The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-09-02 00:00:00

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY AT WALDITCIL
NEAR BRIDPORT.

The quiet and retired village of Walditch, about
a-mileand-a-half south of Bridport, was on Friday
morning the scene of a terrible tragedy. It appears
that an ill feeling has for the last 15 years existed
between two respectable farmers, Mr. Daniel Joseph
Stone, and Mr. C. Fooks, whose residencies wer,
closely adjoining. On Friday morning, about half-
past seven o'clock, Mr. Stone was pasting the resi-
dence of Mr. Fooks with a view of going to a part
of his farm situated on the hill. Mr. Fooka, who at
-this time was sitting in his kitchen, apparently
reading a newspaper, saw Mr. Stone priaang, and
immediately started up, took his donble• -barrelled
gun hastened to the front door, and deliberately
fired off both barrels in quick sneetedoe, the Goa-
tents of one of which lodged in the hask rd ift
Stone's head with such fatal effect as to MEIN bin to
fall dead. As soon as he had perpetrated tide
fearful deed Mr. Fooks shut the front door of hie
house, rushed up stairs to his bedroom, and ilium,
diately afterwards another report of firearm wet
heard. Some of those who had been called to deer
spot by what had previously occurred, euspecting
what had taken place, rushed into the house and rear
up to Mr. Fooks's bedroom, but finding the door
fastened inside, a ladder was placed against the
window, and on one of the men ascending it, a shock-
ing scene presented itself. Mr. Fooks, the author of
the appalling catastrophe was lying on the floor, his
head and face shockingly injured, and the gun lying
close by. A erow-bar was immediately procured,
and Mr. Shepherd, a resident of that village, an
others hastened to break open the door. They found
Mr. Fooks quite sensible, and lifted him into bed.
He said it was the work, not of that day, but of
fifteen years, and inquired if "the other" was dead.
Mr. Stone, the deceased, was 31 years of age,
and Mr. Fooks is 47, and both were unmarried.
Mr. Fooks's house vies kept by his niece,
who had left the house the day before the tragedy
occurred, on a visit to Burton, and the only parties
in the house at the time beside Mr. Pocks were
nephew, who was in bed with a bad leg, and a
grandniece, about ten years of age, who was in .0
part of the house drawing cider, and who imme-
diately the gun was discharged gave an alarm. Mt.
Stone was being accompanied by a lad nassed
Perrett. Mr. Fooks's attempt to destroy his own
life appears to have been a moet determined one.
After shooting Mr. Stone he rushed up dears
with his gun, bat forgot to take his powder
and shot, and he subsequently had to return to the
kitchen for those articles. He loaded both barrels,
but only one was discharged, and that being heti
slantingly, only the lower part of one side of the fare
was injured. The lock of the other barrel worked
difficult Had tech not been the case, there is every
probability that he would have been killed on the
spot. Mr. Fooks is a tall, powerful man, of very
excitable temperament and constantly in hot water'
with his brother parishioners in regard to parish
matters. As may be supposed, the event awed the
greatest consternation in the district, where both
parties were well known.