Some Macabre Stories of the Silver Trade

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WILLIAM R.E. BERTH.

Gorham Mfg.Co.


The Sad Death of William R.E. Berth

William R.E. Berth, manager of the leather goods department of the Gorham Mfg.Co. and a prominent resident of Bedford Park, started last Tuesday morning for the 7.55 o'clock train for New York, but instead of crossing the bridge over the railroad to the down-town station he started to walk across the tracks. He had hardly stepped on the uptown tracks before he was struck by a north bound train and hurled upon the platform, receiving mortal internal injuries. The engineer, Patrick Costello, and Patrick O'Rourke, the station agent, picked up the injured man. Two calls were sent to the Fordham Hospital, but Mr. Berth was removed to his home in a sleigh before the ambulance arrived. He died Thursday morning.

Mr. Berth was a self-made man, and was very popular both among his friends and business associates. He has been connected with the leather goods trade from the beginning of his business career and was for six years in charge of the leather goods department of Baker, Pratt & Co. before he accepted, in 1886, a similar position with the Gorham Mfg. Co. It has been greatly through his efforts that the character of leather goods produced in this country has attained the high standard of to-day.

Mr. Berth was a member of Republic Lodge 690, F. and A. M. and of Our Council 252, Royal Arcanum. He was one of the trustees of the Bedford Park Congregational Church. The deceased was in his fifty-first year at the time of his death. He leaves a widow and three sons.

The funeral took place from the Bedford Park Congregational Church, Sunday morning. Besides the members of the fraternities who were present, there was a large delegation from the Gorham Mfg. Co. The interment was at Woodlawn.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review - 1st February 1893

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LEOPOLD ZOCK

Toronto

Leopold Zock, father of J. J. Zock and Leopold Zock, jewelers, 34 Adelaide St. W.. Toronto, committed suicide July 31 by jumping into the lake from between the lifeboats of the steamer Chippewa, about eight miles out of Niagara-on-the Lake. No reason is known for his taking his life. Mr. Zock was 71 years of age.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review - 9th August 1899

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CHARLES ARENA

La Secla, Fried & Co. - Derby Silver Co.


KILLED IN TRAIN WRECK

Charles Arena and His Wife Victims of B. R. T. Catastrophe

Newark, N. J., Nov. 6.–Charles Arena, 39 years of age, who was secretary and treasurer of the La Secla, Fried & Co., 97 Chestnut St., and his wife were killed in tne Brooklyn Rapid Transit disaster last Friday.

In 1912, Mr. Arena, a nephew of Charles La Secla, president of the company, was appointed secretary and treasurer, which office he held until the time of his death. He had previously been employed for five years as a salesman for the concern and prior to that time was employed by the Derby Silver Co., for two years.

Mr. and Mrs. Arena who lived in Brooklyn, were on the way to their home at the time of the accident. A double funeral was held Monday night at the United Burial Parlors, 1202 Broadway, Brooklyn.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 6th November 1918

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WILLETT SIDNEY BAILEY

California


FATAL AUTO ACCIDENT

Retired California Jeweler Meets with Sudden Death When His Machine Is Overturned

Los Angeles, Cal., Aug. 21.–Willett Sidney Bailey, one of the best and most widely known jewelers of southern California, lost his life in an automobile accident in San Diego county on Aug. 14.

Mr. Bailey, accompanied by his wife, his brother, Arthur J. Bailey, an optometrist of this city, and Miss Abbie Pearson, of Long Beach, a cousin of Mrs. Bailey, had been to San Diego to say farewell to Lieut. Leroy H. Bailey, who is a surgeon in the military service and who for the past year has been at Fort Rosecrans, near San Diego. They had started home in two automobiles. Arthur H. Bailey, accompanied by Mrs. W. S. Bailey, was ahead in one car, and W. S. Bailey and Miss Pearson came behind them in another car, Mr. Bailey driving the latter. Coming down a steep grade about 20 miles from San Diego, W. S. Bailey in some manner, probably while changing gears, momentarily lost control of the car, and it ran up on the bank and tipped over into the road, pinning Mr. Bailey under it and killing him almost instantly. Miss Pearson was but slightly injured. Mr. Bailey had had but little experience driving cars, and the one in which he was returning was not his own and was one with which he was not familiar.

