A SAD ACCIDENT

On Friday last, one of the saddest, yes the saddest accidents, that ever occurred in the history of our settlement, has stricken the family of Mr. Tilford Kutch, the oldest successful settler on LaBarge.

On morning of said day Mr. Kutch and Mr. Bert Evans went to haul a load of firewood from the mountains, Mr. Kutch taking with him a 40-82 Winchester rifle, thinking he would see game. He went searching for game while Mr. Evans was leading the wagon. Returning to the wagon without any game, he tried to climb the load of wood while Mr. Evans was hitching the horses, having a cartridge in the barrel, the hammer on the firing pin of the gun in some way caught on the wood, discharging and the ball striking Mr. Kucth in the lower part of the left arm, splintering every bone in it, the ball passng from there into the lungs and entering the right shoulder blade. As Mr. Evans heard the report of the gun he turned and Mr. Kutch said :"Bert, take me down; I am a dead man."

He requested Evans not to leave him, but Evans, being afraid the blame might rest upon him, ran as fast as possible to LaBarge, after making the old man as comfortable as possible.

In less than it takes to tell, the whole settlement were on their feet and rushed to the place of the accident. After taking him to his home, he lived until about 11 o'clock. In the evening, in full recognition of his death, he requested his oldest son, Johnny, to look after the family and act as father.

Mr. Kutch was the oldest settler in this settlement, a kind father to his family, a good neighbor, and every stranger was made welcome in his home. He was an industrious and hard working man, having obtained everything he possessed by hard and solid work. Even to the day of his death he tried to make his family comfortable for the coming winter.

He was a man of good vigor and iron constitution. He died at the age of 68 years. He leaves a wife and nine living children to mourn his sorrowful death, two daughters who are married.

At the time of his death he had his whole family assembled around his bedside giving kind words and good advice to his family. It was the biggest funeral ever witnessed in this community. Everyone, young and old, was witness to the old pioneer's last resting place.

Thanks for the good will of his neighbors and children, his last request was fulfilled--the wish of being buried in a good coffin--was granted and his coffin was decorated with flowers, of which he was a great lover. The bereaved family carried the sympathy of all the neighbors in this community. May God's blessings rest upon them in their sad bereavement, and may he let the peace that prevailed during the old pioneer's liftime further continue in his family, and may his soul find a good and peaceful resting place in Heaven.

-LaBarge newspaper 1894

Contributed by Lori Weinstein