The Sun. — 1868-12-29 (London, England)

DETECTIVE OFFICER SHOT.  About half-past ten o'clock on Saturday evening last, Police-detective James Kemp, of the Northampton Constabulary Force, was shot in the public street at Northampton by a man named Bridgewater. Kemp had just left the police•station, and was proceeding home in company with two young men, when on going past Victoria-street his attention was attracted by a man whose movements were somewhat suspicious. Kemp stopped for a moment, and the man immediately called out, "Keep back, or I'll shoot you." The detective thought he was joking, and said he didn't want to be thought a coward, so he advanced towards the man, who immediately raised a double-barrel gun to his shoulder and deliberately shot Kemp in the left breast, the distance between the two at the time being only some ten yards. Kemp staggered and fell to the ground, and ,the culprit endeavoured to make his escape. He was, however, pursued and taken into custody. The wounded man was taken to the infirmary, where he now lies in a hopeless state. The medical officers of the institution having expressed the opinion that he could not live, the Mayor (Mr. M. Vernon) attended at the infirmary on Sunday morning and took his depositions. The name of the prisoner is William Bridgewater, a machinist, who formerly resided at Northampton, but who for some months past has been living at Wellingborough. The man's family is a respectable one. His father resides in Victoria-street, near the place where the shot was fired, and the prisoner had come over to spend the Christmas holidays. A quarrel had occurred between his brother and himself, and shortly before Kemp was shot the prisoner went to his father's house and attempted to shoot his brother by firing at him through the bedroom window, happily without effect. Kemp, who is a young man about 34 years of age, was formerly in the Birmingham constabulary, when he exchanged into the Northampton force on account of his wife's health. He was one of the most active and efficient officers of the force. The prisoner was brought before the borough magistrates on Monday morning, and the dying man's deposition was read over. Mr. Keenan, the chief constable of the borough, applied for a remand until Wednesday, and stated that Kemp was sinking fast, and there was no doubt that when the prisoner next came before them it would be on a charge of wilful murder. Prisoner was remanded accordingly. Kemp has a wife and two children, and a mother over seventy years of age, who is partially dependent on him. It is stated that the prisoner knew Kemp, and therefore it has been inferred that he may have thought the detective was coming to apprehend him on the charge of shooting at his brother, and that to avoid apprehension he committed the dreadful deed.  The vacancy on the Board of Inland Revenue caused by the death of Mr. J. Disraeli will not be fille d up, the appointment having been abolished.  The effects of the storm at Wick have been greatly exaggerated. Messrs. Stevenson have now ascertained that the damage to the masonry of the breakwater will not exceed £4,000.  As erroneous statements have appeared in print as to what the election judges have determined on with reference to particulars in cases of petitions alleging corrupt practices, we may state that what the three election judges for England have agreed upon is, as to such petitions as are fixed for trial, to require that the particulars which used to be given in on the opening of the case should be sent in three days before trial ; but this is not to exclude cases coming to the petitioner's knowledge later and up to the conclusion of the trial. The judges have not made a fixed rule on this matter, but propose to try the effect of the three days' notice, and may revert to the old practice if they find the effect of this notice bear hardly on respondents.