Leon Bell, 7, Has Mangled Hand After Playing With Pistol, Feb. 4, 1922

Boy Is Wounded as Cartridge Explodes

New Bern, Feb. 4—Leon Bell, 7-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. J.V. Bell of 151 George street, is in a local hospital with a painfully mangled hand, the result of playing with a blank cartridge pistol this afternoon. A report from the hospital tonight was to the effect that the boy was resting well.

A neighbor said the boys held the pistol a few inches from the palm of his hand and discharged it as if to test its strength. The explosion severed two leaders and left a nasty wound. Barring complications, the victim will recover, doctors say.

From the Wilmington Morning Star, Sunday, Feb. 5, 1922. He lost two leaders; I don’t know what that means. Maybe it was supposed to be fingers.