Shooting Affair in Wellington.

Manawatu Herald, 11 July 1893, Page 3

Shooting Affair in Wellington.

From the Wellington papers we learn that on Saturday afternoon Mi' W. W. G. Spreat, who lives at the corner of Pirie and Brougham streets, was shot in the side at his residence.

It seems that for months past an unfortunate difference has existed

between Louis Albert Sanderson, his

younger brother Ernest Valentine JSanderson and Spreat, an old friend of the family and intimate of Mrs Sanderson, the boy's mother. Bickerings between the boys and the old man were frequent, and on Saturday morning, all parties being in an irritable state of mind, a quarrel commenced between Valentine (the

younger), Louis, and the old man. It smouldered throughout the morn-

ing, and finally, as words multiplied recriminations became more bitter between Spreat and Valentine, the two Were worked into a state bordering on frenzy. The old man chased Valentine into the house and

upstairs, the latter rushing into a bed room and dosing the door behind him. Spreat, finding himself balked, went down stairs and into thS-front grounds of the house in search of Louis. In the room into which Valentine had run for refuge

were three sporting guns and a revolver, and he. taking a doublebarrelled shot-gun from the rack, got out of the window, and by means of a tankjust beneath it reached the backyards Shortly after his brother, appeared round the corner of the house, placed a ladder against the wall, and climbed through the bedroom window. He had hardly passed through before the old man cam 6 running round the corner and at

once realized the situation, and, seizing a knife and a polctr, sprang towards the ladder. When he was about half way up, Valentine, who was still standing in the yard, cried out, ' stop, or I'll shoot.T The old man paid no attention, however, and continued to climb up. On reaching the window he scrambled in, and made a rush fcowardsiLouis, brandishing the poker and knife. Louis, finding himself cornered, and (as he claims) not knowing that the door was unlocked, grasped a MartiniHenry rifle, which was on one of the racks, and called out to the old man to stand or he would fire. The latter paying no attention, the weapon either through nervous agitation or deliberate intent was discharged, the bullet striking Spreat in the left side, passing through the abdominal cavity, emerging from the hip, and shattering a looking glass. It must have ultimately passed through the window as no trace of it can be found. Spreat sank to the ground, but regaining his feet followed Louis, who, opening the door, ran downstairs into the backyard The old man succeeded in reaching the lower hall and there sank senseless. The boys telephoned to Dr Collins and to the Police Station, and the former, who shortly after arrived, had the injured man carried into a back room, where he was laid upon a number of blankets hastily provided arid everything possible done to staunch the bleeding. It was decided that Spreat should be treated in the house, and he was carefully conveyed into the front room. It was at once seen that the case was most serious, and the dying man's depositions were taken by Inspector Pender, who had in the meantime appeared on the scene. Deceased exonerated the boys from blame, and said, • Louis shot me, but I. don't blame him ; I have irritated him very much.'

At i). 20 Louis Sanderson was arrested by Constable Madden, and conveyed to the watch-house.