The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-09-19 00:00:00

THE KINVER SHOOTING CASE.
At the Brierley Hill Police Court, on Monday,
before Messrs. G. K. Harrison and H. Smith, Joseph

Watkinm (45), Compton Hall Farm, Kinver, was
brought up on remand and charged with unlawfully,
maliciously, and feloniously shooting. at James
Chance, with intent to do him grievous bodily

harm.
Mr. Waldron prosecuted, and Mr. Holberton de-
fended.
A large crowd assembled outside the court long
before the time of commencing the proceedings,

and at eleven o'clock the court was crowded.
The prisoner, Who is a respectably—dressed man,
appeared to feel his position very keenly.
Mr. Holherton asked whether some arrangement
could not be made in this matter and the prosecutor
compensated. his client bore a good character
and the medical gentleman would tell the Bench
that the wounds of the complainant were not of a
serous nature, He thought justice would be done
if the complainant were compensated.
Mr. Waldron said it was his duty to first place
the facts before the Court, and then if the Bench
thought that compensation would meet the case he
would be ready and willing to accept it.
The Ben3h retired, and, after a few minutes
absence, Mr. H. Smith said he was sorry that they
_ could not acquiesce in the suggestion of Mr. Holber-

ton,
Mr. Waldron then briefly stated the facts of the
case and called the following evidence
Joseph Chance said be was a scboal-attendance
officer living at Compton, in the Parish of Kinver.
About 6 a.m. on the 10th September he was out with
his son. Walter, and Joseph Siddons. He had been
out picking mushrooms, rand he was acrose a foot-
path on the Conepton Hall Farm, when the prisoner
came down on the left hand side of the hedge, and
said to him," Put those mushrooms down." He
replied, " I shall not; they are not off your land,"
Prison, who carried a double-barrelled gun. then
stepped back. twenty or thirty yards, and then puts
tie g the gun up his shoulder mid, "Are you going
to put then down ?" Witness replied, " Certainly
not." Prisoner then fired, and witness felt himself
struck on the right and left thighs, left leg, and left
hand. He bled profusely, and Siddons said to the
prisoner, " You villain how dare you do such a
thing ?" Witness pulled up his trousers and showed
prisoner where the shots had penetrated, and said
he should have prisoner arrested. Watkins replied
that he dared not, and wished he had given him
(witness) more.
Cross-examined: He had been out early that
morning to gather mushrooms, and he had walked
tlerough the prisoner's private road. The mush-
coorns were gathered in Mr Parry's field, close by
the prisoner's property. Witness did not know that
tt,e gun was pointed to the ground, but he believed
it was pointed at him. Ile did not think his wounds
;:ere selioas then, and so far as he knew the prisoner
had always bee an inoffensive man.
Ite. examined. There were shot marks in the
basket which he had on his left arm.
Joseph Siddons, commercial traveller, Dudley,
said prsoner backed himself up to a hillock and put
the gun no to his shoulder and he saw the gun fired.
It was eti-dently pointed at Chance's legs. Witness
saw that Chance was wenn-fed and said to the pri-
soner, "You villain, how dare you do such a thing,
I'll make it hot for you." Prisoner then replied,
"You daren't if you say another word you'll have
the other barrel into you." Witness then turned
his back to the gun.
Cross-exairined : He heard the prisoner say to
Chance, " If you don't put those mushrooms down
I'll pepper your legs." lie did not know where the
prisoner aimed. He might have aimed at the
gr. rind or at the skies. Ho was about 20 or 30
yard.s from the prisoner. Chance was covered with
blood, but there was none on the ground.
Walter Chance, son of the prosecutor, blacksmith,
corroborated the evidence of the last two witnesszo,
and cross-examined by Mr. Holberton, said the gun
was not pointed towards the ground, and the shots
hit no one else but his father. He was about 20
yards away from his father when the gun was fired.
Thomas Hollyoake, M.R.C.S., practising at Kin-
ver, said on the 10th September, in the afternoon,
Chance was brought to him, and he examined him.
Chore were gun shots in the calf and left hip, six
six in the former and one in the latter. He had two
in the inner and back parts of the right thigh, and
on the left hand he had one shot, lie was not in a
dangerous condition now, but erysipelas might cet
in. It was possible that thols which struck a stone
on the ground would cause the injuries to the pro-
secutor.
By the Bench : The abets were n)t extracted be-
cause they were so small.
Re-examined: If the shots struck a stone they
would flatten and cause a ragged wound, whereas
this was a clean wound. Tue shots were too deep
C) b 3 felt.
Sergeant Head, Kinver, said on the day in pus-
ion he went to the Compton Hall Farm, and saw
the prisoner on the bye-way, who said, "I suppose
you want me for shooting that man ?" Witness
eenlied, "Yes." He took him to the police-station
mid charged him with shooting Joseph Chance with
intent to murder. Prisoner repliel,, "Yes."
Cross examined: The prisoner was a man of good
character, quiet, and very respectable. He had
3onaplained to witness of persons mushrooming on
his land.
Mr. H.olberton. for the defence, urged that the
41-1.11 was fired at the ground, and that his client had
no intention of shooting at the prosecutor.
Prisoner was then charged, and pleaded "Not
4uilty-"
He was committed for trial at the next assizes
trad bail was allowed—himself in £250, and one
surety of £250. Mr. Thomas Watkins, ;farmer, of
Sutley, and brother of the prisoner, was the surety