Alexander Campbell Gray

Alexander Campbell Gray was shot in the street on 15 March 1917.

A 16-year-old boy was charged with his murder but the court returned a verdict of accidental homicide.

He shot him following a quarrel in a street game. He had taken out a revolver which went off.

They had been playing a game of 'rounders' with some other boys between 4 and 5pm, when the 16-year-old boy's side accused the other side of cheating. The game was then stopped and the 16-year-old boy went across the street and started to read a magazine, but in the words of a witness, 'He seemed to change his mind', and when Alexander Gray was beside him he took a revolver from his pocket and put some 'small things' into it.

It was said then that the 16-year-old then desired Alexander Gray to resume the play, and that he then took out his watch and said, 'If you don't play, I will shoot you'.

It was said that Alexander Gray seemed to take it in fun, and said, 'You are frightened to shoot'. To that, the 16-year-old boy, who was standing with his watch in one hand and the revolver in the other, said, 'I will give you one minute'. The 16-year-old boy then raised his hand and the revolver went off and Alexander Gray fell immediately to the ground with a wound in the head.

He later died.

The boy said that he had no grudge against Alexander Gray and said that the gun had gone off accidently.

In his defence, teachers, schoolmates and a clergyman, all spoke of the 16-year-old boys quiet, reserved and affectionate temperament.

When he appeared in the witness box he explained that the revolver belonged to his father, a skipper in the merchant service, and that his father had thought that the revolver was useless,  and although there were three ball cartridges and one dummy, or blank cartridge, in the revolver when it had gone off, he said that he thought that the trigger was at an empty chamber.

He said that he had had no intention of firing and had no consciousness of having pulled the trigger. He said that he had only threatened Alexander Gray to see what he would do.

An expert that examined the revolver said that the revolver was faulty and liable to go off easily.

After the jury returned a verdict of accidental homicide, the judge dismissed the boy with a severe warning.

Alexander Gray had lived with his mother at 76 Albert Drive.