Stillwell, George Burney

1858 - 1881  (22 years)

• Name	Stillwell, George Burney
  Birth	12 Dec 1858	Rome, Floyd, Georgia, USA
  Gender	Male
  Death	6 Nov 1881	Cooper, Missouri, USA
  Burial	Aft 6 Nov 1881	Walnut Grove Cemetery, Boonville, Cooper, Missouri, USA
  Person ID	I22580	The Thoma Family
  Last Modified	20 Sep 2023

  
  

  Family	Back, Louise Barbara Antonia,   b. 1 Mar 1859, Boonville, Cooper, Missouri, USA d. 20 Jan 1939, Boonville, Cooper, Missouri, USA (Age 79 years)
  Marriage	13 Feb 1876	Boonville, Cooper, Missouri, USA
  Children	1. Stillwell, George E,   b. 12 Dec 1876, Boonville, Cooper, Missouri, USA d. 12 Dec 1876, Boonville, Cooper, Missouri, USA (Age 0 years)  [natural]   2. Stillwell, Mary Elizabeth,   b. 17 Dec 1877, Boonville, Cooper, Missouri, USA d. 17 Dec 1877, Boonville, Cooper, Missouri, USA (Age 0 years)  [natural]   3. Stillwell, Joseph William,   b. 8 Dec 1878, Boonville, Cooper, Missouri, USA d. 15 Jan 1965, Higginsville, Lafayette, Missouri, USA (Age 86 years)  [natural]   4. Stillwell, Savannah Minnie "Vannie Mary",   b. 26 Apr 1880, Boonville, Cooper, Missouri, USA d. 3 Jun 1953, Kansas, USA (Age 73 years)  [natural]
  Family ID	F3341	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	20 Sep 2023

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 12 Dec 1858 - Rome, Floyd, Georgia, USA Marriage - 13 Feb 1876 - Boonville, Cooper, Missouri, USA Death - 6 Nov 1881 - Cooper, Missouri, USA Burial - Aft 6 Nov 1881 - Walnut Grove Cemetery, Boonville, Cooper, Missouri, USA  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  Boonville Weekly Advertiser, 11 November 1881 George Stillwell Shot Accidentally by Joe Back and Dies From the Wounds the day Following. The Accident the Result of the Careless Handling of Fire Arms. Last Saturday a painful accident occurred to Mr. George Stillwell of this place which resulted in his death the day following. Mr. Stillwell will probably be better known to many as the proprietor of the Southern Hotel, opposite the Mo. P. Depot at this place. The facts are briefly as follows: On Saturday morning, before day, George Stillwell and Joe Back, his brother-in-law, went down to the mouth of the Bonne Femme River hunting ducks. At the Bonne Femme they were slipping up on some ducks, Stillwell being at the oars and Back with his loaded gun was sitting right behind him. The careless part of the affair is in the fact that Back was carrying his gun with both locks cocked. While carrying his gun in this dangerous condition the cap dropped off of one tube; he stopped and got the cap and replaced it, and the supposing he was pulling the trigger of the hammer he held with his thumb, pulled the other, discharging the contents, a load of duck shot, in the left shoulder of his brother-in-law, Stillwell, just in the deltoid muscle, tearing away the point of the shoulder and lodging the load in the upper part of the left breast and lung. This happened about four miles below this city and on the Howard county side. Back then left Stillwell and went for Mr. Long, on Charley Canoles place, in Howard, and Mr. Long and himself brought him to town in a wagon. As soon as they reached town medical aid was procured and amputation decided upon, but Drs. Holman, Cooper, Howard and Hurt on visiting him for that purpose, discovered that reaction had not taken place and found it unnecessary. He lingered through Saturday and Saturday night and died Sunday morning at 5 o'clock. No Coroners inquest was held, the victim repeating time and again that it was an accident and his brother-in-law was not to blame for it, and the family and friends were also perfectly satisfied of the truth of it. Joe Back, of course, is very distressed and has been sadly taught the lesson of being careful with fire arms and we hope the other hunters who read this sad result of carrying a gun with both locks cocked, will take warning and profit by his experience. Mr. Stillwell was buried Monday afternoon. -- Bill Scroggin Reply to: itcscrog@aol.com