Show j ij-j Bob Welch Y Explains How He Met With Accident Dear Friend Lee I I am writing this In hopes of clearing up the misunderstanding concerning me I and the manner in which I received a agun agun agun gun shot wound in my foot I I There seems E-Cems to be a variety of stories making the rounds stories that bear no inkling of truth I dont don't know how bo these falsehoods were started but they are making things unpleasant for me and andI my family Some Somo stories have bave it that my wife I shot me mc some have It that my wife's father shot me and still some say that I I tried to commit suicide now I ask would one trying to destroy himself shoot at their feet that doesn't make sense docs does it I have heard that I shot myself pur pur- purposely purposely purposely I so that I wouldn't have to return to duty Let me say now I would rather be up and able to do duty than to lie lin i In a hospital bed with a cast on my foot and my leg up as far as ns my knee I Now friend I will tell you the exact manner in which I was shot in the foot I had been squirrel hunting earlier In the tho day with a friend his name Is Rex RexI I Davis We hunted bunted for several hours bours and andI I then returned home as he had to go to work I didn't have bave anything to do so I took my gun and walked up to the Hot Pots thinking of or going out shooting again in the afternoon Rex Davis was w waiting there until time to go to york Fod and ho he wanted to use we my gun to see I how it shot Ho lie went out and fired a few shots and the gun ceased firing Iring up up- upon upon on examination it was found that the spring that released the hammer hummer had bad either broken or slipped out of ot place Wo We put the gun up and he went to work and I went to where my wife was work- work working working working ing and talked to her for awhile as she was being kept busy by customers com corn coming cornIng ing to swim I decided to see if it I could fix Ix the spring and also see If 1 I could fix the tho extractor on the gun The extractor wouldn't extract the shells as it should so o I sat down and put a n snell shell in It to see Just what was wrong with the tho extractor I had bad It point point- pointed ed td down not knowing that it was point point- pointed ed at my foot I started moving the lever and watching the reaction of the ex ei- ei tractor on the shell I flipped the lever and someway tho the gun fired and I felt felta a slight pain In my foot loot I glanced down and saw that the bullet had entered my foot I got up to where my wife wire was somehow and she immediately call caU- called called ed a doctor the doctor fixed my ray foot as best he ho could and some of or the folks called the commanding officer here In In I Fort Douglas Douglal and told him what had i happened and that they were bringing me down here to be treated He told them not to move me that they would send an ambulance for me which they did After Alter arriving here X-ray X pictures were taken and it was found that I had hada a compound fracture and that the lead of the bullet had bad shattered and was scattered through my foot toot They are arc going to operate on my foot to today tolay lay ut at thirty one-thirty o'clock and extract two larger pieces of lead that is lodged In iii the bones of or my foot the rest they are go- go goIng going going Ing to leave in in hopes that they th y will work their way out of my foot in time There you have bave the true story of how bow I was shot it wasn't on purpose no other person shot me I shot myself while trying to fix Ix something I shouldn't have bothered with I hope this will clear up a a. lot of or unfavorable talk that is being spread about how it happened If you are arc down this way in the next two months take a ride up this way and end pay me a visit I will be more than glad to see sec you and all of ot my friends at home bome I remain your friend PRIVATE ROBERT J. J J WELCH Station Hospital Ward 4 Fort Douglas Utah |