Official Paper Crook County, City of Sundance and U. S. Land Office The Sundance Times Published Thursday in the Black Hills of Wyoming Volume 41; Thursday July 8, 1937 TRAGIC DEATH OF CHAS. H. SACKETT Stray Bullet From Target Pistol Ends Life Of Aged Man ----- Was Resident of Sundance for Almost Fifty Years; Funeral on Tuesday Charles H. Sackett, respected resident of Sundance for more than half a century, was accidently shot and instantly killed last Sunday the Fourth, while on a fishing trip to Sand Creek. The bullet which ended Mr. Sackett's life came from a .32 pistol in the hands of Walter Curnow, municipal judge at Lead who was shooting at a target. On Sunday morning Mr. Sackett and Dr. Clarenbach made one of their occasional fishing excursions to Sand Creek. The fished in the morning and made a good catch. At noon, they went back to the car for their lunch. Dr. Clarenbach sat on the running board of the car, Mr. Sackett sitting near him on a stool, that he always took with him on fishing trips. They had finished their lunch and were visiting when a bullet whistled by very close to them. They remarked on the reckless way some one was shooting and Dr. Clarenbach yelling a warning to the shooters, but just as he called, another shot rang out and Mr. Sackett grabbed his left side and said: "Doc., I'm shot." and started to fall from the stool. The doctor grabbed him, and laid him down. He gasped a couple of times and was gone. The bullet had ploughed its way directly thru the heart. The doctor immediately summoned the shooters who happened to be Municipal Judge Curnow of Lead and Mr. Krambak, former sheriff of Lawrence County. Curnow was doing the shooting using a small pistol of 32 calibre. Mr. Krambak immediately drove to Sundance to notify authorities, and the county attorney, sheriff and coroner visited the scene of the tragedy but it was decided that no inquest was necessary. Thus was the life of Charles Sackett snuffed out, a life largely spent on the last frontier, where, in the pioneer days gun play was an every day occurrence. During his lifetime, Mr. Sackett witnessed many an exciting experience in the frontier towns, and loved to tell the stories of those happenings of a half century and more ago. Charles H. Sackett was born at Elkader, Iowa on September 2nd 1859. When but a lad he came west, arriving at Pierre, South Dakota when he was about 17 years of age. Pierre, at that time was the outfitting point for the bull teams and freighters who made regular trips to the Black Hills, following the gold rush. Regular stages were operated between Pierre and Deadwood. It was a wild town on the western frontier. Here Mr. Sackett spent several years in various kinds of employment. Working for the freight and transportation companies he made a number of trips on the stages as messenger and guard. It was while he was at Pierre that he and Richard Clark better known later as "Deadwood Dick: were selected by the company to boat the mail and supplies across the Missouri river. No small undertaking in those days. Later Mr. Sackett located in the Hills and then shortly after the town of Sundance was started he came here and engaged in business. Mr. Sackett was actively engaged in business here for almost half a century. Mr. Sackett was a good man in every sense of the word. Upright, square, his word was his bond, and he had the respect of everyone in this corner of the state and over in the Hills cities where he was well known. Funeral services were conducted on Tuesday at the Commercial Theatre. Judge Harry P. Haley reading the beautiful Episcopal service, and the body of this Pioneer citizen was laid to rest beside his wife who passed away in 1928. Charley Sackett is gone. No more will his familiar figure be seen on the Sundance streets. No more will his cheery greeting be heard by those friends of a lifetime, but with those who knew him best his memory will remain as long as life shall last.