Dolly Gordy Butler County Kansas

TERRIBLE ACCIDENT

On last evening about seven o'clock as we were standing on the street we heard the loud report of a gun in the Central Hotel, followed by an agonizing scream of anguish. Running into the hotel we found little Dolly Gordy, aged about six years, standing in the center of the room covered with blood, and her whole shoulder nearly shot away, while the walls of the room presented a horrible spectacle, being covered with blood and flesh. The little girl was carried home immediately and Dr. McKenzie at once went to work to dress the wounds. The entire charge seems to have struck her shoulder, breaking the bones and carrying all the flesh away, while a few shots have penetrated the lung cavity. The wounds were dressed, and the little girl at last account was resting soundly, but the doctors have little hope of her recovery.

The little girl says that her and Ollie Rizer, a little girl about seven years old, were playing and that Ollie told her she would shoot her, playfully aiming a loaded shot gun at her, where by some means it was discharged, and the whole charge of No. 5 shot tore its murderous way through Dolly's shoulder.

This sad affair throws a gloom over our entire city, and we think this should learn Mr. Riser a lesson, and teach him in the future to keep his loaded guns out of reach of the children.
(Walnut Valley Times ~ Sept. 17, 1880)

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NOT SHOT TO DEATH

A pen picture of that terrible accident at the Central Hotel will be seen in the columns of the Butler County Democrat, where the editor of that paper has said much to rivet upon the minds of the community a burning condemnation for carelessness upon the part of the landlord. On that eventful night little Dollie Gordy asked Ollie Rizer "whose guns it that." Ollie told her (it is supposed.) Dollie G. says, "show me how men shoot." At that Ollie R. picked up the gun, but says, "I told her to keep her head away," but no such words as "I'll shoot you." The gun was discharged and the result was awful. I would say to the public that no one aside from the afflicted parents, feel a deeper sense of sorrow than I because my daughter accidentally done the deed, and I know of no law to control an accident. In the first place, the gun is the property of a stranger, a boarder, and was brought in by him and put away without a thought of danger. As for my guns, they were at the time without loads, and properly cased and put away. I never bring guns in town loaded or take them out loaded, and am very careful of fire-arms; but Mr. Fulton in his article would make the community believe otherwise. With such a deep feeling of regret, I would give all I have to place little Dollie Gordy whole in her mother's arms.

P. Rizer
(Walnut Valley Times ~ Oct. 1, 1880)