The deceased was born in East Troy, Wis., and was 58 years old. He came to Pomona, Cal., 30 miles east of Los Angeles, in 1884, and was engaged there in the jewelry business for more than 20 years, acquiring a competence. He then retired, and about 10 or 12 years ago came to Los Angeles and had since made his home here. Since coming to Los Angeles he had not been engaged in business regularly for any great period of time, but his services have been secured a number of times to take charge of the estates of deceased jewelers or to dispose of stocks in bankruptcy, and he has occasionally helped out leading jewelers here as a salesman during the busy holiday season. During the past year he has served as an appraiser for the local Federal Land Loan Bank, in which capacity he has visited many parts of southern California, viewing ranch property and estimating the amount of loans which could be secured by it.

He owned some ranch property near Pomona. As announced in the Los Angeles correspondence of The Jewelers' Circular, he recently discovered gold ore in rock which had been thrown up from a well dug in a ranch owned by him near Pomona.

He leaves, besides his widow, two sons, both in the military service–Dr. Leroy Bailey, who has just left Fort Rosecrans for an unknown destination, and a younger son, Elba, who recently left a training camp in Georgia, also for an unknown destination, but who is presumably on the ocean en route for France. He also leaves six brothers and two sisters–Charles H, Lemoore, Cal.; Hollis M., Seattle, Wash.; S. B., well-known Los Angeles jeweler; A. J., optometrist, Los Angeles; Dr. Nelson D., Berkeley, Cal.; Hiram, Los Angeles; Miss Ella V., Los Angeles; Mrs. Galine B. Hosmer, Long Beach, Cal.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 28th August 1918

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M. HERRICK

Louisville, Kentucky


Jeweler M. Herrick Wantonly Stabbed by a Drunkard

Louisville, Ky., Dec. 6. – M. Herrick, jeweler, 1012 W. Walnut St., was standing in his doorway about 7 o'clock Tuesday night when an unknown man stabbed him several times in the abdomen. The cutting was most wanton. It is thought the man was drunk, as Mr. Herrick has had no difficulty with anyone.

Ed. Newton has been arrested charged with the stabbing. Mr. Herrick is not as badly hurt as was at first reported, and will recover.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review - 13th December 1893

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DIKRAN P. PROODIAN

Providence, R.I.


MUST SERVE LIFE TERM

Francis E. Weaver Sent to Rhode Island State Prison for Murder of Providence Jeweler

Providence, R. I., March 1.–For the murder of Dikran P. Proodian, at his retail jewelry store on N. Main St., this city, on Oct. 25, 1918, Francis E. Weaver, a 20year-old youth was sentenced last Thursday morning to the Rhode Island State Prison for life.

When the young man faced Judge Doran of the Superior Court, he was the picture of health and showed no nervousness. At the conclusion of a two days' trial, concluded early last week, the young man was found guilty by a jury after a comparatively short deliberation, as the murder was one of the most deliberate committed in this city in several years. The verdict of the jury was murder in the first degree, and Judge Doran remarked that the statute fixed the penalty at life imprisonment.

Assistant Attorney General Capotosto made no reference to the circumstances connected with the crime but simply moved for sentence. He mentioned the fact that another indictment returned by the grand jury charges Weaver with robbery. To this charge the young prisoner pleaded nolo just before receiving his sentence for the more serious crime, and sentence was deferred thereon.

The testimony introduced at the trial of Weaver showed that he came to Providence from Taunton, Mass., on Oct. 25, bought a false mustache, which he wore, called at several places of business in the vicinity of Mr. Proodian's store, and in the afternoon entered the retail jewelry store and received from Mr. Proodian his watch, which he had left there previously to be regulated.

Just what was said between the two men is unknown, except as Weaver gave his version of the conversation. When the son of Mr. Proodian, who was in partnership with his father in the business, entered the store unexpectedly he found Weaver there and his father's dead body lying on the floor. The storekeeper had been shot and killed by Weaver, who had in his pockets several watches that did not belong to him.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 5th March 1919

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LORENZO BELIA

Baden-Baden


Another dreadful murder has been perpetrated in West Norfolk, about twelve miles from the spot where a man was shot down and robbed by Groom, who was executed last year. The victim is Mr. Lorenzo Belia, a silversmith, a native of Baden-Baden. On Friday he was last seen, walking from Wellingham to Tittleshall, having then in his possession about £30 and a box of jewellery. In the evening his body was found behind a hedge, the head being nearly severed from the trunk and chopped to pieces. A woodcutter, who was seen near the spot, and whose clothes were found covered in blood, has been arrested for the murder.

