H.C. Hines Shot In Face by Boy Experimenting With His 22-Calibre Toy Pistol, 1909

“Struck by Bullet,” from The Farmer and Mechanic newspaper, published in Raleigh, N.C., Dec. 28, 1909

Mr. H.C. Hines Painfully But Not Seriously Hurt

Kinston, N.C., Dec. 25—Last night while riding down Queen Street in a hack Mr. Harvey C. Hines was struck in the face by a bullet, fired by some unknown party, and was seriously wounded. The bullet was of 22-calibre and Mr. Hines thinks it was fired by some boy from a toy pistol. It struck just below the eye and penetrated the skin, but did not break any bones. It may have been a nearly spent ball from a rifle, but it was most probable that some boy in experimenting with a 22-calibre cartridge in his toy pistol did the damage.