Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 October 1885 — Shot Through the Heart. [ARTICLE]

Shot Through the Heart.

A. Fatal Accident in Newton Township. Last Thursday a party of men from Bentpn and Warren counties, bonnd for the Kankakee river, and Beaver lake, on a hunting and fishing expedition stopped for noon on the banks of the Iroquois river, about six miles west of Rensselaer, on land belonging to Mr. Shipman.' The party hqd two teams and consisted of six grown men, heads of families, mostly, and one boy, James Plummer by name, fifteen years old, and an orphan, who made his home with Mr. Jonathan Van Horn, ot Benton county, who was also a member of the party. When the stop was made the boy got into the rear end of one of the wagons and, while resting upon his knees in the wagon box, handed out a box of provisions to Mr. Van Horn, and then took hold of two guns, a breech loading shot gun and a Winchester rifle, which were wrapped up in one cloth, to keep dry. He took hold of them by he barrels, and began to draw them from under the seat, while their muzzles pointed directly towards his breast. As was to have been expected the hammer of the rifje caught on some obstacle or other and the weapon was discharged. The men who were near, upon hearing the report, turned quickly and saw the boy sink backward against the sides of the wagon. They ran to him as soon as they could and, supporting his head, took the end gate from the wagon, and laid him down upon the ground. Except a single cry of ‘-Oh’’, when first shot he did not speak after the gun was discharged. Some of those who were present were of the opinion that the boy lived about three minutes after the discharge, but it is probable that in the excitement they greatly overestimated the time, as in the opinion of the physician who made the postmortem, death must have been almost instantaneous..

Corornor Philip Blue was notified and accompanied by Dr. W. W. Hartsell and J. W. Douthit, Esq., went out to the scene cf the accident, in the afternoon. where an inquest was held, and a postmortem examination made. The examination showed that the bullet had entered the breast, a few inches below and to the front of the left nipple, had ranged upwards and passing through the apex of the heart, had allowed all the blood that entered that organ to rush out into the cavity of the chest. The bullet also passed through the left lung, and then out of the body just below the shoulder blade. Cororner Blue, as by law required, examined the pockets of the deceased, but found nothing but an autograph album, and a few worthless trinkets, all of which he gave to the boy’s employer, Mr. Van Horn. After the inquest the body was placed, in a coffin, procured in Rensselaer, and given a decent, though hurried burial, in the Strong graveyard, in Newton township.

Court Notes:—Wartner’s case is set for Tuesday, Nov., 3rd. there is little probability that it will be tried. The 10 liquor cases against Abe Simpson have all been dismissed. Eugene O’Neill, liquor case, 11 and costs. In the two similar cases against James Gi' ens, his bond, SIOO. in each case, was declared forfeited. Felix Lester is the bondsman. Eliza Cheever obtained a divorce from Wm. W. Cheever, on the grounds of cruelty and failure to provide. The custody of the two children was divided between the parents. The parties live at DeMotte, in Keener tp. The case from Lake county of Kopelke vs. Kopelke was begun yesterday afternoon. The grand jury will probably conclude its labors to-day.

John Martindale, for several years past tenant of John Makeever’s big farm, in Newton tp., has bought the old Pancoast farm, end is building himself a fine residence thereon, to cost, probably, $1,500. to $2,000. Mr. Martindale is a most excellent man, and of a kind Whom Jasper county can’s have too many of, and we are glad to be able to note the fact that he has become a permanent resident