Wheeler, Harry L.--1931--8 Year old Shot

Wheeler, Harry L.--1931--8 Year old Shot

Morris Lad Shot in Side While at Play

Harry L. Wheeler, 8 Years Old

Seriously Injured by rifle of Older Playmate

Harry L. Wheeler, eight-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Wheeler of Morris, the former vice president of the Linn Trailer corporation at West End, was resting as comfortably as could be expected last evening at the Parshall hospital, although it is felt that his condition is still critical, as the result of being shot in the right side while at play Saturday in Morris. At the direction of District Attorney Donald H. Grant of this city, Sergeant John L. Cunningham of Troop C, state police, is making an investigation of the circumstances surrounding the happening.

Harry Wheeler was playing Saturday afternoon about Sprague's feed store in Morris with Richard Canfield, 16 years old, son of Mrs. Ara Sprague, whose husband conducts that business, who formerly lived in Oneonta. Canfield had been shooting birds attracted by the grain in the store, both inside the warehouse and outside, during the day with a .32 calibre rifle and about 1:40 o'clock Saturday afternoon the Wheeler lad was shot in the right side, details of the shooting still being in doubt.

Dr. F. L.Winsor who was attending another member of the Wheeler household, was at the house when word of the shooting was received, and after efforts to stop the flow of blood, he brought the lad in his car to the Parshall hospital. There Dr. Marshall Latcher, assisted Dr. Winsor in treating the lad and it was found that the bullet had struck the right side of the chest, had glanced from a rib and continued beneath the muscles in that part of the body around the lad's back, where it left the body again.

While the lad suffered from loss of blood and shock, the prompt attention which he received is strongly in his favor and unless complications develop, it is expected that he will recover.

First stories of the shooting varied considerably, but yesterday the Canfield boy said that the gun must have been discharged in some unexplained manner while in his hands or while resting near him.

It has not been considered advisable to question the Wheeler lad closely about the accident, but he related to his parents that Canfield pointed the gun in his direction.