and cross the
street.
Neighbors said that a number of
small boys had been playing "cow-
boy" in and around the Diamond
home all morning. When the shoot
ing occurred, they said, small boys
scattered in all directions, but no
one was able to give the name of
any other children in the house at
the time.
Pervis and Derrill Wilson, cousins
Of the Diamond boys, said they had
been at the house earlier in the
morning, but had left before the
accident.
Police and relatives were attempt
ing to intercept the motor party
with whom Mrs. Diamond was
travelling south.
Mrs. Diamond has been very i'll
and started south to recuperate,
neighbors said