The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-03-21 00:00:00

A SCHOOLBOYS' DUEL.

An extraordinary case has been before the Lindsey
(Liocoloshire) mogistmtes. Two boys, Gerald Maurice
liurn and George Henry Seagrove, pupils at a board-
ing-school in Lincoln, quarrelled about a trivial matter,
sad Burn, by way of settling the difficulty, sent
Seagrove a formal challeige to fight a duel. S,agrave
duly accepted it, and about two o'clock. at which time
the boys are allowed to go out for a walk, the ousllitti
and their seconds started for a secluded spot in Greet-
well-fields, Here Burn's secood, ahoy named Daweon,
loaded the pistol for Burn, and a youth named Walter
Green diti a She. office for St agra ye. Both pistols were
loaded with powder and ball. Dawson measured (lee
distance decided upon-13 paces—and pl red a peg in
the ground for the antagonists to stand against. Dawson
their counted three, and dropped a handerkerchief.
He counted slowly, and the boys took direct aim at
each other tiring the instant the handkerchief fell.
Seagrove immediately cried out "I'm hit," and then
lay down. It was then found that his pistol bed Must.
The seconds then scorched for the wound, and found
it to be in the leg. They bound up the wound and,
with the aid of Burn, assisted the boy home. The
pistols need on the occasion were bought on their route
at a toy shop, 61 each being the price given. Ore of
the witnesses (all scholars) described the combatants as
being on apparently friendly terms while going to
Greetwell, and no iffitemper was displayed when on
the ground, the whole iffiair being apparently conducted
in the ctolest manner possible. After hearing other
evitence, the magistrates remanded the prisoner Burn
an I the two see nods until Saturday, pending the
doctor's report of the state of the boy Seagrove.

At a special meeting of the Lindsey wag:strides at
Lincoln, on S .turday— prment, Colonel Billion, Mr.
N. Clayton, Mr. J. Bromheod, and the Rev. G. F.
Apthorp—Gerald Maurice Burn, son of Mr. Burn,
architect, Londpn, was brougut up on remand, charged
with having malicioudy and feloniously shot at George
Henry Seagrove, son of a farmer at Lissington, with
intent to do him grievous bodily harm. The seconds,
Alfred Dawson and Walter Green, were charged with
having counselled and abetted him. The boys are
boarders at the academy of the Rev. J. J. Swift. of
Lincoln, and fought the duel on the 7th inst. The
depositions having been read over, the following addh
tier-al evidence was taken. Mr. C. Brook, surgeon,
said : On the afternoon of Saturday, the 7th inst.,
I was summoned to Mr. Swift's school, and
found a bog named Seagrove with a bullet wound
in halt of the right leg, and time inclose
above the ankle, said to have been produced by a
pistol bullet, There WAS only one orifice and it
was most probable that the bullet was still in the
leg. The boy was put under the influerce of chloroform
on the morning of the 9th inst., and an operation was
performed to remove the bullet. It was found that the
mall bone of the leg was smaehed by the ball. Several
pieces of bone, a portion of the trousers, and a portion
of the bullet, which had split on the b me, wine found
deep in the leg. Toe remainder of the bullet c Add
not b 0 found, and has probably altered its course, and
run down to the hack of the ankle j jut. Nothing
can be felt of it. This is • serious case, and may con-
tinue so until the compound frost re of the bone is
repaired and the built discovered. I saw George
Seagrove last night; he was then in an improving
cenchtion. Ilia foot aud ankle were swollen, and
sliehtly inflamed. His symptoms are a feverish con-
dition of the sy-t un, which Is improving. The
probal Pity is that he will recover and get quite sound.
William Seagrove' brother of the injured boy, said :
I saw Burn cast the bullets., It %AC more than a week
before the duel occurred, and he cast them in the school-
room. I don't know where be got the mould from, and
I have seen him caMing bullets on inure than one
03,11SiOD . He used to practise firing with • pistol at a
post in the schoolyard, and the bullets used to make an
indent in the wood. I cannot say what kind of wood
the pivot was made of. My brother and Burn quar-
relled about a caricature which the latter had sketched.
Burn said it would be best to settle all quarrels hon
curably, and offered to fight a duel with my brother,
who is twelve years old. I said I would not agree to it,
and he therefore declined to fight. Burn said nothing
further, but a week after again challenged him, saying
that he would giv, him another chance for his honour.
He accspted, and the duel was to be fought with
pistols, which were bought at a toy shop for lid. They
were loaded with powder and ball. I told Burn that
il they happened to Mt each other it would be serious,
but he said he did not mind. There has been one duel
before amongst the school-boys. Burn was present at
that duel, and one of the ',toys bad a narrow escape, as
a hail passed over his thumb end grazed his skin..

