OBIT: Samuel HALE, 1887, Blair County, PA

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SHOT BY HIS SON. 
A Terrible Accident Near Williamsburg Early Sunday Morning

Special to the TRIBUNE. WILLIAMSBURG, Pa., May 1. - The people of this
town and vicinity were much shocked this morning to hear that a fatal
accident, characterized by circumstances of unusual horror, had
occurred shortly after 7 o'clock a. m., at the residence of Samuel
Hale, one mile north of Williamsburg.  As usual with events of this
sort, and especially in a community where they are of such rare
occurrence, a thousand rumors are afloat.  Your correspondent has made
a diligent effort to get at the facts in the case and what follows
seems to be pretty well authenticated. 

Saturday night Samuel Hale, who resided one mile north of this town,
as already stated, went to his home considerably under the influence
of liquor.  He carried with him a quart bottle of liquor, which he is
said to have placed under his pillow for safe keeping when he retired.
About 7 o'clock this morning he awoke, and, probably not having
recovered from the effects of the previous night's potations, either
persuaded or compelled his son, aged 12 years, who was in the room, to
take a drink of the liquor.  Soon after the boy, at his father's
direction, took another drink of the fiery beverage.  Some fifteen
minutes later the lad, then under the influence of liquor, picked up a
loaded shotgun, which stood in a corner of the room.  Cocking the
weapon, he began to play with it.  The father raised himself up in the
bed and commanded the boy to put the weapon down.  Instead of obeying
his father the boy pulled the ramrod from the keeper and endeavored to
thrust it down the barrel of the gun.  He missed his aim but struck
the trigger with the end of the ramrod, when the weapon was
discharged, the contents entering Mr. Hale's head, blowing off the top
of the unfortunate man's head and bespattering the bed, the walls and
the ceiling with his brains and his blood.  The wound extended from
just above the ears upward.  The top of Hale's head resembled a broken
egg.  Notwithstanding the terrible nature of his wound, he lived for
an hour and a half after the occurrence of the accident.  His death
has produced a profound sensation in this community and is a dreadful
affliction, under the sad circumstances, to his family.  The deceased
was a soldier during the war and was a member of Robert Johnston post,
Grand Army of the Republic, of Williamsburg.  He was buried by the
post with the honors of war Monday afternoon.

Samuel Hale, the unfortunate man who was killed by his young son at
his home near Williamsburg early on Sunday morning, was buried in the
Methodist cemetery at the latter place yesterday evening.  The Grand
Army of the Republic had charge of the burial.  The account of the
shooting telegraphed by our regular correspondent at Williamsburg
seems to have been substantially correct.  The boy told a gentleman
who interviewed him soon after the shooting that his father had
compelled him to take two drinks; that he was drunk and did not know
what he was doing; that he took the gun and was blowing in the muzzle
to see if it was loaded; that he had the gun cocked and took out the
ramrod, which he was trying to replace, when it slipped down against
the trigger and the gun went off and killed his father.  At the time
of this interview the boy was still visibly under the influence of
liquor.

Another gentleman residing in Williamsburg, who was in the city
yesterday, claims that the boy was with his father in the town on
Saturday night and both were drunk.  According to him, the boy says he
had drunk some of the liquor in the morning and was drunk.  He had
tried ineffectually to arouse his father and thought it would be a
good joke to waken him by discharging the contents of the gun across
the bed and out of the open window.  Just as he was in the act of
doing this, his father raised up and received the load in his head.
Hale was a quarrelsome man when in liquor, and is said to have served
a term in jail last winter for abusing his wife and family.  The boy,
according to general report, ran out of the house and down to the
river, which flows nearby, and plunged in, with the intention of
drowning himself.  He was seen and persuaded to return to land.  The
family, consisting of a wife and four or five children, are in
dependent circumstances and in much distress of mind.  The dead
husband and father was about 40 years of age.

Soon after Hale's death, James Roller, justice of the peace, held an
inquest.  The jury, consisting of George Roller, George S. Riley, J.
D. Allender, John Hicks, B. F. Cooper and H. A. Blackburn, returned a
verdict of accidental death.

Altoona Tribune, Altoona, Pa., Thursday, May 5, 1887, page 3

WILLIAMSBURG WAIFS.

The funeral cortege of Mr. Samuel Hale was a large one.  A large
number of neighbors in carriages and on foot attended.  The usual
impressive and touching services of the Grand Army were rendered at
the grave.  The family of Mr. Hale were almost destitute of clothing
and the necessaries of life.  Kind neighbors and friends came to their
relief and provided them with the needed articles.

Altoona Tribune, Altoona, Pa., Thursday, May 5, 1887, page 4