SHOOTING A BARMABD.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1073, 13 May 1882, Page 2

SHOOTING A BARMABD.

At the Liverpool Assizes before Baron Pollock. John Mee, a Machinist, was indicted for having, at Bolton, on the 30th January, shot atagirl named Ellen Briercliffe, with intent to murder her. The girl, it was stated, was a barmaid in the service of her uncle, who kept the Ship Inn, at Bolton. On the 30lh January the prisoner, who had paid a considerable amount of attention to the prosecutrix went to the house about half-past one in the afternoon, and stayed until n -arly fouro’clock,havingdrankduring t at time several glasses of beer, which were served to him by the prosecutrix. At four o’clock he went away, aud he appeared to have gone to a cutler’s shop, where he bought a revolver and some cartridges, and he returned to the inn shortly after nine o'clock in the evening. Here he showed the revolver to one or two persons, who remarked that he was hardly m a fit state to have such e Weapon in his possession, and they advised him to put it aside. One of the men called to Miss Briercliffe to ask her to take care of it, but when she approached the prisoner fired at her, the ball going through her left hand. She ran back screaming, and the prisoner fired again’ but did not hit her. When secured, and asked why he had done such a tiling, he replied that no one should have the girl but himself. The defence was that the prisoner had been drinking and that the whole affair was an accident resulting from his condition at the time. The prisoner was found guilty of doing grievous bodily harm.