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--- The Llansanan Shooting…

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The Llansanan Shooting Sensation. ACCUSED COMMITTED TO THE ASSIZES. At Denbigh County Magistrates Court on Wednesday, William Koberts, a young gamekeeper, living at Bryneglwys, Llan- sannan, surrendered to his bail on a charge of unlawfully wounding, with intent to do grevious bodily harm to Edwin Jones, a young farmer, who lives with his father at Bryn Adam, Llansannan, on the 16th of July, by shooting him with a gun. Great interest was evinced in the case, and the County Hall was crowded with a. large number of farmers and others, from the surrounding district. The magistrates present were W D W Griffith, Esq., presiding, Col Heaton, Capt Cole, John Morris, Esq., J D W Griffith, Esq J Harrison Jones, Esq., and Bennett Jones, Esq. Mr Aneurin 0 Evans, solicitor, Denbigh, appeared for the prosecution, and Mr 0 R Moseley (Mr A Foulkes-Roberts' offices), appeared for the defendant. After Mr Aneurin 0 Evans bad briefly outlined the case for the prosecution, he called the plaintiff, Edward Jones, wh,) had now sufficiently recovered to appear in court and give evidence. He said he was the eldest son of Mr Evan Jones, Bryn Adarn, Llansannan, was 22 years of age, and had always been at home work- ing for his father. The farm adjoined the defendant's place, and William Roberts had been there since about May of last year. He knew him to talk to. On the night in question he went to a farm called Gwen Lluvion, which also adjoined their farm. He started home about a quarter past ten, and after he had left he road and entered the swede field he was within a distance of about 200 yards from the de- fendant's house. He heard some scream- ing, which he thought came from Bryn- eglwys house. He knew who lived there and knew what condition Mrs Roberts was in, and he knew that there had been a nurse attending her. Having heard the screaming he ran to the house, and to do so he had to enter through a gateway. He thought he could hear some talking, and he threw some gravel to the window. He could hear the defendant talking to his wife in the furthest bedroom, and the de- fendant's sister seemed to be answering them from the bedroom nearest him. After he had thrown some gravel to the window several times the defendant came out of the house holding a gun in front of him. He saw the gun first, but did not see the house door open. When he saw the gun he was frightened, and made off in the direction of Gwen Lluvion. To do so he went by the gable end of the house, and the man with the gun would have to come out of the house to the railings to see him, as their was a steep declivity just there. It was neither dark or light, but any man could see the distance he was at. After he had gone some distance he was shot in the back. At this stage of the proceedings tfce plaintiff's clothes 'ere produced in court, showing where the shots had penetrated; Plaintiff, continuing, said that after he was shot be turned back in the direotfon of the footpath, which was also in the direction of the defendant's house. At the time he was shot he should say he was about twenty-three yards away, and he began to shout when the blood canoe to his mouth and nostrils but he aiight have shouted before then. After the blood came he asked the defendant to come to him, saying that he had killed him, and he answered, '< d you, you come here and disturb us, and my wife in the condition she is. 1 will give you more of the same thing." He was perfectly ceitain of what the defendant said. He proceeded as well as be could to the rail- ings, but be could hardly reach there, because he wItS losing blood. Eventually he did reach the railings. After reaching the railings he became unconscious, and could not recollect what took place for some time afterwards. Personally, he did not know how long he was there, but ultimately he found himself in the defend- ant's house, where he stayed for a week and four days. Afterwards he was carried on a bed to his own home, where he had been laid 4ip for over a month. He found difficulty in moving about, and was short of breath, especially when walking up a hill. He had suffered considerable pain. Cross-examined by Mr Moseley, witness said he had known the defendant ever since he had come to Bryneglwys, and before this unfortunate affair had taken place he had had no disagreement with him whatever. On the night in question he left home between seven and half-past -nven, and he went for an errand for bis ler to Gwen Lluvion .Farm. He had to t 1SS Brynegi-ys on the