Oliver Cromwell Crookham (1854-1890) died from a gun shot wound that he received while hunting rabbits in Greenwood County, Kansas. The quotes below are from page one of the Greenwood County Repubican on 12 Nov 1890.
Details of the Accident
“Mr. Crookham had just returned from Eureka where he had been to learn of the election news. He ate his dinner and took his gun and went out in his field to kill some rabbits. As had been his custom he walked onto a larger pile of hedge brush to frighten the rabbits out. He had killed one, and was probably striking the brush with his gun to frighten another out when the hammer struck a limb which causes the discharge of the load.”
Description of the Injury
“The contents [of the load] entered his abdomen about two inches above the navel and lodged in his stomach. Notwithstanding the fatal shot, the unfortunate man had the presence of mind and the vitality to crawl to the creek, a distance of probably 50 yards, where he extinguished the fire which was burning his clothes, after which he crawled about 30 rods to the railroad.”
Railroad Rescue
” About halfway between where the accident occured he found a falt stone, upon which he wrote: “I was here at 1:00 o’clock! (this stone was found by A.P. Loveland the next day.). When he reached the railroad he took a slip of paper from his pocket and wrote the particulars of the accident as above state, and said he was shot at 12:30,. About 4:00 o’clock the east bound passenger train found him lying close to the track. He signaled it to stop, which was down and backed down to where he lay, and Messrs A.P. Loveland and John Sherman, of Neal, got off the train and took him home.”
Last Hours
“At this time, after four hours after he had been hurt, he was very weak from loss of blood, but had sufficient vitality to converse with his friends A carriage was sent for and the poor dying man was conveyed to his home, where he was met by his now almost distracted wife and five sorrowing children. He seemed to realize from the first that he could not survive. When Dr. Pierce and Dr. Watson arrived, Mr. Crookham enquired of Dr. Pierce if he could live? The doctor answered in the negative, but the answer did not seem to disturb his mind in the least. Ira P. Nye arrived at the house in the evening when the dying man, in a business like way gave him a detailed statement of the condition of his business affairs, and but a short time before he breathed his last, he told Robert Wiggins and Orr Henderson that he trusted in the Lord and was perfectly reconciled to die, and then requested Mr. Wiggins to wash him and dress him for burial after he was dead. He breathed his last at 1:25 Thursday morning surrounded by his family and friends. “
Finding the Yellow Bricks 