Henry Staveley Banks, ten years old, said—l was
not present at the duel. The bullet mould formerly
belonged to Burr, and is now the property of Dawson.
I have seen Burn vast bullets, and the last time would
be about three weeks before the duel. I fought a duel
with a boy named Dawson, and the pistols we need
were similar to the one produced. They were
loaded with powder and ball. Burn wal premnt,
and offieiated as second for us both. lin likewise
dropped the handkerchief. The bullet passed
over my thumb and grazed the skin. We stood
thirteen paccs apart. I called Dawson names, and
be challenged me to light a duel. We fought the duel
near to the village of Washingborough, and there were
only three present. When Dawson challenged I said
I would light him, and no one incited me to do so. I
have frequently men Burn practise firing with a
and he used to aim at • wooden post. Burn fought
with my ph tel.
After a short consultation, the Bench committed
Burn for trial at the ensuing assizes.

The ab ye case has been tried at the Lincoln Ater.
when Gerald Mnurlce Box was indicted for shooting with
intent to do grievous bodily harm.
Mr. Lawrence appeared for the prosecution, Mr. \Veda)+,
Q.O r the defence.

_
The prinoner, who in only f tureen years of age, ig a
scholar at the school kept by the Rev. Mr. Swift, in
the city of 1.1113C0111. The pistol was one of those ordi-
narily eoll at tl-eholdi for 61, and had a cork with a
string attached to it, and wag meant to be used with
cape, only an a pop-gun. It appeared to be made of
some brass material, and had a trigger. On one side
woo writ,rn the word, "Depose," and on the other
"Rorie." It was difficult to conceive, looking at the
pistol, that any one should attempt o load It with
powder and ball.

William Seagrave : I am at school at Mr. Swift's,
and War 15 in August. There were 12 boys at the
s tool. On Thursday, the stl of March, there was a
quarrel between my brother and Burn. On Saturday
we have a half holiday, and we went to the side of the
river; nine of us went. We wentpass Washinghorougb.
The seconds loaded the pistols. Lawson and Green
were the seconds. I think Le raw the pistols loade(L
One of the seconds measured out 13 steps or paces. A
peg was placed in theground. My brother anh Burn weLt
cne to one peg and one to the other. They both aimed.
Dawson counted three anddroppel a handkerchief and
they heed. My brother's pistol burst in his hand.
He called out he was hit, ad it was drawiise blood.
We were all eitting in a row looking on, We tied
handkerchiefs round the leg, and carried him home all
the way to Lincoln (three miles), I saw Burn making,
before that, bullets iss • mould. I have seen him use
the pistol before, firing it at a post. He hit the post.
I raid to Burn if either got hurt it wood make it • very
serious matter. I cant remember what he said; I
think he said "It wouldn't matter." If be said as to my
brother not accepting the challenge that "he was a
coward and s'aowed a cowardly stint." He said,
would give him another chance for his honour."
. -

Cros; examined : I did not. think they would hurt.
The toystop was Poppletorilii. Burn helped to carry
my brother. In the first duel the gentlemen who
cleared hid honoor w..e 10 years old. We hai all been
" actinic to be men." We had a trial. A boy rated
N:vris was judge. Burn was counsel. We tried a
prisoner. He tad ?dosed to sell something and was
tried for it. Burn was for the prosecution. dme oce
wide a mai ature of the judge and Burn stuck it up
somewhere, and it was put ed down by Seagrave, and
that SWILS the Valid or of the quarrel.
Thill evidence wascorroburated by William Fieldsend.
Henry Staveley Banks, another boy of 10 years of age,
elated that a week before this duel he had fought a