The La Cygne Weekly Journal Linn County Saturday December 3, 1881 On Saturday last, Ettie WHITEMAN, aged thirteen years, daughter of Mr. John Whiteman, living abotu nine miles from La Cygne, was the victim of a singular and distressing accident. She was holding a dynamite powder cartridge in her left hand, picking it with a pin, when it exploded, tearing away part of a thumb and badly injuring two fingers. Dr. R.G. Mendenhall was summoned to render needed surgical assistance.