The Sun.
London, England, 1833-12-11 00:00:00

A MAN SHOT BY A POLICEMAN.

On Monday an inqUest WWI held at the George Inn,
Watton, Herts, on the body of James Shepherd, a labour-
ing man, who was shot by Robert Piercy, a constable of
the Westminster division of the metropolitan police force,
who had been specially sworn in to protect the inhabitants
of Watton and the hundred of Broadwater against incen
diaries, poachers, and other bad characters. The case had
excited the most intense interest. Sarah Watts lived op-
posite to the spot where the occurrence took place. About
a quarter past ten o'clock on Saturday night she was it,
her house, and from the window saw the deceased and the
policeman standing together in the street. She heard the
latter say to the deceased, " Well, my man, who are
you?" He replied, " What odds does it make to you?
You are the very man I wanted to see. I have been in-
formed that you threatened to kill me." The policeman
said, " Who are you? I don't know you ; I don't know
that I ever saw you before. Come to the light, an
then I shall see whether I do know you or not."
The policeman then went to the gate of Mr. Mo-
ginie's house close by, and asked him for a light.
Mr. Moginie brought one, but it went out. The
policeman asked him if he knew the deceased, to which
he replied that he did, and that his name was James
Shepherd. The policeman then told the deceased to go
home like a good fellow, and go to bed which he peremp-
torily refused to do, saying be would not go home fur
any man. About an hour afterwards she saw them
together at the same spot. The policeman was still
endeavouring to persuade him to go home, but the deceased
still refused to do so He swore very much, and said to
the policeman, " You shall either kill me or I will kill
von, for this night I will die in the road." He had a
large stick in his hand, similar to the one produced.
Sne was about ten yards from the spot. The deceased
had hold of the smallest end of the stick. He
struck it against Mr. DlOginte's premises, and said to the
piliceman, " I am as good a man as you, only when I
knocked old Squire down these steps" (alluding to an ash
sault, for which be had been indicted, and suffered six
months imprisonment sometime since). He then collared
the policeman, and held the stick up at him, and told him
he would bit him with it, but she did not see him Strike.
The policeman then caught hold of him, and three times
desired him to leave go his hold of him. He said, "
will not; I will die this night or you shall." She then
went into her house, and in about a quarter of an hour
afterwards heard the report of a pistol, upon which she
went into the street, when she saw the deceased lying near
the same spot where she had before seen him with the po-
liceman. She saw blood upon his face. The policeman
was there, and some persons came up, one of whom in-
quired who hail shot the deceased ; upon which the !whee-
l:tin said, " 1 did." Sione of the persons collected asked
the policeman what he did it for ? and he replied, " I was
in danger of my lite."
Joseph Moginie, grocer, was then called, and stated
that about half.paat ten o'clock, when he came up, the
deceased was swearing very much, and said, •' I will
either kill or be killed, and that is all about it." The
po iceman was perfectly sober, but the deceased did not
appear to be so. The policeman was very mild and calm,
and endeavoured to persuade him to go home. When
witness came out to assist the policeman he had a pistol
in his hand, and was using very mild words to persuade
the deceased to leave go of hint and go house. He said,
I do not care for the pistol ; I will either kill or be
killed."
Williatn Thompson, of Welwyn Grove ; Willirina
Taylor, of Watton, surgeon ; George 111,,Iden, labourer ;
James South, latmuter
atElizabethaLba owl Lawrence,ivretn.ttctaientl;tna .. Mercer,
bilieyaunohioWl
emit!iellYticouf constable, :ntashrtear.l.nn corroborated; rd
"tchi es
TVieierddicect—easjedg"la a

Beaumont Citue, the notorious Bedfordshire
poacher, di il in gaol on Sunday. Tins old offender bad
been upwards of 30 times imprisoned for offences under
the game laws. He used to boast of his avoratiou, and
has been frequently heard to express a wish that he might
die in gaol. At the time of his death he was under ton.
fine nen: fur disorderly conduct is t!,eparista workliguee.