SAD AFFAIR AT SHEFFIELD. Mother Shot While Protecting Daughter. At Sheffield. on Tuesday, Percy Clayton of Eckington Derbyshire, a traction engine owner was remanded charged with shooting Mrs Parson., his mother-in-law, with intent to kill.
Accused, it is stated, on Monday night visited his wife from whom he is living apart. A quarrel ensued, and Clayton pointed a loaded revolver at the wife. Her mother rushed between, and received several bullet wounds, in the legs.
Clayton dashed into the street, fired the revolver into the air, and disappeared. This morning he called at Sheffield Hospital to be treated for a bullet wound in the wrist. The doctor Communicated with the police, who arrested the man. In his possession a revolver and cartridges were found. Mrs Parson is in a very serious condition.
ECKINGTO
N OUTRAGE. The sensational Eckington affray had a sequel the Derby Assizes, yesterday, when Percy Clayton, 37, a fitter, was charged with shooting Charlotte Parsons with intent murder, Eckington 30 June last was sentenced to five years’ penal servitude.
Sheffield Independence 14 February 1914.
The remarkable shooting outrage which took place at Eckington during the closing hours of Monday, particulars of which were briefly reported in yesterday’s Sheffield Daily Telegraph.” caused painful sensation throughout the district.
It is alleged that after making an attack upon his wife the assailant fired a revolver at his mother-in-law, and then, after taking to the woods nearby, turned the weapon upon himself.
The unfortunate victim, Mrs. Charlotte Parsons, aged 59, wife of William Parsons, farmer, of West Street Farm, Eckington, who it believed received four shot wounds in the leg and thigh, is lying in a very serious condition in the Sheffield Royal Hospital, while her assailant, who was arrested under dramatic circumstances in Sheffield in the early hours of yesterday morning, has been removed by the Derbyshire Police Chesterfield Hospital suffering from a nasty bullet wound in the left wrist.
It is stated that Percy Clayton, aged 36, who was formerly a thrashing machine proprietor residing at Eckington, but who has been recently employed as fitter at some engineering works at Chesterfield, visited Eckington on Monday night, where his wife, Jane Clayton from whom he has been separated a magistrates’ order has been living for the last nine months with her parents at West Street Farm.
Struggle for Revolver.
About 11 o’clock Mrs. Clayton was engaged locking up the farm premises for the night, when a man, afterwards found to be suddenly rushed out of one of the stables and knocked her down, himself also falling.
She screamed for help, and her mother came out of the house, her father, who is not very good health, having gone to bod. Clayton, it is stated, then produced a revolver from his pocket and threatened her unless she returned to him.
Fearing that something terrible might happen, Mrs. Clayton said she would talk to him if he would put the revolver away. This he did. Mrs. Clayton, however, noticed the revolver protruding from his pocket and she made a clutch at it with the object of taking the weapon from her husband’s possession. She failed, and as her husband assumed a threatening attitude her mother shouted to her to get out of the way. Mrs. Clayton then ran towards the street and immediately four shots were discharged in quick succession followed by agonising screams from her mother, who exclaimed, “oh! he has shot me and broken my leg.”
The Hue and Cry.
Although several men who were just leaving the West End Hotel, which is situated about 100 yards from the farm, ran to the scene, the assailant had already taken to the adjacent fields. Shortly afterwards the firing of two shots from the direction of the wood was heard. Inspector McCalman and Police-constables George and Cowley, were summoned, and the hue and cry was quickly raised.
The district was searched for miles around, the Woods being scoured by the aid of lanterns, and the police were dispatched to Chesterfield, but trace of the fugitive could be found.
However, about breakfast time Eckington police received a message from the Sheffield Central police office to the effect that Clayton was in custody. It is supposed that Clayton, after the affray, went across the fields through Eckington woods to Ridgeway, caught one of the early morning cars at the Intake terminus and proceeded to the Royal Hospital at Sheffield to have a shot wound in his arm attended to.
As Mrs. Parsons had been brought to the institution earlier in the morning suffering from shot wounds the suspicions of the hospital staff were aroused, and the police were communicated with. After Clayton’s injury had been dressed, was taken into custody by the Sheffield City police.
On being searched he was found to be in possession of a six-chambered revolver and thirty-five live cartridges, the bullets in which were about inch in length. The married life of Mrs. Clayton, who was married to Clayton, then a widower, two years ago yesterday, seems to have been an unhappy one. That she and her husband did not enjoy domestic felicity had been common knowledge in the village. Their marital differences had frequently been the cause of proceedings in the police courts.
Mrs Clayton has on various occasions summoned her husband for assault and using threats, and has had two separation orders, the last of which was granted in September. Since then she has lived with her parents, and her husband has been lodging Chesterfield Road, Eckington, until quite recently.
Mrs. Clayton’s Story.
