A Family Tragedy in Centralia
A young boy is accidentally killed by his cousin while playing with a Winchester rifle in their home.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A shocking accident occurred this afternoon by which Willie Minkler, nephew of Dr. Minkler, met his death at the hands of Justin Minkler, son of the doctor and cousin of the unfortunate victim. The boys were alone in the upper chamber of Dr. Minkler's residence, and Willie had donned the uniform of the G.A.R. that belonged to his uncle. He buckled the sword belt around his waist, and Justin was seated on the floor with a Winchester rifle in his hands from which he was trying to extract a cartridge. The gun went off, killing Willie instantly, the ball entering just in front of the right ear. So close was the muzzle of the rifle to him that his hair was singed and his face blackened by the powder. Dr. Minkler, who was currently awaiting sentence in the county jail for manslaughter, arrived at the home shortly after the accident, deeply affected by the additional calamity.
“The family was still suffering from the shock occasioned by the conviction of the doctor when this additional calamity occurred.”
Accidental shootings involving children remain a somber recurring theme in local news, highlighting the lasting tension between gun accessibility and public safety. This incident, occurring while the father was already embroiled in a separate legal crisis, underscores how quickly a family can be dismantled by tragedy and circumstance.
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