New Castle News (New Castle, Pa) November 11, 1915

Can't Explain How Rifle Was Discharged- Believe Trigger Caught in Bush

William Bowers, Jr., aged 14 years, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Bowers of Brent was accidently killed while out hunting for rabbits with a thirteen year old companion, Clarence Campbell, also of Brent. The accident occurred on the Squire Rodgers farm in Plaingrove township, 16 1/2 miles from New Castle, late Saturday afternoon.

The accident has been investigated and what just caused the discharge of the weapon is not determined. The two boys were walking through the field on their way homeward, the gun being carried by Campbell, and Bowers was but a few feet from his side when the trigger caught on a bush or, for some reason was discharged accidently.

The bullet struck the Bowers lad squarely in the neck, just under the chin. He fell to the ground and died within five minutes, breathing his last before aid could be summoned.

The body was removed to the home as quickly as possibleafter the accident.

The Campbell lad has been deeply affected by the accident, being frantic when he discovered the result of the accidental dischargeof the gun and Bowers dropped to the ground with a terrible wound in his neck.

In addition to the parents, seven brothers and sisters survive to mourn the death of the victim of the accident. The Campbell boy's father is dead.

The Campbell boy could give little light on the cause of the accident not being able to explain how the rifle had been discharged.He believes that the trigger became fastened on a bush and was snapped in this manner.

The New Castle Courant,(New Castle, Pa) Friday, June 10, 1870

Buried Alive

Frightful Accident in Allegheny- Two

men killed and two injuried-Buried

Beneath a Mass of Rock-Coroner's In

quest.

An accident of a shocking character occured about half-past ten o,clock Saturaday morning, in the seventh ward, Allegheny, resulting in the death of two men and the serious and probably fatal injury of two others. Me???? Howard & Company have a contract for grading Vista Stree,in the Seventh ward, Allegheny, where for some weeks they have had a large force of men at work, the job being a heavy one. The street passes through a hill, necessitating a cut of twenty feet, a great portion of which is solid rock, whichhad to be blasted. At the time mentioned four men, James Gallaher, Barney Henry, James Dennison and Michael Moore were at work undermining a large rock, which, from the force of the powder usedin the blasting has become detached from the surrounding rocks and without a moments warning it came down with a crash bringing with it several tons of loose dirt and debris, completely covering the four men above mentioned. The other workmen as soon as it was safe begin working from the amount of detached peices of rock that continued to fall for some minutes after the first crash, went to the rescue. Denniston and Moore were first taken out, and although they had sustained serious injuries about the head and body were still living. Some minutes elapsed before Gallaher could be extricated from beneath the massive rock and when taken out the former was quite dead, and the latter, although living had received injuries necessarily fatal, and he expired about twenty minutes afterwards.

Surgical attendence was summoned and the injuried men was properly attended to.

The bodies of the deceased removed to the place of residence in the ninth ward, this city, when Coroner Clawson held an inquest upon them yesterday morning and the injury returned a verdict of accidental death in accordance with the above facts.

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