A Mystery in the Garden Tracts

C. E. Millard, of this city, is at a Walla Walla hospital in a critical condition with a bullet imbedded in his brain as a result of a shooting mystery which has completely baffled the local police officers. Millard was found in his potato patch at his home in the Garden Tracts about 7 o’clock Tuesday morning by Mr. Danford, who has been living at the Millard home while Mrs. Millard has been in North Yakima on a visit. Mr. Danford immediately summoned Dr. L. G. Spaulding, who upon investigation discovered that the man had a gunshot wound high up on the forehead. When picked up, Millard was in a semi-conscious state and could give no coherent story of the accident. Later he became more rational but even then his story could throw but little light on where the shot came from. He says that he was hoeing in his potato patch about 7:30 o’clock Monday evening when something happened—he thought the pipe which he was smoking at the time exploded. The probe showed that after entering the skull the bullet ranged downward. This strengthens the theory that the wound was inflicted by a falling bullet fired at a considerable distance. The police are of the opinion that the tragedy was purely accidental and that the shot was fired by someone shooting robins in some of the nearby cherry orchards. As yet, however, close questioning of all neighbors has failed to throw any additional light on the mysterious affair.