Submitted by
Loyd Bishop

ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING - Charlie Thorpe

Charlie Thorpe, seventeen years old and the oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. John Thorpe, living four miles north of Peckham, accidentally shot and kelled himself about three o'clock Saturday afternoon, Dec 17, while hunting with a shot gun. As near as we can learn he had gone down on the Bluebaker farm just north of Mr. Weaver's place, and there met Mr. Weaver's hired man and boys going for a load of straw. He climbed on the wagon which had a hay rack on it, and rode with the boys to the straw stack, standing on the back end of the rack holding the gun which was cocked, by the barrel near the muzzle and resting the stock on the rack. When they arrived at the straw stack the team was stopped and two of the boys jumped off. Just then they heard a gun go off and some one say, "Oh!" They looked around just as Charlie Thorpe, was falling to the ground. Mr. Sam Malaby was just passing at the time on the road from Peckham, one fourth of a mile from where the accident and was notified and took the boy home in his wagon. Your correspondent was there soon after the corpse arrived and helped lay the young man out. The wound was a terrible one having tore a hole as large as a two inch auger about half way between the breast and collar bone on the right side, passing up under the collar bone where the charge probably lodged in the neck. The wound was at least three or four inches deep and perfectly round and there is no doubt the boy died instantly. The boys in this vicinity have been very careless with guns. This should be a warning to them to be more careful. ---
Republican-News-Journal