NEWS: Items from the Morning Tribune, February 9, 1891, Blair County, PA

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Morning Tribune, Altoona, Pa., Monday, February 9, 1891

IT WAS LOADED.
A Foolish Young Man Narrowly Escapes Being a Murderer.

  Johnstown Tribune, February 7:  Mrs. Mary M. Ray lives at No. 343 
Gautier street, Tenth ward.  When her son Thomas, aged 20 years, left 
home last fall he gave his 22 calibre revolver to his mother and told 
her to take care of it until he returned.  She put it in a box 
upstairs.  Thomas came some time since and yesterday, shortly before 
noon, was helping his mother and other members of the family put some 
new springs on the beds on the second floor.  While this was going on, 
one of his brothers got hold of an old pistol that was lying around 
loose and took it apart.  This put Thomas in mind of the revolver and, 
learning from his mother where it was, he took it from the box, 
remarking as he did so: "You oughtn't to leave this revolver lie around 
this way, but I guess it's not loaded."  Then, being seized with a 
playful mood, he obtained a sword, and with the pistol in one hand and 
the sword in the other, he ran his sister Effie, aged 16 years, down 
stairs, jokingly threatening to kill her.
  The girl took refuge in the kitchen, but Thomas followed her there, 
still flourishing the revolver and sword.  Just as the girl turned to 
run from the kitchen to the dining room the revolver in some manner - 
purely accidental, Mrs. Ray says - was discharged and the ball took 
effect in the right breast of the girl, passing through a button hole 
in her dress and through her other clothing into the flesh, striking 
the breast bone and glancing to one side.  The girl continued on into 
the dining room.  For an instant she did not realize what had happened, 
not feeling any pain.  She was, however, very shocked and frightened at 
the discharge of the weapon, as was also her brother, and, a moment 
later, the latter was horrified to hear his sister exclaim: "Oh, I'm 
shot!"
  The other members of the family, who by this time had gathered in the 
dining-room, were overcome with alarm.  Some one, however, retained 
presence of mind enough to go for a doctor, and in short time the 
services of Dr. H. F. Tomb were obtained.  He immediately located the 
ball, which was embedded but a short distance in the flesh, and 
promptly cut it out.  To-day the girl's symptoms are satisfactory and 
no serious consequences are apprehended.

Successful Skin Grafting at Altoona.

  Two weeks ago Dr. J. M. Sheedy engrafted about one hundred pieces of 
human skin on the leg of Mr. Louis Casey, who was injured in the 
railroad shops about three months ago.  The injury, despite the best of 
care, developed into blood poisoning, and the young man's life was for 
a time in a precarious condition.  The flesh and skin sloughed off from 
the knee to the ankle joint and an enormous abscess formed above the 
knee clear to the hip.  This latter did not destroy much of the 
integument, and when suppuration ceased there was not much difficulty 
in drawing the skin together.  But below the knee it was different, 
there being neither skin nor scarcely a particle of flesh left.  
However, the young man being of a healthy nature, when suppuration 
ceased, the flesh began to granulate and would have healed and become 
covered with a gristly skin, the same that comes after a deep burn, 
which is always contracting and liable to burst open under exertion.  
This helped to retard the development of the limb.
  To overcome this defect Dr. Sheedy resorted to the operation of skin 
grafting, an account of which was published.  At that time the doctor 
transplanted about one hundred pieces, and one week later transplanted 
one hundred and fifty more.  Mr. Casey and his many friends are 
delighted with the success.  Out of the two hundred and fifty pieces 
over two hundred took hold and are growing nicely.  Those nearest the 
skin have already united with it, and those in the middle of the raw 
surface have grown to three times their original size.  The doctor 
informed us that Mr. Casey will not be deformed in the least and will 
have as healthy a limb in six months from now as any man in the city.
  The case attracted considerable attention and the attending physician 
has received many inquiries from physicians in several states as to the 
final result of the experiment.

Local Brevities.

  John Bright, a resident of Harrisburg, employed as a brakeman on the 
middle division, was thrown from a car, Saturday, in the yard, and 
painfully injured about the right side and face.  He was taken to the 
hospital for treatment and yesterday sent to his home.

HOLLIDAYSBURG HAPPENINGS.

