Miami Union

December 2, 1876 

SHILLING, FRED - The Fatal Shot Gun - It Claims a Victim at Troy Last Saturday - A Young Lad of Fifteen Goes Gunning and Shoots Himself in the Head - Another young life was sacrificed last Saturday to the prevailing mania among the young boys to handle fire arms.  Another family has had its ranks broken; seen one of its members leave home in the morning bright and joyous, in the bloom of life and health, and returned a few hours later a mangled corpse.  Fred Shilling, aged about fifteen years, son of Mr. David Shilling, in company with a couple other boys, Myers and McDonnell, went gunning last Saturday in the woods west of town.  They had been hunting some time when Shilling met with the accident which caused his death instantly.  He carried a double barrelled shot gun and in some manner received the contents of one barrel in his head.  Exactly how it happened is not known.  His companions had left him sitting on a log working with his boot, something having got into it.  They had not proceeded far, however, when they heard the report of his gun, and turned to look back supposing that he had fired at some game, but to their horror saw the young man fall over.  They ran to the spot, and found their companion lifeless.  Much alarmed they ran to the nearest farm house and reported the accident.  A young man named Wilson brought the news to town and notified Marshal Vandeveer who immediately went to the spot and brought in the mangled body.  The charge entered his head just below the right eye, tearing out the eye and the side of his head in a horrible manner.  A portion of the brain was found about four feet from the body.  From the manner in which the body and the gun were found lying it is thought that young Shilling set the gun against a log with the muzzle up, while he sat down to arrange his boot and in attempting to rise or to pick up the gun either struck the hammer with his foot or grazed it against the log, thus exploding the charge.  The Marshal, who drew the remaining charge from the gun, says it was a heavy load.  Coroner Kitzmiller was telegraphed to and arrived in the evening and held an inquest.  The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the above facts.  Young Shilling was a promising boy and his friends have the heartfelt sympathy of our people in their sad and sudden bereavement.  He was buried on Sabbath afternoon.  We hope this sad accident will be a warning to young boys and to their parents.  Two accidents of this nature have occurred in this county within the past month--both of which resulted in instant death.  The mania among the young boys to have a gun is on the increase.  Only a few days ago we saw a party of four boys, whose ages probably ranged from 8 to 12 years, leaving for the woods with guns, and the careless manner with which they handled them showed that they were as liable to shoot themselves as any game.  The game in this county does not amount to enough to warrant the terrible sacrifice that is sometimes made in securing it.  The sport for boys we know is exciting and delightful, but is it worth the risk?  When we urge upon parents to be more careful about encouraging this practice it is not because we would wish in any way to deprive the boys of their sport, but because we shall not wish to have to record another sad accident as the two in the past month.