Sensational Shooting Case at Conisborough

At the West Riding Court, Doncaster, on Tuesday, John Shaw, miner, Conisborough, was accused of shooting with intent at Ann Cocksidge, on Friday afternoon.

The prosecutrix stated that the prisoner, who was lodging at her home, came home drunk on Friday. She gave him his dinner, and after he consumed a portion he broke the plate. He then took the dinner of another lodger and give it to his dog. She took it from the dog and told him it was Jesse’s dinner.

Prisoner said it was not, and began swearing.

She then told him to go, and he replied that he she did he would “do for her first.”

She said he would be “done for, then.”

He replied, “I should not mind that.”

He went into the garden and put a ferret into his pocket. On returning to the house he got some cartridges, and next went upstairs and brought down his gun, a double breach barrel. He went into the yard, then returned to the kitchen, and she heard the click of a gun, and turning round she saw that the prisoner had drawn the hammer of the gun back.

He pointed the gun at her breast and set something, but she could not say what it was. She screamed and seized the barrel of the gun. While she had got hold of the gun it went off, and the shot broke the skirting board between the two doors in the kitchen.

Prisoner then went out, and she locked the door and shouted to him. “You’re never shoot anyone else.”

At night he came back from his clothes and dog, and went away. She did not want to prosecute the prisoner, and only wanted to bind him over. Her brother was in the yard, and she believed he ran into the back yard.

Mr Ruxton: he was a good plucky one. (Laughter).

In reply to Mr Baddeley, witness said prisoner had lodged with her for six years, “on and off.” He came to the house again on Saturday morning, and took his clothes and paid his board. She went to the police office, and asked for a summons, but the magistrates issued a warrant. He had not had the gun out for some time before.

Mr Baddeley: Do you really think that intended to shoot you?

Witness: I wont swear that he did. I don’t think he did. I think he did it to frighten me.

Re-examined: Prisoner did not know what he does when in drink. After the gun was fired she sent for a policeman.

William Snell, brother-in-law of the complainant, who also lodges with her, said that he was in the garden and heard the “haggling” going on inside. Looking through a doorway, he saw the prisoner raise the hammer of the gun, then place the gun to is shoulder, and went into with the kitchen where the muzzle pointed towards the sink. She seized the barrel of the gun and pulled it from the shoulder. The door then flew to, as if prisoner had slipped against it, and witness heard the gun go off.

Witness heard prosecutrix say, before the gun went off, “Oh Shaw , you are going to shoot me.” Subsequently she put the prisoner outside the house.

Witness went away, going between the next two houses. He had heard the prisoner say near the ash pit that if the prosecutrix would go outside he would blow both her eyes out. Prisoner then walked away with the gun on his shoulder

This was all the evidence.

Superintendent Blake asked that the case might be remanded till Saturday.

Mr Baddeley said that upon the evidence he could not see that there had been any case made out against the prisoner..

The case was remanded until Saturday.

Mr Baddeley then applied for bail, but it was opposed by Superintendent Blake and refused.