The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-08 00:00:00

FATAL GUN ACCIDENT.

A sad catastrophe occurred on Thursday at Exe-
ter, by which Martha Winson, a tailoress, aged 18,
lost her life. The deceased young woman was sit-
ting at work at a table, in the house of her employer,
Mrs. Brannam, 32, Codrington-street, when the son
of that person, Abraham Brannam, a mason, aged
18, came in to dinner. Presently, it appears, he
took up a gun which was in the room, and was
loaded and capped ; but Brannam does not appear
to have known the fact, for while he was handling
it the charge exploded, and a quantity of small shot
went through the deceased's head, entering at one
ear and passing out at the other. The poor girl fell
backward, and died almost immediately. A sur-
geon was in attendance at once, but his services were
of course unavailing. The face and head of the de-
ceased were terribly shattered, and every one on
the spot was horror stricken at that event. No one
appeared more affected than the young man who
had occasioned the fatality, who was shortly after-
wards led away in the custody of the police. An
inquest on the body of the deceased was held at the
Windsor Castle Inn, Summerland-street, before the
city coroner, in the after part of the day. The
mother of the deceased, who resides in Russell-
street, identified the body of her daughter. Having
heard of the accident, she arrived at the house in
time to see the deceased draw one breath and expire.
The chief witness was Sarah Ann Brannam, with
whom the deceased had slept the previous night.
She was at work in the room when the disaster oc-
curred, and Abraham Brannam was also there, and
he gave an apple to deceased and to witness. A few
minutes afterwards he rose from his seat, took a
gun from the corner of the room, and began to rub
it with his hands as if to clean it. Deceased then
got up and went to a cupboard to take out an iron,
and while she was doing so a dog time in. Abra-
ham Brannam said to the dog, " Here, Charlie,"
and it ran behind the deceased girl and made a
noise ; at that moment the deceased stooped down,
and the gun went off, and she fell backwards.
Brannam caught hold of witness, and exclaimed
" She's dead, she's dead," and ran out of the
room screaming like a madman. The gun belonged to
Mr, Thorn. In was used a few days ago, Witness
did not know that it was loaded. There bad been
no ill-feeling between Brannam and deceased, and
not five minutes before he had kissed deceased.
Maria Shears gave evidence to the same`effect, ana
John Harvey, a butcher, of S. Sidwells, said that
that morning he had met Brannam on Fore-street-
bill, w hen he said he should go out shooting
in the afternoon. Brannam expressed his regret at
was purely
the occurrence, which, he said, acciden-
tal. Western Morning News.

A number of sculptors are at present engaged in
executing
Zodiaque of the grand entrance of Notre Dame. All the
an important work at the Porte du
figures and almost all the ornamental details had been
mutilated. Those artists are employed in restoring noses,
ears, hands, fingers, and arabesque flowers with admirable
art and patience, so that in a short time that wonderful
portal, with Its rich collection of saints, angels, kings, &c.,r
will be restored as it was in the 14th century. The door
its name from the signs of the Zodiac being carved
on its bas-relief.