The Northern Guardian. — 1891-10-31 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

TERRIBLE DRAMA.  This morning, a miner, NVilliam Johnson, about 45 years of age, deliberately shot a woman, Mary Addison, with a six-chambered revolver, in the public street at Hetton-le-Hole. The. shot took effect at the back of the head, and death followed almost immediately. Johnson, after committing the terrible deed walked to the police station and gave himself up, stating at the same time what he had done.  Recently a man named Andrew Simpson has been paying some attentions to Mrs. Addison, who was a widow, and matters had proceeded so far that she was on her way to be married to him this morning. She was, however, followed by Johnson, who is said to have been very jealous of Simpson's attentions, and when near Springwell-terrace lie drew a revolver and shot her dead. As soon as he had done the deed Johnson went and gave himself up at the police station. He is a man of about 53 years of age. His victim is stated to have been about 47. It is said that Johnson stated that he would never allow Mrs Addison to be married. Another correspondent states :  A sudden terrible drama was enacted this morning at about a quarter past ten o'clock on the public highway opposite to Springwell Terrace. Ai row of miners' houses standing midway between ' the Four Lane Ends and Bog Row, Hetton-le-Hole, which had for its final the tragic end of a woman named Mary Addison, a widow, aged about 50 years, she having been shot with a six chambered revolver, by a man named William Johnson, aged between 40 and 50 years, a labourerat farms in the district. It appears that Johnson has for some time past lodged with Mrs. Addison who lived at Four Lane Ends with a grown up son and daughter until about a fortnight ago. It is said that owing to the quarrelsome character of the man the family objected to his remaining in the house any longer and he was told to leave. Johnson then wEnt to stay a few doors from his late lodgings. In the meantime he has been drinking somewhat freely, and whilst inebriated he has been heard to threaten what he would do to deceased if he got the chance. The ill-feeling of the man towards Mrs. Addison was intensified by the fact that the dead woman had refused to accept his attentions with a view to marriage. Johnson was in and out of the New Inn at the Four Lane Ends two or three times this morning before the murder occurred, and appeared to be very restless and excited. It is now evident that he had got sonic information of Mrs. Addison's going from home to-day, and that he had stationed himself about the public-house named, which she would have to pass on her way to the railway station. In the course of time Mrs. Addison (lid pass down the road fully dressed as though to go on a journey. Johnson must have seen the unsuspecting woman, who, unaware of her approaching end continued on her way; and followed, overtaking her near the bottom of Springwell Terrace. He there discharged first one barrel of the revolver, and then another, as the inhabitants heard two shots; and the weapon was subsequently found to have two barrels empty and four still loaded. The shot or shots struck deceased at the back of the head and apparently caused instantaneous death, as no shout or scream was heard by those who heard the reports of the shots. After committing the dreadful act Johnson walked in the coolest manner possible to the police station at Hetton-le-Hole and gave himself up. Sergt. Cartwright was not at the Station, but Mrs. Cartwright asked Johnson to sit down. He then took the revolver from one of his pockets, saying that that was what he had shot the landlady with ; also that he had been driven to it, and he knew he would get the rope soon. A crowd of people who had heard the shots fired collected, and a policeman was sent for. Constable Bellain came and found the woman quite dead. With the assistance of sonic of the bystanders the body was removed to the home of the deceased. A post morttem examination will be made and an inquest held at the early part of the ensuing week.