John Hoff, 15, Injured With "Unloaded" Gun
Buck Shoemaker Pulls Shot Gun Trigger No Knowing Gun Was Loaded.
A shotgun that it was thought was not loaded sent a boy to the hospital with a badly disfigured face Wednesday morning. John Hoff, 15, of 1630 North Monroe street, is the victim of the thoughtlessness of a boy friend, Buck Shoemaker, 17, of 1949 North Union street.
Shoemaker, with another boy or two, was at the home of Mrs. S. J. Nash, 1904 North College street, when John Hoff called there and asked if another boy friend was there. Shoemaker said he was not, but Hoff insisted that the boy was there. Just in fun Shoemaker poked the barrel of a 12-gauge single-barreled shotgun out of the window and pulled the trigger, not knowing the gun was loaded. The charge tore away part of Hoff's left cheek and the left side of his nose. Had it been an inch further to the right the boy would have been killed.
SEVERE WOUND.
Hoff did not lose consiousness and ordered that Moran & Sons ambulance be called. This was done and he was hurried to the Decatur and Macon county hospital.. On the way he told the ambulance attendants that he knew it was an accident, that Buck would not have shot him purposely. While the wound is severe, it is not expected to prove serious.
The police were notified of the shooting and went out to interview Shoemaker, but he could not be found, and it was thought that he had gone somewhere to be alone and brood over the accident.
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Buck Shoemaker Pulls Shot Gun Trigger No Knowing Gun Was Loaded.
A shotgun that it was thought was not loaded sent a boy to the hospital with a badly disfigured face Wednesday morning. John Hoff, 15, of 1630 North Monroe street, is the victim of the thoughtlessness of a boy friend, Buck Shoemaker, 17, of 1949 North Union street.
Shoemaker, with another boy or two, was at the home of Mrs. S. J. Nash, 1904 North College street, when John Hoff called there and asked if another boy friend was there. Shoemaker said he was not, but Hoff insisted that the boy was there. Just in fun Shoemaker poked the barrel of a 12-gauge single-barreled shotgun out of the window and pulled the trigger, not knowing the gun was loaded. The charge tore away part of Hoff's left cheek and the left side of his nose. Had it been an inch further to the right the boy would have been killed.
SEVERE WOUND.
Hoff did not lose consiousness and ordered that Moran & Sons ambulance be called. This was done and he was hurried to the Decatur and Macon county hospital.. On the way he told the ambulance attendants that he knew it was an accident, that Buck would not have shot him purposely. While the wound is severe, it is not expected to prove serious.
The police were notified of the shooting and went out to interview Shoemaker, but he could not be found, and it was thought that he had gone somewhere to be alone and brood over the accident.