Source: The Newfoundlander - 19th December 1853

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EUGENE GEARY

Holmes & Edwards, Bridgeport


IN A BAD WAY

Non-Union Workman Uses Knife on Good Citizen

One of the non-union employes of the Holmes & Edwards silver factory in Bridgeport, may yet be held for killing a law-abiding citizen. Eugene Geary is the young man who used a knife with murderous intent a few nights ago on Thomas J. Youngs. The latter is in a serious way and last night members of his family feared that he would not recover.

Geary is a stranger in Bridgeport. He heard of the strike at the silver works and applied for work. He had had no experience as a polisher but he was put to work and since he has been employed at the factory he has been one of the loudest in condemning those who are out on strike, calling them lawless citizens, yet he has gone around the streets armed, ready at any moment, without cause or provocation, to bury a knife in a citizen's chest.

Thanksgiving night Mr. Youngs and some women friends were standing at the corner of East Main Street and Barnum avenve when Geary came along. Fresh and important he insulted the women and Mr. Youngs advised him to go along. He had heard them talk in the factory of the punishment that is given in the city court to anyone who interferes with a non-union man and he felt that he was safe in talking back to Mr. Youngs, realizing that the court would protect him.

Mr. Youngs and Geary had an argument which ended in Geary stabbing him. The injured man was taken to his sister's home and medical aid summoned. Geary was later arrested and gave his age as nineteen. He is much older. He says now that if he had not been drinking he would not have used the knife. His case has been continued under bonds of $1,000 to await the result of his victim's wounds.

Source: Bridgeport Herald - 30th November 1902

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NOWMAN AND DAVID SAATY

Providence, Rhode Island


KILLS HIMSELF WITH PISTOL

After Firing Three Shots at His Uncles Young Man Takes His Own Life

Providence, R. I., Feb. 11.–After firing three shots from an automatic revolver at his uncles. Nowman and David Saaty, who conduct a retail jewelry store at 446 Westminster St., this city, James G. Saaty, 28 years old, killed himself at their home 92 Dover St., Wednesday night.

The steel jacketed bullets fired at the older men did not hit their marks but lodged in the furniture within a few inches of the heads of the intended victims. The young man, an alleged slacker in the World War, was angered because his uncles would not permit him to live at their home.

The uncles told the police that James went to Mexico after registering in 1917 and remained in that locality until about four weeks ago, when he returned to this city. He had called upon his uncles several times for money and went to their home in the Mount Pleasant district early Wednesday evening. They said that after they had refused to increase the amount of money they had offered him, and had also declined to allow him to remain at the house because there was no spare room, he drew his revolver and fired twice at his Uncle David and once at his Uncle Nowman. Both uncles at once left the room to call the police.

Neither the family nor the police knew that the young man was wounded when he was placed in the patrol automobile. On the way to the station one of the patrolmen, by the aid of his flashlight, noticed a peculiar expression of the prisoner's face and failing to detect a pulse, ran his hand under his shirt in an effort to detect a heart-beat and found the skin wet with blood. The Rhode Island Hospital was notified and upon the arrival of the ambulance the young man was dead, two shots having entered the body directly over the heart.

David and Nowman Saaty are widely known business men of this city, through their long identification with the jewelry and precious stone business.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 15th February 1922

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J.B. BOIVIN

Montreal

A ghastly discovery was made shortly after one o'clock on the afternoon of March 19, by Aime Martin, a young man who was employed for some months as clerk and assistant to J. B. Boivin, watchmaker and jeweler, 1578 Notre Dame Street, corner of St. Vincent. Mr. Boivin was to have left for St. Vincent on Thursday night, and his clerk went to the store as usual on Friday and Saturday, but as he supposed his employer was at St. Hyacinthe, he did not trouble about his non-appearance. This afternoon, however, as Mr. Boivin was to have come home the previous evening, the young man, after dinner, went to his employer's apartments, only to find him stretched out dead, and with every appearance of having been there some days. The body was just beginning to decompose. Young Martin immediately ran for assistance, and the police and coroner were notified. Mr. Boivin was originally from St. Hyacinthe, and was about forty years old.

