Accidentally Shot Himself.

Young Joel Pritchett Dies After Receiving Contents of a Gun.

Joel Pritchett accidentally shot himself at Villa Rica last Saturday evening. He was a son of the late Mr. Marcellus Pritchett, nephew of Col. James B. Conyers, of this city, and Joel T. Conyers, of Stilesboro, and was about seventeen years old. He had been boarding with a relative in Atlanta, Mrs. Jesse Ernshaw, living on the Boulevard, and had gone down to Villa Rica, where his uncle, Mr. Frank Pritchett, lived, on Friday evening. Young Sammie Candler, a boy named Windsor and himself had gone out squirrel hunting and had got back as far as the Windsor boy’s home, at about one o’clock. The Windsor boy had gone to put up the horse they had been driving. They had caught two opossums and had them in the back yard. Young Pritchett was playing with one of the opossums and was near a large pot they intended to put them under. The opossum which he had by the tail caught the young man’s trouser leg with its claws and he tried to pull it loose. He made several efforts to pull it away, and finally, with one strong effort, succeeded. He had his gun leaning against his right breast. The jerking of the opossum it is presumed brought the gun with force against the pot, and the weapon was discharged. The load went into the young man’s breast, coming out under the arm and tearing a ghastly hole. The lung was torn out and the main artery under the back of the shoulder was cut and blood gushed out in a horribly large stream. He was assisted to the veranda of the house and around this to a room on the front side of the house, when he asked to be laid on the bed. He expired almost by the time he had reached the bed.

The remains reached here Sunday evening and the funeral occurred Monday morning at ten o’clock, from the residence of Judge A. W. Fite.

Mr. Frank Pritchett, his uncle, Miss Rhea Pritchett, his sister, and Mr. S. C. Candler, from Villa Rica, accompanied the remains, and Mr. Charles Pritchett, his brother, from Raleigh, N. C., joined these in Atlanta and came up with them and the body.

Rev. Dr. Headden, of Rome, conducted the funeral services, which were very touching, Dr. Headden having known the deceased when he himself was pastor of the Baptist church here and the young man was in school, and referring to the young man’s conduct and habits in the most favorable terms.

The pall bearers were: Tom Puckett, Watt Milner, Miller Gilreath, John Calhoun and Garnett Greene.

There was a large crowd of friends who attended the funeral. The remains were interred at Oak Hill, in the family lot, where his father and mother both are buried.

Great sympathy is felt and expressed here for the young man’s people so suddenly and heavily bereaved.