A Tragic Mistake in Lynden
A frightened boy, fearing tramps, fires a lethal shot through his own front door when his grandfather arrives home unexpectedly.
Mr. Boeronger, of Lynden, was shot and killed by his 11-year-old grandson last night. The grandfather had arrived home at 8 p.m. unexpectedly. The family, having been cautioned about tramps earlier in the day, inquired who was at the door. When no answer came, the boy fired through the door. His mother found the grandfather shot in the arm and abdomen; he died at midnight. The boy had been fearful after being approached by strangers earlier in the day.
“The family, afraid of tramps, inquired who it was that wanted to get in. The old man not answering, the boy fired through the door.”
This tragedy captures the extreme anxiety regarding 'tramps' and strangers that permeated the late 19th-century American frontier. It serves as a grim example of how local fear—often stoked by the press—led to real-life violence within family homes.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.