The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1916-07-12 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

AFFAIR LOADED CARBINE.  At the Cheater Assizes On Monday, before Mr. Justice Ridley, Thomas Brennan, a soldier, 40 years of age, was put Upon his trial for shooting with a loaded carbine with intent to murder Diorama Hurst, at Senombe, (wake 17th March, There were other ommts 'which cha-ged him with attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm, and with shooting with intent to maim. He pleaded not guilty. Mr. Artemus Jones prosecuted; Mr. Trevor Lloyd defended. The case for the Prosecution was that the prisoner and Hurst were both privites in the South'-lianoeshire-Regiment, and in the same company. On Friday, March 17th, they were both in a shed at Seacambe where, they were quartered, about 10.30 p.m., ~and the prisoner said to Hurst "Have you been with your again?" (the allusion being to women of immoral character.) Hurst replied, "How would your like your misfit's to be called a—, repeating the offensive term, and then prisoner oame out with other offensive words. Hurst turned away, but the prisoner came up and struck him in the mouth, cutting both his lips and knocking out one of his teeth, and also chaflenged him outside to fight. They went outside and had a fight, and the prisoner apparently got the worst of it. IThey were down on the ground together. After the fight Hurst went to the cookhouse to wash blood from his face, at the slop-stone, or sink, and the prisoner followed him in a few minutes in an excited condition, and was seen to have a I carving-knife (blade about seven inches long) in his hand. Hurst, seeing the knife, said: "Oh, Brennan, don't use that," and Private Cat/tend] at that moment intervened and took the knife from the.prisoner. The prisoner-went out of the cook-house, and REPURNED WITH A CARBINE  in his hand, at what the witnesses (soldiers) called the "present arms" position —held at the hip with both hands, and. pointed forward right at Hurst. Hurst, who had finished washing his face, turned from facing the Sink tOwarda Brennan, being only 4ft. or sft. from him. Private Catterall saw prisoners' posture with the. carbine, and immedintely stepped forward-and knocked the weapon sideways. At that moment it went off, and the bullet passed in front of Wurst's body and hit the stone sink, pieces of the stone -being splintered out of it. Re was put under military arrest and removed.to the police station, where, when charged withshooting with intent to murder, he made no reply, "although," said Mr. Artemus zones, "he was then perfectly sober." On the way to the police station he had said, "If I `get time" for this, I'll follow that to Earlstoso,. .or • Haydook,, wherever he is, and I'll do him in." Hurst (who is a sturdily-built man„ like Brvual), giving evidence to the, above •effect, admitted that prisoner had black eyes and 'a bruised face as a result of the fight. Mr. Artemns Jones: What condition was Brennan in as regards drink? . Witness: Ohl he was not drunk, sir.  Ware. log,* drink?-2No; sir. Mn. -.Tretier.laos .4ross-examiiiing): this -bother arose through 'Brennan hasings refused. to let some women come in through the gate? Hurst: That is what he said. The witness admitted that Brennan had been -on guard duty, but 'denied that he told Brennan that it was not his business to keep women out. He denied that he struck the Alit blow in the quarrel, or that he kicked prisoner while, the latter was on thelround. He did not know that some of prisoner's ribs were broken in the fight. You got the best of it, didiet you?— Yea, but he would have done it to me a I hadn't done it to him. ,Private Joseph Jones, af the sanie battalion, said the prisoner came into the cook-house with the carbine at "present" pointing towards Hurst. Prisoner. had had some drink, but he was not drunk.  Private Andrew Catterall (the cookl. said prisoner did not resist very much when he took the knife off him. When he afterwards saw prisoner pointing the carbine at Hurtt, he-aprang from his-bed and knocked it aside, and it went off. He took the carbine off prisoner, and handed; prisoner over to Corporal Oldam. H thought the prisoner was