Peter D. Abrisz 1866-1901

ABRISZ, ABRISS

Posted By: deb (email)
Date: 2/11/2018 at 20:32:04

BURLINGTON HAWKEYE, MARCH 27, 1901

ACCIDENTALLY SHOT

Peter Abriss Seriously Wounded by His Own Revolver

Was Placing the Weapon on a Shelf When it Fell to the Floor, Sending a Bullet Through His Body

Officer Peter Obriss, the well-known policeman, was accidentally shot by his own revolver yesterday morning at his home on South Fifteenth street, down in the Seventh ward. He now lies at St. Francis hospital, where he lies in a very serious condition.
As was his wont, the officer had enjoyed a romp with his little ones on retiring for his days sleep yesterday. He was placing his trusty revolver on a shelf, where it would not tempt the curiosity of the little folk, when it fell from its case, and, striking the sewing machine, one of the cartridges was exploded. The ball struck the unfortunate officer in the groin, inflicting a very serious wound.
The sufferer was taken to St. Francis hospital, where he was attended by Drs. Hummell, Holiday and Zaiser. The ball was extracted. It had passed clear through the body and lodged in the patients back under the skin.
At a late hour his condition was not considered hopeless, and yet far from encouraging.
When the news spread yesterday that the well-known officer had been laid low by an accidental shot from his own pistol, nothing but words of heartfelt sympathy and regret were heard on all sides. It would have done the seriously injured man a world of good to know how many there were in Burlington who sincerely grieved o'er the sad mishap that had befallen him.
Peter Abriss has been a faithful and energetic officer, having served on the force perhaps over a year. He has a wife and three handsome children, of whom he is extremely fond.
Dr. Holiday gives it as his opinion that the wounded man's chances are by no means hopeless - in his long practice, especially during the civil war in active service, he has observed numberless gunshot wounds which seemed incurable and of which the patients recovered.