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Spring Glen – 5-Year-Old Boy Kills 3-Year-Old Sister, 1906

A five-year-old boy picked up a loaded gun and somehow was able to discharge it.  In doing so, he killed his three-year-old sister.  The father, Jacob Shade had left the loaded gun behind a door and went off to do some errands while the two young children remained in the house unsupervised.  The accident occurred in Springville [Spring Glen], Hubley Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.

The story was told in the Lykens Standard, November 23, 1906, which added a warning about keeping firearms away from children:

SHOCKING ACCIDENT

A shocking accident occurred at Springville, about six miles east of Gratz, on Saturday.  Jacob Shade, who had just returned from a hunting trip, placed his gun, which was loaded, behind the door, and having business at a nearby carpet factory, left two children, a boy of five, and a girl of three years, in the house.  The little boy spied the gun and picked it up, and in handling it it was in some manner discharged, the entire load entering his sister’s back and passing out near the heart, killing her instantly.  This should be a warning to all persons owning fire arms to keep them beyond the reach of children.

The Pottsville Republican reported some slightly different information, November 19, 1906:

A SIX YEAR OLD SLAYS SISTER

John Shade, the six year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Shade of Springville [Spring Glen], Hubley Township, shot and instantly killed his three year old sister on Saturday.  The children were playing in the kitchen of their home and the boy noticed a gun which had been left standing behind the kitchen door.  In a playful way he picked up the gun and aimed the muzzle at his infant sister who was greatly enjoying the sport.

With a cry of “Bang!” he pulled the trigger and the shot entered the chest of the child almost severing the infant’s head from the shoulders.  The death of the infant was instantaneous.  The youthful slayer is of course too young to realize the import of his act.

___________________________________________________

From Newspapers.com.

Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.

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