Shocking accident.--a soldier killed.
--On Saturday morning last, about half-past 10 o'clock, the attendants upon the
Mayor's Court were startled by the report of a heavily loaded musket, which proceeded from the second story of the City Hall.
In an instant the crowd present rushed up stairs, when a most awful spectacle met their gaze.
In the centre of the passage, directly between the offices of the Register of the Gas. Works and Sealer of Weights and Measures, there was lying a well dressed soldier, stark dead, while the floor for several feet to his right was strewed with a large quantity of blood that had spirted from the fatal wound which had been inflicted upon the unfortunate victim.
On inquiry, it was ascertained that
Lieut. Ferneyhough, with a Sergeant and three men, members of "
Dabney's Heavy Artillery," had been detailed to proceed to the City Hall for the purpose of obtaining some blankets, which had been purchased with the appropriation made by the City Council for the relief of the soldiers from this city.
While the
Lieutenant and
Sergeant, in company with
Councilman Jas. A. Scott and
Mr. Jas. Epps, were in the room occupied by the Sealer of Weights and Measures, selecting the blankets,
Robert A. Crump and
Daniel Callahan,
alias, John Adams, who were outside the room, began to fence in play with their muskets, when the weapon in the hands of
Crump accidentally fired off, driving the entire load through the head of
Callahan, and embedding the ball in the brick wall at the north end of the building.
Simultaneous with the discharge of the musket, the unfortunate man reeled around once or twice, when he fell a corpse into the arms of his distressed comrade and murderer, who, seeing what he had done; rushed towards him in time to prevent his falling in his own gore.
There was only one witness to the deed, and his testimony substantiated the facts of the case as above stated.
Upon examination of the body, it was found that the ball had entered the right nostril and passed out in a direct line at the back part of his head, penetrating through the brain.
The distress of
Crump since the unfortunate affair has been painful to witness, and he has the sympathy of all who have seen him.--That the melancholy circumstance was purely accidental there is not a doubt, for it is admitted by all the members of his company that the deceased and himself were on terms of the most intimate friendship, and only a few minutes before the accident they were seen laughing and talking in the most agreeable manner.
Crump is about twenty-two years of age, and we learn, was born and raised on
Union Hill, in
Henrico county.
The deceased was originally from
Boston, but had been a resident of this city for a number of years.
He was about nineteen years of age, and entered the service as a substitute before he was liable to military duty.
He has a father and sister living in
Richmond, both of whom, on hearing of his sudden death, immediately repaired to the scene of the occurrence, and remained with him till the removal of his body to their residence.
Upon first observing the lifeless form of
Callahan, his sister and father seemed over whelmed with grief, and their lamentations might be heard some distance beyond the building.
Capt. Dabney informs us that on Friday night
Crump was made a
sergeant problem., and had charge of a guard around some of the
Government property.
As he was not required at the time to have a musket he drew the load from his own gun and put it among some others.
In the morning, however, when he was about leaving for his company, it is highly probable that he got a musket belonging to some other member, which was loaded.
The unfortunate man says he had no idea that the gun was charged at the time, or he would never have used it in the manner he did.
Crump is regarded as an excellent soldier, and the other members attached to the battery are often challenging him, in a playful manner, for bayonet exercise, &c. Unfortunately, he indulged in the sport once too often, the fatal consequences of which should be a warning to all future trilling with deadly weapons.
No one can be too careful in handling them.
A jury of inquest was held over the body of
Callahan on Saturday afternoon, who rendered a verdict that "he came to his death from the accidental shooting of a musket in the hands of
Robert A. Crump." Afterwards,
Captain Dabney took his remains in charge, and they were yesterday followed to their last resting place under an escort of the whole company.
