The Warrington Examiner. — 1873-01-18 (Warrington, Cheshire, England)

GAMEKEEPER SHOT NEAR  KNUTSFORD. On Sunday morning last a serious poaching affray took place between two keepers and three poachers, and ended fatally in the case of a man named Arthur Barnard. It appeared that the deceased and his father Henry Barnard were gamekeers, on the estate of Sir Harry Mainwarmg, at Higher Peover, and at about two o'clock in the morning of the day named the keepers were disturbed by hearing gun shots in a wood close to where they lived. Upon going out they met three men two of whom had guns. The son Arthur ran at the man who had no gun, and after much difficulty gave him in charge of his father. The ,man whose name was Hayes called out to the men who had guns to fire at young Barnard, who pursued the two men. Upon his getting up to thew, a man named Gibbons fired at the young man when he was about two yards from him. The charge entered his thigh below the hip. The third man, whose name ,was Tickle, made off at the onset. Barnard expired about noon on Monday from the effects of his injuries. The deceased was but 21 years of age. Two of the prisoners, Gibbons and Tickle, live in Lower Peover ; the other man, Hayes' comes from Lostock. Gibbons had threatened whilst being pursued that if Barnard went near him he should shoot him.  An inquest was held on Wednesday, before Mr. Dunstan, coroner, at the National School-room, Peover Superior, on the body of Arthur Barnard, aged 19. Henry Barnard, deceased's father, and head keeper to Mr. Emmerson, said: About three o'clock on Sunday morning last, I heard guns going off in the wood, and I and deceased got up and went towdrds the "Oak Flat Wood." I had a gun and deceased had a stick. We saw three men in the field near the wood • two of them had guns. We ran and met the men, an when we got five or six yards from them deceased said, "Halloo." The men said, "Hi up." The men were John Hayes, Christopher Gibbon, and Henry Tickle. Hayes said, "Shoot the b-s." Deceased said "Oh, no not shoot." Gibbons pointed his gun at us, and I said to him, "If you do, I'll give you shoot." The deceased then rushed at the men, who turned and ran away. Deceased overtook them, and knocked Hayes down. I secured Hayes, and deceased went in pursuit of the others. In a few minutes I heard a shot, and in about twenty minutes deceased came up with a single barrel gun in his hand, and said "Gibbons has shot me through the thigh." We then went home, taking Hayes with us. I cut off deceased's trowsers and drawers, and saw a wound in the thigh. I sent at once to Knutsford for a surgeon. Mr. Ackers, assistant to Mr. Purcell, came and dressed the wound. Deceased afterwards told me that in the chase Gibbons fell into a ditch and presented his gun at deceased, and said "If you come any further I'll shoot you." Deceased jumped to avoid the gun, and the same instant Gibbons pulled the trigger and 0111 him in the thigh. He struggled with Gibbons and took the gvn from him, and he said he had left marks on Gibbons's face and throat. Mr. Woodcock, surgeon, afterwards attended deceased, who, however, died on Monday afternoon about two o'clock. Mr. Woodcock, surgeon, Knutsford, gave evidence that a gunshot wound in deceased's thigh was the cause of .his death. - . - . . .  A Police Constable gave evidence of a statement made by the deceased to him similar in substanee to that he made to his father, and that witness apprehended Gibbons at Byley on Sunday afternoon, and charged him with shooting deceased, when Gibbons replied, "I know nothing about it; I gam prove I was elsewhere!: Gibbons' face was marked as though he had received a blow,, which he explained by saying he was drunk and fell against a gate. Gibbons had a gun license on him, but on searching his house witness could not find any gun and Gibbons said "I have no gun." The back of Gibbons' ooat.was slutched as if he had been down on his back. The Coroner summed up the evidence, and the jury immediately returned a verdict of "Wilful murder " against Gibbons, who was committed for trial. Deceased was a fine athletic and daring young fellow, and much respected. Gibbons will be brought up again before the magistrates on the charge. Tickle has also been apprehended.