Binford, John - 1891
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal 7 July 1891 - MAY OR MAY NOT BE AN OBIT - hope not but will include as it;
's a bad one
John Binford, the 14 year old son of Joseph Binford, was shot in the eye this afternoon just after dinner. He will lose the sight of his eye and the wound may possibly prove even more serious. It happened at Mr. Binford’s lumber yard where John and another boy, Walter Schleppy, were playing with a loaded revolver. Young Schleppy was the owner of the revolver and had been shooting around with it all morning, so the neighbors say. But this time the pistol would not go off and the boys were closely examining it to see what the matter was. Schleppy pulled the trigger a few times but once too often for it finally did go off and the twenty-two bullet with which it was loaded, passed through the third finger of Schleppy’s right hand and on into Binford’s left eye. It did not pierce the eye ball but went between that and the skull at the outer corner. Both boys without making any ado, went to Dr. Griffith who dressed their wounds. John Binford was sent home in a carriage where a half hour later Doctors Griffith and Ristine went to perform any necessary operations. At 3:30 o’clock the doctors returned from making their examination but are unable to state as yet as to the final result of the wound. The sight is not yet destroyed but the wound is of a most serious character and the ball lodged somewhere back of the eye.