  Mr. Hawley McLanahan, of Philadelphia, is visiting his parents, Mr. 
and Mrs. J. King McLanahan.
  The favorably located and very desirable property situated on 
Allegheny street, East end, belonging to the estate of Mrs. Eliza 
Watson, deceased, was sold on Saturday to Mr. Thomas Gorley.
  A promise made by W. H. Goodfellow to his son Frank when the latter 
was a 5-year-old lad, that on condition of his total abstinence from 
the use of tobacco he should receive, on attaining his majority, a 
present of a gold watch, was redeemed on Saturday last.  Frank eschewed 
tobacco instead of chewing it, and is now the happy and proud possessor 
of a handsomely wrought, valuable gold watch and chain, of excellent 
movement and full jeweled.  Besides this he is the better off for 
having never become enamored of the "filthy weed."
  April 1 will witness in our town some business changes as far as 
locality is concerned.  A. J. McKee will occupy his large, well-lighted 
and airy room in the Goodfellow block, corner of the public square and 
Montgomery street.  The rooms vacated by him will be occupied by our 
grocer friend, O. J. Fay, and the room vacated by Mr. Fay will be 
occupied by Joseph Carroll.  The gas company's office will occupy the 
room in the Goodfellow block now occupied by Albright & Cliber as a 
shoe store, and these gentlemen will remove to and continue their shoe 
emporium in the room now occupied by George M. Smith's book and 
stationery store on Montgomery street, and Mr. Smith will occupy the 
room vacated by the gas company.

TYRONE TOPICS.

  Mrs. Charles H. Gundaker, at her residence, 1117 Seventeenth street, 
Altoona, will offer at public sale at 2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon, 
February 10th, her household goods.
  T. W. Devore sold his property on East Juniata street, consisting of 
lot and brick house, for $2,200 to T. B. Shuman, a commercial traveler, 
now of Reedsville, Mifflin county.
  C. M. Schroeder, with his family, has taken up house-keeping in the 
residence on Logan street recently purchased from Mr. Dr. [sic] 
Gerhart.  Several desirable improvements have been added.
  Templeton, Crawford & Company will, after March 1st, take charge of 
the room adjoining their double stores on West Juniata street, now 
occupied by Caldwell, Owens & Company.  In this combination they join 
three large store rooms and become the largest retail establishment in 
the county.
  Our merchant friend who occupies a prominent place on the corner of 
Main and Ridge streets, Henry Hennan, has disposed of his residence on 
Lincoln avenue to William H. Robertson, of Wilmore, Cambria county, who 
will make this his home after April 1st.  Consideration, $6,000.
  On Friday evening, about 11.30, the shrill steam whistles of the many 
industries in the northern end of town gave notice to our citizens that 
a conflagration was in progress which was soon ascertained to be the 
building occupied by John Bottorf, postmaster, and James I. Ginter, as 
a confectionary, in East Tyrone.  The Pennsylvania railroad fire 
company was soon on the ground and rendered efficient work in saving 
movable property.  They were followed by the Friendship hook and ladder 
company, the Citizens' steam fire company and the Neptune steam fire 
company of this place.  Owing to the scarcity of water, some time was 
lost in getting the steamers in play.  A dam was soon improvised, in a 
small stream south of town and water was soon played from both engines; 
not, however, until the flames had communicated to the double dwelling 
occupied by Mrs. Sullivan and Mr. Eshelman on the north, the property 
of Con. Sullivan and the dwelling occupied by James F. Ginter on the 
south and owned by J. Hissong, of Philipsburg.  All of these were 
totally destroyed.  The firemen did good service in confining the loss 
to these four buildings.  The residences of Con. Sullivan and John 
Stacy on either side of the above were in great danger and suffered a 
bad scorching.  The calmness of the night prevented the destruction of 
every building on Curtin street and perhaps other portions of the town.  
The total loss will foot up some $5,000, upon which there is an 
insurance of about $1,000 only.  And still there is some objection on 
the part of these people to be made part and parcel of the city of 
Tyrone.  Nevertheless we will render you aid and assistance when in 
distress.  The indications are that the fire originated from an 
overheated stove in the postoffice building.  It was with some 
difficulty that the inmates of the first building were aroused from 
their slumbers. Mrs. Ginter, who has been an invalid for some months, 
was taken from her bed and carried to the house of a near neighbor.  
The shock was a great one to her, but at this writing she is resting 
well.

FROM THE RICHLANDS.

  George W. Brown, residing on Richland avenue, has purchased the 
right, title and interest of Miss Mary Finerty in the Richland store, 
which was the whole store.
  The new church building at Frugality, which is to be dedicated to the 
service of Almighty God on Sunday, the 15th day of February, is one of 
the most beautiful edifices of its kind along the line of the Cresson 
and Coalport railroad, and the people of Frugality will soon be able to 
say, as the Psalmist of olden times: "Let us go up unto the house of 
the Lord."
  Mr. John Weisel, of Dysart, has been in straitened circumstances for 
some time.  He has a family of small children depending on him for 
support, and, being unable to work, is depending on the charity of 
those who feel disposed to give.  He was a member of company A, Eighty-
fourth Pennsylvania volunteers, during the war and up to this time has 
been unable to get a pension.  "He that considereth the poor, the Lord 
will deliver him in time of trouble."  Here the pension department has 
a fair chance.