On Sunday last about 2 o’clock p.m., Charles Danner, aged about 16 years, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Danner, who live three-quarters of a mile north of Leeseburg, shot himself while at Mr. John Ruth’s, near Leeseburg. Charley had gone over to Mr. Ruth’s as he had frequently done and while there he went into the sitting room and took the gun, a single barrel shot gun, out of an adjoining closet and commenced handling it. Mr. Ruth’s two little sons tried to persuade him to put the gun up which he refused to do. The boys started to go to Sunday School leaving him sitting in a chair with the gun in his hands, the muzzle pointing towards his head and the stock on the floor. Just as the two boys had got to the outside door, having to pass through a room to reach it, they heard the gun go off, and running back into the room found him lying on his back near the chair, dead, with the stock of the gun pointing from him and the muzzle near his head, as if in falling he had pushed the gun from him. The load had taken effect in the right temple mashing in the skull. Miss Ruth, a sister of the two boys, and a Miss Wherley corroborated the boys’ testimony. Mayor Horner and W. H. Derry, of Astoria, went out. The following jury was impanelled by Esq. Horner: W. H. Derry, foreman; John Burgard, Wm. Plate, Mr. Wherley, Neal Mummert and John Danner, who, after hearing the above testimony, rendered the following verdict: Charles Danner’s death was caused accidentally by a shot from a gun in his own hands.
The funeral was held Monday afternoon at the Woodland church, conducted by Rev. Hollinger and Rev. Cyrus Bucher. The remains were laid to rest in the cemetery near by.
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Two weeks ago the Argus published a detailed account of the death of Charles Danner, son of Conrad Danner which occurred at John Ruth’s near Leeseburg. At that time, it was thought he had committed suicide, and the account as published was in accordance with the verdict. But new developments are now at hand. At the time of the accident the elder Ruths were away from home. Charlie Ruth and a smaller brother got hold of a gun sitting in the closet, and supposed it to be “not loaded” they attempted to frighten Charley by pointing the gun at him, and as usual in such cases, the gun went off, killing the boy almost instantly. At the coroner’s inquest the evidence made it appear that the boy had accidentally killed himself, but later those who knew the facts weakened and confessed the truth. It was undoubtedly an accident and a very sad affair. The families are neighbors and it is probable the verdict as rendered by the coroner’s jury will be allowed to stand.
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