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Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 39, 23 September 1867, Page 233

Riot ant> Shooting a G-iui..—Mr Justice Ifogott, in tiis charge to the county grand jury.at the Gloucester assizes, said: —He had to make.a few observations on the case of David Townsend, who was [charged, with-unlawfully, and maliciously shooting .Henry l)owle, with intent to do ! him grievous bodily harm. When h.e first saw that charge, and saw following it the names of six men charged ; with‘shoot-* ing a young man; he was much surprised to see that seven men should be charge!‘with such an and" supposed tliiib.they were all engaged in a common'object. But when 1 titey heard the Oases; particulary that of David Townsend, they would -find that these men, with others, had been engaged in a pigeon shooting match, and he supposed did as people in that class of life were apt to do when they had'a little innocent amusement —they miist ; fall to drinking, until they had drunk -too much, and did not know what they were about. David Townsend, it was abundantly clear, when in a state of drunkenness, went and flourished his gun about, and used all sort of vulgar threats, which he (the learned judge) thought had little meauing in them, and he shot-off his gun very near to Dowle, whose clothes were torn, and one shot seemed to. have grazed his groin. It appeared that they went to a public-house at night and wanted beer; which-the -people of the house were; wise enough not to let .them have, seeing that they were a, riotous party. They then .set .to work shooting off their guns, and did enough, in fact, tp constitute a riot. They alarmed all the people, near, aud-one of them, in a most wicked spirit, shot through the window. The landlord had, , just passed this window, and might have been - shot, tut fortiinutelydie escaped. The 'windbw was' broken to pieces, and a' little girl,’tirho, was sitting by the fire, was struck 1 on' the lip by a shot, which , drew blood] and that Was' sufficient to.'cPnstitute a c'ase 6f uniawfujly wpuuding against the H peirson' who' fired' off the gun, arid against ajl'the' seven, if they were Engaged in" an unlawful" ject’; if they, were engaghd'in’ 1 a riot,* and in ' the coarse of that’ riot a’ wouiid-were given, that would be sufl&iehtjr ] !