THE NEWCASTLE SHOOTING CASE.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2826, 6 March 1878, Page 2

THE NEWCASTLE SHOOTING CASE.

(FBOlt Tfll KKWCASTL* PILOT.) On Tuesday night intelligence reached the Newcastle police office that a French sailor belonging, to the crew of one of two French barques moored at the dyke had been shot in one of the houses on Bullock Island. - Senior-sergeant Donohue, with - some constables and Dr .Richard Harris^ at once left for the scene, and on arrifal the injured man was found bleeding pro* fusely from Tery serious wounds in both thighs. Removal to the hospital was ordered, but some difficulty arose as to the means of transit, the distance into town being by no means inconsiderable, and there being no stretcher or similar convenience available. Eventually Mr Bartie, storekeeper,.offered the use of hii cart, but then no horses could be found at hand. However, several residents on the island humanely volunteered their aasistance, and the cart was drawn by manual effort into town, and the injured man taken to the hospital, were hia wounds were dressed, the medical gentleman in attendance expressing opinion that no vital part had been injured, although the wounds presented a most ghastly appearance. Ihe facts of the case, so far as We could gather at a late hour last night, are as follows:—The injured man,?* sailor, who had exchanged from one of the two French vessels at the Dyke—the Jacques Cceur and, the Sanvic—to the other, h-id been drinking during the day, and becoming halt maddened by liquor v the evening, amused himself by entering the houses of several residents, and ad-" dressing importunities' to the female in* mates. He was ejected,' of coarse, where. male help was within, and in some in*' stances neighbours had to render a* sistance to control his drunken vagaries, or prevent his openly expressed intentions* He did not desist from visiting the houses, however, and at a somewhat late hour introduced himself into the house *of a respectable man : named ■■ Stipewiteh, In the house there were several children, a. young, girl, Mrs. Stipewitch, and a Jad, her ■ son, 'aged about 16. The drunken man appears to have chased the younger female, and then Mrs Stipcwitcb, about the house'with anmistakeable determination to commit a criminal assault, and until the lad, alarmed for his mother's safety, took a single-barrelled fowling-piece and shot him in the legs,, bringing him to the ground. Then the alarm was given, and the police communicated with, aa already mentioned. Although, under the circus** stances, it ia hardly probable that any ' blame can attach to young Stipewiteh for his action in defending his mother, he is necessarily iu-enstody pending aniaqairr before the Newcastle Bench." ■