Colas Brickhouse, 18, Killed in Shotgun Accident, Feb. 3, 1922

Don’t Pick a Gun Up By Its Business End. . . That’s the Way This Elizabeth City Boy Lost His Life This Week

Handling a loaded shotgun by the muzzle and instead of by the butt caused the death of Colas Brickhouse, 18-year-old son of Isaiah Brickhouse of this city Monday afternoon. Young Brickhouse, with his brother Stanley Brickhouse, were hunting in a small skiff in Knobbs Creek. Colas, handling a gun by the muzzle, set it down in the bottom of the boat. The hammer of the loaded gun snagged on the side of the boat and tripped. The entire load of shot in the gun went into the young man’s left side, causing almost instantaneous death. Young Brickhouse was an employe of the Elizabeth City Hosiery Mill and had a reputation for industry and sobriety. This is one of a number of similar accidents recorded in North Carolina recently, too many people carelessly handling loaded guns.

From the front page of The Independent, Elizabeth City, N.C., Feb. 3, 1922