The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-01 00:00:00

The Fatal Gun Accident at Hornsey.

Yesterday afternoon a jury assembled before Dr. Lankes-
ter, at the Hornsey-wood Tavern, for the purpose of inquir-
ing into the circumstances connected with the death of a
youth named John Banks, aged 15 years, who was killed
by a gun-shot on Tuesday last, in the Seven Sisters-road,
Hornsey.
Joseph West, a neighbour and companion of deceased,
said that on Tuesday morning last he saw deceased on
Ball's-pond-common. They were subsequently joined by
Chas. Lambert, a neighbour, and as witness had a gun, they
went to Hornsey to shoot birds. They agreed to take turns
in firing, and deceased and witness having fired, the next
turn fell to Lambert. On reaching the railway bridge, known
as the Wood-bridge, a bird was seen to fly round the bridge,
and Lambert got ready to shoot at it. Witness and deceased
ran up the bank to see the course of the bird, to direct Lam-
bert, and finding it had escaped, witness told Lambert that
it was no use, and directed him to put down the hammer of
the gun, which was then at whole cock ; and while he
(Lambert) was doing sc, the hammer, being wet, slipped
from his thumb, exploding the cap and discharging the con-
tents into the breast of Banks, who was then about three
yards away, coming down the bank. Banks called out,
" Jce, Joe, come and catch me ;" but before witness could
reach him he fell.
By the jury—Deceased and Lambert had never before
fired a gun. As they walked with the loaded gun they car-
ried it half-cock.
After some remarks by the coroner relative to the illegal
act of shooting in a public thoroughfare,
Inspector Langdon, N division, was examined, and slated
that the young man Lambert was brought to the station
and charged with causing the death of deceased. He was
however, liberated by the magistrate on a £.lO surety to ap-
pear when called on.
The medical evidence showed the cause of death was a
gun-shot wound.
At this point of the inquiry Charles Lambert was called
in, and was cautioned by the Coroner in the usual form.
He, however, preferred stating the circumstances of the
melancholy event, which were corroborative of that of the
witness West. He had worked in the same employ with
deceased. He had never before fired off a gun, and when ho
did so it was unintentionally, as the wet hammer slipped
from under his thumb.
The Coroner having summed up, _ _

The room was cleared for the jury to consult upon their
verdict, and, after a short deliberation, they returned a ver-
dict of accidental death. They then expressed a wish that
the Coroner would admonish Lambert, so as to make him
feel the sense of his position in having deprived the poor
boy, his friend and fellow-workman, of life.
Lambert having been called in, the Coroner very feelingly
addressed the youth, showing that by his manifest want of
knowledge of the use of firearms he had taken the life of his
companion. The jury, on account of his youth, had dealt
leniently with him, for they might have sent him to trial
for manslaughter; but hoping this would act as a warning
to him and to others not to infringe the law, by which, as
in this case, such a dreadful result had been brought about,
they had thought proper to relieve thorn of that responsi-
bility and consider the death as one of accident.
The Jury then passed the following resolution :—" The
jury empannelled ,on the 31st day of December, at the
Hornsey-wood Tavern, on view of the body of John Banks,
having returned their verdict, that he died from being acci-
dentally shot by Charles Lambert, would call the attention
of the Commissioners of Police to the necessity of exercising
more stringent powers in the apprehension and punishment
of the numerous persons who are in the habit of frequenting
with loaded guns, and shooting in the fields and public
roads in the neighbourhood of the house in which the in-
quest had been held, as such conduct was attended with the
greatest danger."
The Coroner having promised to forward that resolution
to the commissioners, the proceedings closed.