Killed By His Own Hand

A Boy Shoots Himself with a Pistol That He Thought Was Empty

Jacob Blum, aged sixteen years, son of Moritz Blum, formerly a fish dealer at Long Branch but now a farmer at Tinton Falls, was killed last week by a bullet from a revolver that he did not know was loaded. Young Blum was visiting his aunt at New York. He bought a pistol and he and his cousins spent the day in target practice. When they went in the house Blum's aunt expressed a fear that the pistol was loaded. To prove to his aunt that the pistol was not loaded Blum placed the muzzle to his forehead and fired. A loud report followed and Blum fell to the floor with blood streaming from a bullet wound in his forehead. By mistake a bullet had been left in the pistol. Blum was taken to a hospital, where he died a few hours afterward.

Source: Red Bank Register, Wednesday, Sep 11, 1901

Some additional excellent resources for your research are:

• New Jersey Census, 1772-1890 - Ancestry.com

• Calendar of New Jersey Wills, 1670-1760 - Ancestry.com

• Interment.net - NJ ~ New Jersey Cemetery Transcriptions on the net.

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