Washington County, Idaho Newspaper Articles
A
Frightful Accident
May 5, 1886
A
gloom was cast over the whole town Wednesday afternoon, on the receipt of a
telegram, announcing the accidental shooting of Jesse Rice, in Butte County. The
two brothers, John and Jesse, had recently leased a large tract of land on the
Pratt Grant, near Chico, and Jesse was in charge of it. No one was on the
premises at the time of the accident, except himself and the Chinese cook. He
was engaged in cleaning his rifle. The Chinaman, who was in an adjoining room,
heard the report of the gun and rushed in just in time to see Jesse fall. His
death was instantaneous, and an examination showed the ball pierced his heart. A
man named O’Neal was the predecessor of the Rice Bros., as losses of this
land; a few months ago, O’Neal was cleaning the same rife, in the same manner,
and it was accidentally discharged and O’Neal, instantly killed. The accidents
are almost identical and the coincidence is singular to say the least.
Jesse Lee Rice was
born in Yolo County, on the 16th, of August 1862, and was
consequently 23 years, 8 months and 19 days of age at the time of his deplorable
death. He leaves a brother, John Rice, Cashier of the Bank of Dixon, and a
sister, Mrs. Lizzie Padan, who resides near the scene of the accident. He also
leaves a large number of relatives, principally in the neighborhood of Dixie.
His remains were
bought to Dixon on Thursday afternoon, and the funeral will take place from the
Baptist Church, today (Friday) at 11 a.m.
He was universally
loved and respected for his high character, sterling integrity and manly
virtues. We are not disposed to murmur at the inscrutable ways of Providence,
but we cannot understand why young people of such rare promise, in the bloom of
health and youth, should have the roses of their young lives turn to ashes
prematurely. We cannot always understand why young people, full of truth,
virtues and morally whose walk in life is honorable and upright, without a gleam
of silver in their hair, without a care gnawing at their hearts, with the
morning sun of their existence beaming brightly on their pathway, with young and
rich blood coursing through their veins, with a friendly soil beneath their feet
and the blue skies of heaven overhead with so much of life before them,
surrounded by friends and loved ones—we say we cannot always understand why
they should be taken from us in the prime and strength of youth, why, just as we
have learned to love and appreciate them, they are stricken down, leaving the
innumerable streams of our affection to flow back into our disconsolate hearts.
We cannot understand these things, and yet we know they must be right, and yet
we know they must be right, and we bow them over the cold and inanimate form of
our dear young friend, with the blessed hope that in the Land of the Leal, where
the rainbow never fades, where the glimmering stars are like gems set in a sea
of azure, we shall meet him and abide with him forever.
Updated 20 Sep 2008