| Show m BIODLE BIDDLE DIES AT BMW KEARNEY brigham city was startled and shocked yesterday morning by the announcement no that private ralph diddle biddle son of 0 mr and mrs airs sidney biddle of 0 this city had been killed at camp kearney this information came 1 in anci telegrams to the biddle home one of which was delivered early in the morning mornin gand and the other at about noon the telegrams read as fo follows lONS camp kearney cal may alay 22 mrs airs mary annie biddle private ralph biddle died tonight as result gunshot wounds circumstances of d eath death not yet fully determined investigation under way will advise you further EDWIN G JR captain field artillery camp kearney 5 25 1918 sidney biddle ralph biddle private battery C ath ried field artillery died base hospital this camp last night telegraph it if you desire remains shipped at government expense it if shipment is desired designate destination and to whom remains are to be consigned CAPT LATHROP no further information was obtainable yesterday but this morning an all account of the tragedy appeared in the salt lake tribune as follows camp kearney ca may alay 23 private ralph biddle of C battery son of mr and mrs airs sidney biddle residents of brigham city shot himself through the body with his army rifle late last night and died twenty minutes later the cause of 0 the shooting has not yet been determined by a board which was detailed to investigate the case by colonel wm win C webb this morning this board is to report whether the shooting was accidental or intentional the fatal shot rang out in the stillness of the camp just after taps had sounded and lights two comrades of the dead soldier vates lorenzo anderson and lorenzo fullmer were asleep in the tent when the shooting occurred hardly had the report of the shot died away than the wounded soldier cried for help and his comrades rushed to his side ile he was lying on oil his bunk and blood was pouring in from a large wound in his back where the steel jacketed bullet had emerged his rifle was lying bet beaw een his knees and the position of the body gave evidence that the iad lad was iii in a sitting posture when shot ills his comrades tried to question him but biddle lapsed into unconsciousness before he could answer lieutenant reeves of the sanitary department arrived a few moments later and made every effort to stop the flow of blood but the loss had already been so heavy that death came within twenty minutes A cousin of the dead soldier corporal albert J biddle who was iu in charge ot of the squad tent in which the sh otting occurred was not present at the time but upon returning from a ci 0 ince 4 a la jolla he could give no reeson reason why the man should take ills his life practically every man in the regiment heard the shot but paid little at believing that a guard had accidentally ci discharged his rifle but a few knew of it until this morning after tearing its way through the soldiers body the bullet passed through a wooden tent railing pierced the tent and a tent in D batte battery a and n then thell could be heard as it screeched d through the air biddles body was at once removed to the base hospital morgue and his tent placed under guard until the morning his tent mates were made to find other quarters arrangements are now being made with tile boys parents tor for the disposition of 0 the body the soldier was 19 years of age and enlisted in brigham city on june 2 1917 ile he was said to have been a willing and efficient soldier the board which Is investigating the case la is composed of major leroy bourne captain edw ain in G wooley and lieutenant don G williams the brigham boys who are at present home on furlough scout the intimation that the young man took his own life he is spoken of by all ills associates as being a splendid young soldier who was making rapid progress in the art of warfare and seemed perfectly happy in his work that he had an ambition to become a soldier is evident from the fact that he had to I 1 try twice before being accepted as a recruit upon his first examination in this city a year ago the young man all I 1 was found to be suffering with hernia ile he immediately submitted to an operation and after entirely recovering from eliat ordeal he presented himself again to the recruiting officer andaas and was accepted during all his experience as a member of battery C field artillery private ralph biddle has cared himself with alth soldierly and won von the confidence ot of his fellows this is the testimony borne of him by ills his fellow soldiers from his town and so it is feit that the investigation which the telegrams and the report ot of the tragedy announce as having been inaugurated to determine the nature ot of the shooting will disclose that the young man was killed only tuesday his hia mother received a most cherry letter from him ralph biddle was born in this city october 11 II 1800 1900 tie he spent practically all his life in brigham except for brief intervals when he sought employment elsewhere upon being accepted for service in the army a year ago the young ma man a went to logan with the ha recruits from this city and since that hat time his homp homo tins has been with batery tery C the family has not been advised as to when the remains will be shipped homo home |