Source: The Trader & Canadian Jeweller - April 1900

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W.B. CANNON

Farmer & Cannon

Birmingham, Alabama


KILLED WHILE HUNTING

Birmingham, Ala., Jeweler Victim of a Sad Accident

Birmingham, Ala., Dec. 5.–W. B. Cannon, 47 years of age and a member of the jewelry firm of Farmer & Cannon, died early on the morning of Nov. 29 at a local infirmary as the result of gunshot wounds received the previous day while hunting with his son.

The pair were hunting about 22 miles south of Birmingham. Young Cannon stumbled and fell, the gun being fired accidentally. Shot entered the left shoulder and neck of Mr. Cannon.

At the infirmary Wednesday night he was pronounced in good condition, but complications developed late in the night, and death came at 4:40 o'clock Thursday morning.

The deceased is survived by the widow, and his son, Garrett; two sisters. Mrs. W. M. Farmer, of Birmingham, and Mrs. N. R. Thurman. of Dunlap, Tenn.; one brother, S. P. Cannon, of Dunlap. Tenn., and his mother, Mrs. Sarah Cannon, of Dunlap, Tenn.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 12th December 1917

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JACOB LEVINSON

Elmira, New York


Jacob Levinson, a jewelry peddler of Elmira, N. Y., was instantly killed last week by an Erie train, which passed over him. His neck was broken, and two bolts on the pilot of the engine had pierced his skull.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review - 17th September 1902

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R.S. DUVAL

Philadelphia


R. S. Duval Killed by Fall from a Ladder

Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 30.–A fall from a ladder while painting his house caused the death in the West Jersey Homeopathic Hospital in Camden, N. J., of R. S. Duval, a watchmaker and jeweler on Sansom St., this city.

Mr. Duval fractured his skull in the fall. He was standing on the top rung of the ladder when he slipped and fell to the ground, striking his head.
Mr. Duval was president of the Ushers' Association of the First Methodist Church in Collingwood, N. J., where he resided. He is survived by a widow and four children, who have the sympathy of many friends.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 3rd September 1919

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ARTIFICIAL PEARL MANUFACTURE

Paris

Paris Pearl Makers Poisoned by Gas from Chemicals Used in Making Imitation Gems

A special cable dispatch from Paris, July 30, to the New York Times, and copyrighted by that journal, told how two women working in artificial pearl manufacture were recently admitted to a Paris hospital, having succumbed to toxic vapors inhaled during work. Besides digestive troubles, one of these showed grave nervous troubles and ultimately died.

The doctors say, however, there is no proof that the pearls, once manufactured, are liable to cause poisoning.

Tetrachlorethane, says the Times dispatch, is the name of the chemical used in the fabrication of artificial pearls, and Drs. Flessinger and Brodin announce that it is a dangerous poison. It is the fumes of this chemical that the women inhaled.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 2nd August 1922

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ALBERT A. LUPIEN

Pawtucket, Rhode Island


JEWELER A SUICIDE

Albert A. Lupien, of Providence, Shoots Himself While Despondent from Business Reverses

Providence, R. L, Feb. 1.–Albert A. Lupien, who for a number of years conducted a retail jewelry and optical store at 24 Broad St., Pawtucket, and at various times stores at Woonsocket and Worcester, committed suicide this morning by shooting. Mr. Lupien had been experiencing adverse financial conditions for about a year and several months ago was forced into bankruptcy and since them has had periods of despondency.

He left his home, 10 Manchester St., Pawtucket, this morning about the time he usually left to go to his place of business and that was the last seen of him until his body was discovered shortly after 2 o'clock this afternoon in a small clump of woods near the Stump Hill reservoir of the Pawtucket Water Works, in the adjoining town of Lincoln, about three miles from his home.

The body was discovered by a citizen who was passing through the grove and Special Officer Edward Bennett was at once notified. A physician was also called but a hasty examination disclosed that Mr. Lupien was dead, a bullet hole in the right temple denoting the cause of death, while a revolver by his side told the story. Medical Examiner Marshall was summoned and pronounced death due to suicide because of despondency.

