March 26, 2018 / Joanne Yeck

Buckingham County Obituaries, Part III

Click here for Buckingham County Obituaries, Part I

Public concerns about responsible gun use and gun-control are not new. In 1908, the Appomattox and Buckingham Times printed the following news of the death of Willie Jones. Sent from Manteo:

Two young colored man, Clair [Sinclair] Perkins and Willie Jones, were going along the public road Saturday night shooting their pistols. Just as Jones came up along the side of Perkins he shot and killed Jones, the bullet going right through the temple. It was purely accidental as the boys were the best of friends. How long will it be that nine-tenths of the negro boys are to have pocket guns and be shooting at will on the public highway. We have laws, and good one too, but my, how they are ignored.

The fact that this happened on Saturday night, may indicate that Perkins and Jones were in high spirits. These kinds of accidents were not at all exclusive to the African-American community.

Coming next: Buckingham County Obituaries, Part IV