Donaldson, Ray - shooting - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

The St. Joseph Herald contains the following additional particulars in regard to the Donaldson shooting:

Late Wednesday evening, about 9 o’clock, Ray, an only son of Mr. Walter Donaldson, dealer in dry goods and clothing, a bright and worthy young man of nearly 17 years of age, purchased a 32 revolver and a box of cartridges at Burkhard’s store on Ship Street, remarking at the time that he wanted it to shoot turtles with up the creek. Mr. Burkhard placed one of the cartridges in the chamber to see that it fit properly, and there it remained.as Ray left the store. From the store, it seems, young Donaldson went straight to the home of J. H. Krug, the dwelling just north of the Hotel Whitcomb, to call on a young lady, Miss Grace Robb, with whom he had been keeping company for some time and for whom he appears to have had very warm feelings. Miss Robb is the sister of Mrs. Krug. After a short stay with her he left the house and almost immediately a pistol shot rang out on the night air, when the ladies of the house went to the front door only to meet Ray staggering up the steps. On examination it was found that the ball had entered the breast near the right nipple between the third and fourth ribs and passing through the lung stopped under the right shoulder blade, from which point Drs. Scott and Burke extracted it. The Herald gives little Ray quite a puff as a good boy and expresses great sympathy for his father who has just buried his wife. At last accounts little Ray was still alive and stated that the shooting was accidental. He fails to elucidate, however, and no credence is given to this story. Miss Robb is about two years his senior.