Mr. Lupien sold out his business at 24 Broad St., Pawtucket, nearly a year ago, after opening branch stores in Woonsocket and Worcester, as the beginning of a chain of jewelry and optical stores that he proposed establishing throughout New England. He also had a considerable holding of real estate in the vicinity of Blackstone and Grafton, Mass., just over the State linc and last year inaugurated an extensive cultivation with motor farming apparatus. Inability to secure the necessary farm labor to cultivate and harvest the crops and later to handle it to market caused him to lose heavily and this forced him into general bankruptcy.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 5th February 1919

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BEN F. JOHNSON

Detroit

Burned to Death.– Ben. F. Johnson, the jeweler who lost his life by falling from the fourth storey of the Finney House, Detroit, during the fire which occured there on the 9th December, was for four years a resident watchmaker of St. Thomas, Ont.. and only went to Detroit last spring. He was 27 years of age, and his parents reside in Owen Sound.

Source: The Trader & Canadian Jeweller - January 1890

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WILLIAM H. COLLINS

Baltimore


Jeweler William H. Collins Murdered and Robbed in His Store

Baltimore, Md., Sept. 30.–William H. Collins, jeweler and watchmaker, was found dead in the rear of his store, 2404 Pennsylvania Ave., yesterday morning. His skull had been crushed by two murderous blows, evidently dealt by a powerful mart, the implement being a heavy iron coupling pin, which was found beside him.

The assassin added robbery to the greater crime, a diamond stud which the murdered man always wore in his shirt front being gone and a small sum of money having been taken out of his safe. The stock of jewelry and watches was left untouched, although several watches left to be repaired were taken. George Louis Amend is under arrest as a suspect.

Mr. Collins was found dead with clothing over him in the back part of the store. Under a bench was found the coupling pin with which he had been killed.

Wm. H. Collins was 34 years of age. He was the son of Samuel A. Collins, 1046 N. Broadway, who is a jeweler employed by a large diamond house on Baltimore St. Wm. H. Collins was born in Boston, but came to Baltimore with his parents at an early age. He attended the public schools and afterward learned the jeweler's trade under his father. For eight years he was with G. T. Sadtler & Sons, jewelers and opticians, Baltimore St. Mr. Collins worked several years in the west and then went to Boston, where his younger brother still lives. Afterwards he returned to this city and opened a store on N. Gay St. This was about two years ago. It became necessary to tear down the building in which he was located in order to improve the street, and about 16 months ago he rented the store on Pennsylvania Ave. Mr. Collins was a man of industrious habits. He did not drink and rarely smoked a cigar. He was a member of the Paul Revere Lodge, F. & A. M., of Boston.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review - 4th October 1899

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WILLIAM C. WEBER

New York


JEWELER THREATENS SUICIDE

Wm. C. Weber, Who Disappeared from New York, Writes from Niagara Falls That He Might End His Life

Through the notice that a meeting of creditors had been called for next Friday, it became known Monday that William C. Weber, a manufacturer of diamond mountings, at 41 Maiden Lane, N. Y., who made a specialty of jewelry remodelling, had recently disappeared and that friends, relatives and customers were seeking to find him.

The meeting of Weber's creditors was called by Daniel W. Blumenthal, of the law firm of M. B. & D. W. Blumenthal, 35 Nassau St., Mr. Blumenthal acting as attorney for a client and one of Weber's customers. It was stated that this client, a woman, had entrusted to Weber four diamond rings worth $4,000 and a diamond set platinum watch valued at $1,500 and that it had been discovered that prior to his disappearance Weber had hypothecated this jewelry as well as jewelry of others and that pawn tickets for such jewelry had been found in his safe. Weber, according to the attorney, had received very little on the customers' jewelry, in most cases not five per cent of its value.

Mr. Blumenthal said that no criminal charges had been made against Weber in any way and that the customers for whom he was acting simply wished to have him come back and arrange to get their jewelry again. The goods had been pledged at the Provident Loan Society and the attorney had notified this society of the claims of the owners.

Little is known of the circumstances that caused the jeweler to take this action except that it is believed that he must have been hard pressed financially and had become despondent or mentally deranged.

Charles H. Gilbert, who shared offices with Mr. Weber at 41 Maiden Lane, reported his disappearance to the New York police. Mr. Gilbert said that Weber had left the office early this month and that on June 13 he had received a letter from the missing man dated Niagara Falls and postmarked June 11, 2 p. M. In this letter, Mr. Weber had intimated that he might commit suicide by throwing himself into the Falls. He asked Mr. Gilbert to get a box from a vault in which he wrould find a few pawn tickets with the names of the owners of the goods from which they had been received. This Mr. Gilbert did, notifying the owners according to the memorandum left by Mr. Weber with the ticket.

