"Johnstown Daily Tribune," Johnstown, PA- November 2, 1899:

BOY SHOT FOR A BURGLAR

Grocer Bucher of Moxham, Kills 14-Year Old Daniel Peer

The Merchant Says The Lad Was Stealing Articles from His Store When He Fired The Fatal Shot

Daniel Morris Peer, the fourteen-year-old son of James Peer, of No. 666 Coleman Avenue, Seventeenth Ward, was fatally shot about 5 o'clock this morning by J. M. Bucher, a grocer, whose place of business is located at the corner of Coleman Avenue and Bond Street, about one hundred and fifty feet from the home of the Peers.

Within the past few weeks Mr. Bucher's store has been robbed three or four times. Tuesday night a large pane of glass was broken in the front show window and several pairs of working-men's gloves and hose were taken. The broken pane was not replaced last night and Mr. Bucher placed a board over the opening, without removing the goods from the inside. He bought a revolver and spent the night in the store in the hope of capturing the thief. He was hiding behind a lot of tablecloths about six or eight feet from the front, and about 5 o'clock this morning saw a figure approaching the door. Mr. Bucher at first thought it was the figure of a woman, as he could not see well on account of the fog, which was very dense all night.

Mr. Bucher saw the person approach, peer into the store for a moment, then push aside the board and reach into the window. He discerned that it was not a woman, but a man or boy, and when the burglar had pulled out several pairs of hose Mr. Bucher snapped the revolver, but it missed fire. He snapped again and the lead went crashing through the glass in front of the figure. The boy at once took to his heels and Mr. Bucher followed, chasing him into the yard at the home of his father, where he caught the boy by the arm and said, "I know who the thief is now," after which he returned to the store without knowing positively whether the shot had hit or missed the lad.

Henry J. Doyle, a Johnstown Passenger Railway motorman, heard the shot and later saw Mr. Bucher chasing the boy. Doyle was on his way to the home of Mr. Jacob Swank, also a motorman, who resides next door to Peer. Mr. Doyle saw Bucher have hold of young Peer as the latter made an attempt to enter his home, and learned from Bucher that the boy had been robbing his store and that he fired a shot, but did not know whether or not it had taken effect. In a short time Mrs. Peer, the lad's step-mother, came to the door and called Mr. Swank to assist in carrying her wounded boy into the house. This was done with the assistance of Mr. Doyle, and it was then learned that the boy had been shot and was dying.

Mr. Peer, father of the boy, is employed as a fireman in the Johnstown Passenger Railway Company's power house, where he was working when the shooting occurred. He was called home about 5:45 o'clock, but by the time he arrived at the house his son was dead. Dr. J. S. Koontz and Dr. H. F. Womer were summoned about the time the boy died, and it was from them as they passed his place of business after the lad's death that Mr. Bucher first learned of the fatal result of his shot, or, in fact, that it had taken effect at all.
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CAMBRIA COUNTY, PA REGISTRATION OF DEATHS, VOL. 2, PAGE 132, LINE 17**:

Name of Deceased: Peer, Daniel Morris
Color: White
Sex: F
Age: 14
Name of Father: James Peer
Name of Mother: Margaret
Married or Single: S
Place of Birth: Centerville, Indiana County, PA
Occupation: (Blank)
Date of Death: November 2, 1899
Place of Death: 666 Coleman Avenue, Johnstown
Cause of Death: Gunshot
Duration of Last Sickness: Instant
Place of Interment: Sandyvale
Date of Interment: November 4, 1899
Date of Record: November 9, 1899
(**A duplicate entry was made on line 21)
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Daniel was born in the town of Centerville, later re-named Huff, in West Wheatfield Township, Indiana County, PA.