way, and he noticed there was someone in the bedroom window. He did not know wb. it was, but be could see it was a female. He also knew that defendant's sister was there, and that she was a single woman. He denied having thrown the gravel at the window in order to attract the attention of this woman for the purpose of courting her. '.tne threw the gravel at the window in order :o ask them, out of kindnes4 if he could be of soy assistance to them, as he knew that defendant's wife was about to be C')nfined.. He had heard that in some parts of Wales it was customary for the young men to throw gravel at the window to attract the attention of the young women of the house, but that was not so in his ;ase. He threw the gravel at the defeciiant's sister's window, because he did not want to disturb the other couple for fear there was some trouble. He could hear them talking, and everything seemed to be right with them. Mr Moseley Then why did you inter- with them ?—-I simply went to ask if tb, wanted my assistance. VV e you eavesdropping or what ?-It Was impossible. Because I could not hear What was said. What right had you to throw gravel at the window at all ?—-Because I beard 4creaming previously, and I thought some- one was bad there. Didn't you want to see William Roberts' ster ?-No. didn't the defendant come to the doer "Wice and shout Hello there ?-S o. Be-examined by Mr Evans, plaintiff said I that he did not go to the house after the defendant's sister, and he had never spoken to her in his life. Margaret Rawson, of Gwen Lluvion, was the next witness called, and gave evid-nce to the effect that on the night in question Edwin Jones paid them a visit, and staited home about ten o'clock. A short time afterwards they heard the report of a gun, and someone screaming Ob, what shall I do." Her mother called out, asking what was the matter, and they went to Bryn- eglwys, where they could hear the screaming from. They couid hear William Roberts talking in a loud voice, and in answer to their inquiiies, he said, Go back, you things, to the devil. He has only been slightly hurt." They left William Roberts standing by the railings, and proceeded to Edwin Jones' assistance, They asked him what was the matter, and he said he had been shot. Blood was coming from his mouth and nostrils. William Roberts said it was done because be came there creating a disturbance whilst his wife was so ill. Her father asked him why he shot I this man, and be replied that he had no business to come there making a dis- turbance, and his wife in the condition she was. The defendant said to his sister, This would not have happened except for you, you devil," and his sister replied, "I know nothing whatever about the boy." Edwin Jones was taken into the house, and she went to Pen'rallt to fetch Henry Lloyd, to come and assist. The Chairman How far is it from your house to defendant's ?—About 300 yards. Cross-examined by Mr Moseley, witness said they were in the house when they heard the report of the gun. They did not hear any screaming lefore the report of the gun. The defendant, his wite, and sister were outside, and had the appearance of just coming from bed. Mrs Rawson, the mother of the last witnes?, gave corroborative evidence. Mr Isaac Rawson also give similar evidence, and said that Edwin Jones was known as the best boy in the neighbour- hood. He asked William Roberts why in the devil did he shoot the boy," and he made a similar answer as he had done to the others. He had had some trouble with William Roberts, who had threatened his son. He asked defendant to fetch the boy's father, but he said he would fetch Mr Pain, the bead gamekeeper. Police-constable Davie3, Llansannan, said that on the night in question, from informa- tion received, he arrived at Bryneglwys at midnight. He found Edwin Jones on the ground with Ann Rawson kneeling by his side He told him he had been shot in the back, and he was bleeding from his mouth and nostrils. He helped to take him to the house, and Dr Aldred was fetched. He did not apprehend the defendant that night as he was asked not to do so on account of the condition of his wife. Ho took posses ion of the gun, in which he found a cartridge which had been discharged. Two days afterwards he apprehended the de- fendant at six o'clock in the morning at Berain, Llannefydd. He brought him to Denbigh, and the warrant was read to him by the Superin- tendent, and in reply said, 411 did not do it with the intention of doing him any harm." I Edwin Jones had a spletidid character and was one of the quietest young men of the neigh- bourhood. Cross-examined as to whether it