The Pharos Tribune 29 August 1912
Tiny bullet in his brain ends his life
Panhandle Caller Dies of Injuries from Rifle Ball
Trying to loosen a cartridge ina 22-caliber rifle yesterday morning Lawrence Copeland,
callboy for the Panhandle, accidently shot himself through the right temple and died last
evening at 5:30 oclock.
Copeland had been hunting squirrels south of the city yesterday morning and, ad he was
crosing the southyards of the Panhandle, some Italians at work there, asked him to shoot a
bird for them which he did. The rifle, an automatic one, failed to discharge the old
shell and Copeland trying to lossen it, jarred the butt of the gun on a steel rail. The
gun was discharged and the bullet entered his right temple. He was taken at once to St
Joseph hospital where physician after an examination stated that he could not live as the
bullet had entered his brain and it would be impossible to remove it.
After being in convulsions all afternoon, he died last evening. The boy was 17 years of
age and is the son of Burtin Copeland and his wife, 610 E Broadway. The father was
formerly a Panhandle engineer but is now employed as yard switchman.
Copeland did not regain concisousness after the accident.