Submitted by: Carole Tremaglio
CLAUDE SMITH
PROMISING BOY KILLED IN HUNTING TRIP
Claude Smith Loses His Life Friday by the Discharge of a Shotgun.
A terrible accident happened late Friday afternoon on a farm west of Lincoln, resulting in the killing of a boy of this city, Claude, the 14-year-old son of Charles Smith, a cigarmaker.
Claude was spending a vacation at the home of his uncle, George Ogilvie, eleven miles southwest of the city. Late Friday afternoon Claude, with his cousin, Clifford Ogilvie, started down the road about a
mile after the rural mail, taking a shotgun to kill young rabbits. On the way they stopped in a patch to gather strawberries. Young Ogilvie placed the gun on the ground and cautioned his cousin not to touch it. In a few minutes he was startled by the discharge of the firearm, and on turning was shocked to see that his companion had been shot through the head. The charge entered the right side just above the ear and completely shattered the head.
The exact particulars of the accident may never be known. It is thought that perhaps Smith moved the gun to pick berries and thus touched the trigger. Young Ogilvie ran and told his father of the
accident, and by the telephone in the home of Uriah Wendell, Coroner John T. Boyden was notified. The coroner gave permission to move the body to the Ogilvie home.
The remains were conveyed to the office of Coroner Boyden, but are in such condition that no one is allowed to see them. The boy's father was notified of the terrible accident Friday night, and was about to step into Mr. Boyden's buggy to go to the country, when he collapsed and had to abandon the journey.
Funeral Monday at 10 o'clock at the home, 103 Decatur street, Rev. L. C. Trent officiating. Burial in Union cemetery.
--The Lincoln Daily Courier, not sure of the date, but Claude died on June 19, 1903