was custofa- ary for young men courting to throw gravel aD the window, be said he had heard of it being done, but he had had nj complaints about it (lanhter). Vr T 0 Jones, Llanfairtalhai&rn, said that he ha<* nr,tended the injured man, whom he found suffering from shock due to shot wounds in the back. He carefully examined him and found there wan hemorrage of the tungs, and he was in a very critical state, and the bleeding was morp internal than external. Bright frothy blood came out of his moutk, and his breathing was short, and he could not lie on ms back. Several shots were removed from his b&ck, and the injured man had been under his charge five weeks. There was a doubt whether the injured man would recover entirely. Isaac Jones, Sincreg, said that he had examined the ground and found that it was about 32 yards from the first pool of blood to the railings. He could not have shot the man from the door of the house. This closed the aase for the prosecution. TEE iBEFENCE. William Roberts was then formaliy charged, and in reply Mr Moseley, on his behalf, pleaded not guilty, and observed that no orae was more sorry for this accident than the defendant. He submitted that the onus of proving that the gun was fired with intention to io grevious bodily harm lay with the prosecution, and had not done this he considered. The gun was let off simply to frighten whoever was throwing the gravel. The defendant did not raise the gun to his shoulder hut simply let it off from under his arm with the idea that the shots would penetrate the ground. He was sure that after the Bench had heard the evidence they would come to the conclusion that the whole affair was a pure accident. The defendant, William Roberta, said he bad been an assistant sgamekeeper with Mr Simp- son. On the night in question they had been i,, beci some time when they heard some gravel being thrown at his sister's window. He went fPwa to the door and shouted, Hello, who's u" ,^ut he received no answer, and he went back to bed again. Shortly afterwards at the window, and inrf rJh? tbe w*s going to take the gun and frighten whoever wis tkere, and she warned him to be carefm. He wenfc to fche door again and shauted out, "Who's there?" but got no reply. He then let the gun off from under his arm. After he had let the gun off he found he had hit someone, and e asked who it was. He did not reply and-fall down. They attended to him, and he went to fetch Mr Pain. On the way he met Mr Rawson, who asked why he did such a thing, and he told him it was an accident. Cross-examined by Mr A O Ji*V8ir>s, defendant said he had heari. Edwin Jones' evidence, Some of which was true and some not. There bad been no screaming or row. ,L Mr Evans Did you say D you. you will get some more of the same thitig4 "—No. Did you say to Miss Rawson and her mother, Go back you things?"—It was Mr Rawson I saw first. You did not say anything to the Rawsons then ?-No. Didn't you say to Mr Rawson the, you had shot the man because he came to disturb you with the wife in the condition she was ?_, said he had no business to come near the house. So that all these witnesses I have called have not been telling the truth in that riespect Yes.. Did you come out of the house with the gun ? —Yes, the second time. Have you told people that you shot from the doorway ?—No. From where did you shoot ?-About two or three yards from the house. Did you go to the gable end of the house to shoot P —No. Well how do you account for the fact that you shot this man ?-I did not see him when I let the gun cff. Mrs Catherine Roberts, the wife of the de- fendant, and Elizabeth Roberts, his sister, were called and corroborated his evidence. His sister denied having heard her brother say to her, This would not have happened only for you, you devil." After a few minutes' deliberation, The Chairman said the Bench considered that there were three points on which the case < could be looked at. (1) Did the defendant dis- charge the gun with intention of doing grevious bodily harm; (2) was the gun dis- charged in order to frighten the prosecutor and (3) did he discharge the gun in such a reckless way that it amounted to criminal negligence. The Bench had decided that these were questions which should be decided by a jury, and the defendant was therefore com- mitted to the Ruthin Assizes. Mr Moseley made an application that as the defendant was out of work and a poor man that he should be granted means under the Poor Prisoners' Defence Act for his defence at the Assizes. This was granted, and the defendant was also allowed bail.

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