Very little was realized from these tickets, said Mr. Gilbert, hardly more than $50 in any case and the creditors all felt very badly indeed that Weber should have run away. There has not been one that has not expressed himself as being willing to help Mr. Weber out of the difficulty even to the extent of advancing money to get back the goods. Some of these tickets were for goods taken from customers and some for goods received from members of the trade on credit or to work upon.

Mr. Gilbert notified the New York police of Weber's disappearance and also notified the Niagara Falls police, telling them of the missing man's intimation to commit suicide and sending them the letter he received. He has received no word yet from the police of either city.

Accompanied by Mrs. Weber, who is residing in Newark, he also notified the Newark police.

Some of Weber's creditors who were seen yesterday stated that the man had heretofore borne the highest reputation, that he was widely known and liked and that practically everybody would have been willing to have helped him out.

It was intimated that Weber had expected a loan of $2,500 to $3,000 which did not materialize and that this precipitated his trouble. The fact that he pawned the goods for very little and kept the tickets with the memoranda of the owners indicated to the creditors that there was no real intention of wrongdoing cn his part.

The disappearance of Weber was reported to the police of Newark on Monday, June 13, by his wife, who at present is staying at the home of her son-in-law in Newark. She said she had last seen the jeweler Tuesday, June 7, when he had explained that a press of business would prevent his returning home for several days, at the end of which he was to notify his wife to meet him at the Hudson Terminal. The following Friday she received a note, in which he said he was heavily in debt and hinted at suicide. The following Monday she received a letter written by him apparently from Buffalo, and hinting that he intended to jump into Niagara Falls.

Weber is well known in Newark. He was an organizer and leader of the Elks' Band in Newark. He is 52 years old, and has been engaged in the jewelry business in Manhattan for the past 25 years.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 22nd June 1921

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KARL R. HOFFMAN

Albany, New York


MEETS SUDDEN DEATH

Karl R. Hoffman, Albany, N. Y„ Jeweler, Falls from Window When Seized with a Hemorrhage

Albany, N. Y., June 22.–Karl R. Hoffman, head of the Frederick R. Hoffman Jewelry Co., 79 N. Pearl St., fell to his death this morning from the fifth floor of his home, 355 State St. His body was found in an alley with practically every bone broken by the fall.

That Mr. Hoffman was seized with a pulmonary hemorrhage before he fell was evident from the fact that there was blood on the bed of his room and a trail leading to the window. It is believed he rushed to the window for air and lost his balance. Mrs. Hoffman, who was sleeping in an adjoining room, knew nothing of the tragedy until informed by the policeman who found his body in the alley.

Mr. Hoffman was 47 years old and was a son of the late Frederick W. Hoffman, who established the well known jewelry business, which the son took charge of several years ago on the death of his father. He had been ill for several months.

He is survived by his widow, two brothers, Frederick and Benjamin Hoffman and two sisters.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 29th June 1921

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PETER J. WALTER

Springfield, Massachusetts


Peter J. Walter Accidentally Kills Himself with a Shot Gun

Spkingfield, Mass., Aug. 6.–Peter J.Walter, who has for several years conducted a growing jewelry business on State St., accidentally shot and killed himself in this city today. Mr. Walter was handling the shot gun, a seven shot Winchester, which he supposed was unloaded when the gun exploded, the double B shot striking him in the leg and tearing off the calf so that the bone was exposed. It seems that Mr. Walter went out to the barn to clean the gun, which he had used last week, and in which he had left one shell. He picked up the case but was unable to extract the gun.

In order to get a leverage he held the case between his knees and pulled. There was a report and he fell to the floor, bleeding from a horrible wound. Two of his children who had left the barn a few minutes before returned and called some neighbors, who hastened to the wounded man's assistance. One of them improvised a tourniquet, which partially stopped the flow of blood. An ambulance was called, and after the doctor had bound up the wound Mr. Walter was removed to the hospital, where he died five hours later without regaining consciousness.

He leaves a widow and three children, the oldest being but six years of age. The deceased was well known and liked in business circles, and was a prominent sportsman, at one time being a member of the Rod and Gun Club.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review - 9th August 1893

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