The Pascagoula Democrat Star

A sad accident occurred at the corner of Derbigny and Gasquet streets on Sunday afternoon, whereby a nine-year old son of Mr. Chas. Byrne was painfully wounded in the left breast.

Young Byrne and several other boys were playing under the shed of a grocery at that corner, firing off a small cartridge pistol the property of a boy named Albert McGovern. Rochefort Nedit, a colored boy, 5 years old, who resides in the house adjoining Mr. Byrne, No. 309 Gasquet street, produced a cartridge made for a small seven shooting Smith & Wesson revolver, and asked the loan of the weapon in which to discharge it. The pistol was handed him and he placed the cartridge in it. Byrne was standing just in front of the colored boy when the latter, placing the butt of the pistol against his own breast, attempted to cock the weapon. The hammer slipped from his fingers and fell, exploding the cartridge, the ball taking effect in the unfortunate boy's left breast, inflicting a dangerous wound a little above the region of the heart. The wounded boy ran home, crying that he was shot, and that Rochefort Nedit had shot him. He was placed in bed and a physician sent for.

The above statement was made by a boy named Matt McGraw, who witnessed the affair from beginning to end.

At 1 o'clock yesterday, Corporal Thomas Griffin made an affidavit against the little boy, Rochefort Nedit, for discharging fire arms within the city limits, and for shooting and wounding with intent to kill. Nedit was arrested and arraigned before Judge Sheehan. On the first affidavit he was fined $25, or thirty days in the Parish prison, and on the latter was remanded to the Parish prison without bail. Subsequently Nedit's father obtained a certificate to the effect that Charles Byrne, Jr., was in no danger, and consequently the child was admitted to bail.