The Louisiana Intelligencer - Mr. Delaney Accidentally Shoots Son John
Submitted by: Lora Peppers  December 1999

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The Louisiana Intelligencer
Wednesday, May 6, 1868
Page 2, Column 3

ACCIDENTAL KILLING OF A BOY BY HIS FATHER-The New Orleans Crescent of the
21st has the following:
On Sunday evening between 8 and 9 o'clock, the residence of Robert Delaney
situated on Prieur street between Gravier and Perdido, was the scene of a
harrowing event. The facts were stated yesterday by Mrs. Delaney, in her
evidence given before the coroner. Mr. Delaney, at the time mentioned, was
showing his son, John, a boy eleven years of age, how to load a revolver,
and was engaged in loading the last barrel, when he struck the barrel with
his hand to put it in its place, and an explosion followed instantly. The
shot passed through Mr. Delaney's hand. The boy was standing aobut six feet
from him, and crying "Mamma, O mamma," put his hand to his breast - Mrs.
Delaney supposed for a moment that he was crying about the wound his father
had received, whose hand was covered with blood, but she was soon
undeceived, for the boy was a corpse in a few minutes; the ball, which
passed through the father's hand, penetrated the little fellow's heart. Mr.
Delaney was somewhat under the influence of liquor at the time the painful
accident happened, but the jury of inquest after hearing the testimony,
acquitted him of any blame. He was described as being very warmly attached
to all his children, particularly the deceased, who was his first-born. The
agonies he had suffered had affected his mind to such a degree that
yesterday morning he remembered only that his son was dead and had no
recollection of how the death had occurred.