Clark County Clipper

Clark County Clipper, June 25, 1885

A Fatal Accident.

A fatal accident occurred near Red Bluff, in the east edge of this county, which resulted in the death of E. I. Kinzer on Tuesday. It seems that J. F. Moffitt, A. C. Harrold and E. I. Kinzer, of Carmal, Hamilton county, Ind., C. O. and S. D. Harshman and M. W. Carry of Ohio, and Forest Moon, of Illinois, came to Harper last week, where they hired James Furgison to take his team and haul them across the country via. Medicine Lodge, Coldwater and Ashland to Garden City. Tuesday noon they camped at Red Bluff, twelve miles east of here, and while Furgison was hitching up his team some of the boys took out their pistols and practiced shooting at a mark. After getting in the wagon and starting, some remark was made about how far the hammer would come back on each pistol. S. D. Harshman took out his, a double-acting Smith & Wesson, 38 caliber, and began trying it by pulling on the trigger. E. I. Kinzer, who had no pistol and had been paying no attention before turned around and stooped over to see how Harshman's gun worked, when it fired, the ball striking him just above the left eye and passed out at the back of his head. He lived about three hours afterward, but was unable to speak. The balance of the party brought the body on here about 8 o'clock. As soon as it was known our coroner, Dr. Parks, had the body removed to Crofut & Sockler's carpenter shop and impaneled a jury and held an inquest. The jury consisted of A. Hughes, Geo. A. Exline, James R. Arthur, W. D. Baker, S. H. Parshley and Fred Webster. After examining each member of the party the jury returned a verdict in accordance with the above statement. The deceased was a single man. The body was packed in ice and shipped back to Indiana, Mr. Moffit accompanying the body. The balance of the party went on west, a wiser and sadder set of men.

Submitted by ~Shirley Brier~ in September 28, 2005.