January 1918
A YOUNG LAD LOSES HIS LIFE - Almost Instantly Killed Yesterday While Hunting Rabbits

Another sad tragedy occurred south of the city yesterday, resulting in the almost instance death of young John Gotsch, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Gotsch, who reside on the Fuhrman place, south of the Sioux river.

The young lad, aged 13 years, 7 months and 6 days, was out hunting rabbits with Cecil Lamme, another Cherokee boy. They had seen a rabbit run under a furrow in a plowed field and endeavored to capture it. Young Gotsch was lying on the ground by the furrow trying to scare the rabbit out, while Lamme stood with three or four feet of him with a shot gun in his hands, ready to shoot the rabbit when it ran. It appears that just as the rabbit ran out Gotsch made a dive for it and at the same time Lamme fired the gun. The side of the Gotsch boy's head was blown off and death resulted within a few minutes after the shooting.

The body was brought to the Appleyard undertaking rooms and prepared for burial. Arrangements have not yet been completed for the funeral. An inquest will be held this morning before Justice Green, commencing at 10 o'clock. F. I. Gardiner, F. A. Colby and Alexander Knox have been summoned as jurors.  (Source: Cherokee County Historical Society scrapbook)