Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1874-05-16 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

ONE MAI/ SFIOT DEAD, AND ANOTHER SERIOUSLY INJURED. The village of Dipton, three-aud-adialt miles &Mit Coese•a, was the scene of a shocking tragedy m Friday night. On that evening a number of miners were drinking at. the Plough Inn, Mountsett, when one of the company, a young fellow, named Jacob Armstrong, offered..ta shoot at a mark for a wager of half-a-gallon of beer. The bet was accepted by one of the men present, and shortly afterwards a lad named Robert Herrison, fourteen years of are, was despatchel to kinstrong's house in search of a gun. The servant, a young woman 'named Mary Burns, gave him one. On receiving the weapon he appears to have lifted it to his shoulder and presented the muzzle at the girl, who slammed the door in Harrison's face. A. little further up the road three men, Andrew Healey, Jonathan Twe..dle, and Hobert Arille, were standing, awl in passing them Harrison pointed the gun at them. lie was told not to do so, but after passing them fer a few yards he again raised the weapon to his snout ter. One of the men. Ardle, again warned him, telling him that unless he took the gun away he (Ardle) would " skelp his gob." Hedley and Ardle were at that time f icing Harrison, but the other man, Tweddell, had his back tower Is the gun. Some more words passed between Ardle and the lad, after which a loud report was heard, succeeded immediately by Arlie putting his hands ti his breast, staggering backwards a tew paces, and eventually falling on his back. Hedley ran down the road with his hands to his breast, but seeing Ardle lying on the ground he returned. In the meantime Harrison stood on the road with the gun in his hands, apparently horrified at the scene before him. Several persons who had heard the report of firearms, at once went to the assistance of Ardle and Hedley, but the former was then quite dead, death havia:4 apparently taken place immediately after falling. Ihe poor fellow seems to have been struck on the lett shoulder and breast, the region of the heart and lungs else being compietaly rid 'lcd with the leaden pellets. Hedley was is' struek on the left breast, and appears to have had a miraculous escape from instant death. About a dozen pellets struck him and of this number three at least have entered the flesh and come out again. One seems to have caught the breast bore and .glanced aside, otherwise it would have passed into his lungs. Tweddell had a most extraordinary escape. Ho at pears to have had ris back to Hanison when the gun went off, and being of short wature, the charge passed over his shoulder, and struck his comp t-ioa in the manner already described. Mr Benyon, assistant surgeon to Dr Benson, of Stanley, was soon in aitendance, and did everything in Ids .power for Hedley. So far, however, only one pallet has been extracted from the.body of the sufferer. Harrison was apprehended th.. same night by Sergt. Morland of Dipton, by whom the prisoner was subsequently taken to Consett lock-up, and given into the custody of Superintendent Oliver. On being charged with causing the death of Ardle, he adriOtted shooting him ; but added that he was not aware that the gun was loaded. On the other hand, however, Armstroug affirms that when be sent the prisoner for the gm he told him it was charged. The deceased was a soreeninau at White-le-head Collieryi and was 59 years of age. On Monday morning, Robert Harrison, 14 years of age. was brought before the Shotley Bridge magistraites, charged with the wilful murder of Robert Ardle, at Mountsett, near Consett, on Friday night. The police asked for a remand, which was granted. —The same afternoon Mr. Graughan, coroner, held an inquest on the body of Ardle. Several witnesses were examined, one of whom, Sergeant Morland, stated that when he charged Harrison with shooting the deceased, the former replied that he did not know what had made him do it. The jury returned a verdict of "Manslaughter."