Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Collingham, Charles 1914
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Portland Observer, 9 Jul 1914

Danby Lad Is Victim of Fourth

Charles Collingham, 6, is Fatally Injured at Sebewa Corners.

Toy Cannon Bursts, Fragment Striking Young Victim In Head

Had Stood in Cornell’s Store, Waiting for the Explosion, When Fatality Occurred.

Out in Danby township a family has been thrown into mourning, while a pall has 
been cast over the entire community by the premature death of Charles 
Collingham, six-year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Collingham, of Danby, whose 
life was sniffed out as a result of a Fourth of July accident at Sebewa corners 
at about 8:30 Saturday morning.

Daniel Collingham, with his wife and three children, were spending the fourth 
at the home of Peter Collingham and family at the corners, the men being 
brothers.  Early in the day young Collingham accompanied his brother, a few 
years his senior, to a grassy plot immediately across the street from Cornell’s 
store, where a number of boys were celebrating Independence day with a toy 
cannon of cast iron construction.  Several charges were exploded successfully.

In an effort to surpass their previous attempts at noise making the boys loaded 
the little cannon to capacity with powder and gravel.  One of them lit a fuse 
while the spectators scurried to Cornell’s store, immediately across the road, 
and closed the doors. 

Young Collingham was the last one to get inside the store and stood directly in 
front of the doors looking through the glass.  The cannon barked and broke into 
a score of pieces.  A fragment, weighing about six pounds, struck a building 
eight rods distant and tore the plaster from the walls.  Another of about the 
same weight was carried for about 16 rods, striking another building with 
similar effect, while a third went through the glass door of the Cornell store 
and struck young Collingham directly back of the right ear, tearing away a 
portion of the ear, breaking his jaw and inflicting a terrible gash in the 
head.  The lad was knocked to the floor unconscious and his wound bled 
profusely.

Residents of the immediate vicinity were attracted to the store by the screams 
of the children, and there beheld a pitiful sight.  The Collingham boy lay in a 
big pool of blood just as he had fell when he received the fatal blow.  Dr. 
Crawford, of Sunfield, was hurriedly summoned, and the boy was removed to the 
home of his uncle, Peter Collingham, where he was given immediate attention.  
It was apparent that one of the arteries of the neck had been severed, and the 
physician held but little hope of recovery from the start.  The young victim 
died at 4:00 o’clock Sunday morning from loss of blood, and the glorious Fourth 
had claimed its toll.  The fatality has thrown the little hamlet of Sebewa 
corners into a state of mourning not experienced there in many years, and the 
bereaved family have the universal sympathy of the community in their loss.  
The Collinghams reside on what is known as the Gore farm, ¼ mile east of the 
Turner bridge, in Danby township.

On Tuesday the remains of the young fourth of July victim were borne to a crypt 
in the Danby township cemetery, where interment followed a short prayer service 
by Rev. Wheeler, of the Sebewa U.B. church.  The funeral sermon was delivered 
at the home of the boy’s uncle, Peter Collingham, at the corners, where the lad 
was taken after receiving the fatal blow.  A long procession of rigs followed 
the remains to their last resting place, and the little white casket, bearing 
another victim of an unsafe and unsane Fourth, was completely covered with 
floral tributes.  Besides his parents, the young victim is survived by a 
brother and a sister.


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