Inquiries at Chesterfield disclosed the fact that Clayton was lodging at 35, Saltergate in that town, and was employed at the works of Messrs. Urton, fitters and engineers, of Park Road, Chesterfield He left his lodgings after he had tea on Monday night. He did not state where he was going, and the persons with whom ho lodged were not a little alarmed at his non-return at bedtime. It is supposed that Clayton tramped to Eckington, but no one seemed to have noticed him in the village.
Mrs. Clayton, although in a depressed and highly nervous state, and naturally full of anxiety concerning the condition of her mother, gave graphic account of the sensational affair to a representative of the Sheffield Telegraph yesterday. After describing the meeting, she said he pulled his revolver out of his pocket and said would finish me if I did not back to him We wore all three standing together and tie was pointing the revolver right at my chest. I said ‘lf you will only put the revolver away I will talk to you.’ 1 really did not know what to do.
He put revolver in his right-hand coat pocket. Thinking I might get possession of the revolver and so prevent the possibility of him injuring me I shot my hand into his pocket and seized the revolver. He was a bit too quick for me and he caught hold of the muzzle of the revolver and wrenched the weapon from my grasp. My mother cried Oh, get out of the road, Jane.” I ran towards the street to open the top gate. My mother was standing in front of my husband, and as I turned to run, he fired four shots in quick succession. My mother screamed out, ‘Oh, he has shot me and broken my leg’.
When I reached the street, I shouted for help. As it was closing time there were several men standing outside the West End Hotel, about 100 yards away, and they hurried to the scene. ‘ We went to my mother and found her lying in the yard. My husband had gone, and we heard two shots in the croft at the back of the stack yard.
I got my mother carried to the house and we sent for Dr. Crookes. My mother, whom I believe struck at husband with a lantern she had in her hand, after he had shot her, was in terrible agony and Dr Crookes ordered her removal to the Sheffield Royal Hospital, where she was removed about two in the morning.”
Charge of Attempted Murder.
Clayton, a thick-set man, rather blow the normal in stature was brought before Mr. J. H. Wells at Renishaw Police Court, yesterday, and charged with attempting to murder Charlotte Parsons shooting her with a revolver. Prisoners loft arm was thickly swathed in bandages from the wrist to the elbow, and there were blood marks on his arm and clothing Only formal evidence to justify a remand was given.
Mr. Wells (to prisoner): Have you anything to say why you should not be remanded?
Prisoner: I say is an accident. Prisoner was remanded for week. He was subsequently taken to Chesterfield Hospital for the purpose of having the bullet which had not then been located, extracted from his arm. An operation for the extraction of the bullets was performed on Mrs. Parsons yesterday, and last evening she was reported to progressing.
“YOU ARE A DANGEROUS MAN.” PERPETRATOR OF SHOOTING TRAGEDY GETS FIVE YEARS.
With a bullet still embedded in her shattered thigh. Mrs Charlotte Parsons, wife an Eckington farmer, living at West Street Farm, had be carried into Court to give evidence against her son-in law, Percy Clayton, who was accused of shooting at her with intent murder. Clayton was also indicted for attempting to murder his wife, Jane Clayton, by shooting at her, but the other charge was taken first, his Lordship ruling that the wife’s evidence was not admissible in that case.
Prisoner formerly a traction engine proprietor. His age was given 57. and he was now described as a fitter.
Mr Carcroft prosecuted and prisoner, who pleaded “not guilty,” was by Neville Anderson.
Mr Carcroft said the charge against the prisoner was one the most serious that could be made against anyone. On the night 30th June Clayton went from the Chesterfield Road. Eckington to Mr Parsons farm, where the victim the outrage lived. Prisoner had married Mr and Mrs Parson’s’ daughter and had been separated from her.
According to the evidence he had repeatedly threatened murder, and shortly before the occurrence be seemed to have been become annoyed at the fact that his wife was assisting her parents delivering milk or what he called “milk hawking”. He had told several people he would put a “stop to it” and that would “settle the lot them.” It was after that that he went to the farm and fired his wile and Mrs Parsons. The latter was shot in the thigh, and the bullet was still embedded. Her injuries were such that she could not attend the previous Assizes.
George Hands, labourer, Chesterfield Road. Eckington, who saw prisoner going towards the farm, said he appeared to quite sober.
THE VERDIT
“The jury have found that it was not an accident.” replied the learned Judge. “I am satisfied by the evidence that you are a dangerous man”.
The jury had taken the view that it had not been a case of intent to murder no doubt became prisoner appeared to fire lower down and not at the woman in the body or head.
“It is a serious thing to carry about a pistol in the way you have been doing”, added his Lordship.
“It shows that you must be a violent man”. He passed sentence of five years’ penal servitude.
Prisoner seemed surprised at the sentence and remarked: “Well your Worship, can’t I just mention”
One of the warders interrupted him by tapping his arm and telling him to leave dock for the cells.
BNA copywrite @ Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Wednesday 02 July 1913
