Cove, Union County, Oregon
Cove Lad Killed By Brother While Hunting
A nine-year-old lad, James Richards of Cove, is dead today, the victim of a hunting accident that occurred 10 miles away from civilization in the mountains behind Cove on the Big Minam Wednesday afternoon. A heroic struggle of a father to save the life of his child failed and a few hours after Clarence Richards had carried his boy by pack horse and in his arms over rough trails through country as wild as any in the west the little chap died.
It was his older brother, Cecil, 14 who unexpectingly fired the .22 rifle that sent a bullet through the top of his brother’s head, down into the brain, according to Hal Bohnenkamp’s report.
The two boys were with their father who has a ranch on big Minam in Wallowa county. Cecil took his gun and started to hunt ground squirrels. When he shot the younger brother stepped in front of him and Cecil didn’t know it – that was all, reports say. Those who had talked to the father this morning said that Cecil apparently didn’t know his brother was even near.
Oregon Trail Weekly
North Powder News
Saturday, May 26, 1928