Carl Canada Ownbey
Manville Boy Dies Following Accidental Discharge of Gun
While on a hunting jaunt last Sunday, accompanied by two school mates, Carl Canada Ownbey, 14-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Ownbey of Manville, suffered an accidental rifle shot wound which caused his death six hours after the bullet from a .22 caliber rifle entered his body.
The lad was in company with Lester Brooks and Fred McCullough and the trio had left their homes in the morning to hunt rabbits and to do target practice. They had taken their lunches with them and were enjoying the outing to the fullest extent and having the time of their lives.
Finally, in mid-afternoon, when about 1 1/2 miles east of Manville, they began throwing their caps into the air and shooting at them. The Ownbey lad, whose rifle was in a poor mechanical condition, placed his hat on the end of the barrel of his gun and fired, the burning powder setting the cap to smoldering. He threw the cap to the ground and stamped upon it, and while he was attempting to pick it up, his rifle, a short-length gun, with a homemade stock, which he had leaning against his body, discharged, the bullet entering below the right ribs and lodging near the upper end of the boy's spine.
He fell to the ground after walking a short distance, and asked his companions to get to town for a doctor. Young McCullough made the run, and finally reached the Houchin residence in the east part of Manville. Mr. Houchin and the boy, after getting word to Dr. Watson of Lusk, returned to the injured lad, and as soon as possible he was placed in Houchin's car and started for Lusk. The doctor's car met them and he was given temporary relief from the pain he was suffering, and later brought to the Lusk hospital. Every assistance possible was administered, but the little fellow succumbed to the effects of the shot at 10:15 Sunday night. The remains were placed in charge of George Earl Peet of the Peet Mortuary of Lusk.
A coroner's jury was summoned Monday morning and the verdict was that the boy had died from injuries inflicted by the accidental discharge of a rifle in his own hands.
Funeral services were held from the Methodist church of Manville at 2:30 o'clock Tuesday afternoon, Rev. Martin officiating. Interment was made in the Manville cemetery. Pall bearers, school chums of the boy, were Lester Brooks, Fred McCullough, Billy Pinkerton, Fred Richardson and Guy Brewer. Flower bearers were Lois Lindley, Genevieve Burns, Edith Pinkerton, Grace Anderson, Ruth Baughn and Hope Scholander.
The deceased is survived by his parents, three brothers and two sisters, one of the latter living with her husband at Columbus, Nebr. The family resides on the E. B. Willson place just north of Manville.