INQUEST.-Yesterday afternoon Dr. George Danford Thomas held an inquiry at the Islington Coroner's Court, Holloway-road, concerning the death of Charles Joseph Barnes, aged 63 years, a plasterer, of 25, Hercules-road, Holloway. Deceased was killed by his son, Arthur Horatio Barnes, aged 17, who shot him with a revolver on Monday evening last, and who is at Holloway Prison for remand from the North London Police-court. Inspector Worley, Y Division, watched the case on behalf of the police authorities. Mary Barnes, widow of the deceased, living at 25, Hercules-road, Holloway, stated that on Monday evening the deceased, with his son Arthur, returned home from work. The latter took out a revolver and began to unscrew it, intending to take it to pieces. The deceased said he was going to destroy that as he had done the other one. His son put the revolver together, and pointed it at the fireplace, on which the deceased called him a fool, and said he would shoot somebody. It was then loaded in one chamber. Deceased again told his son to put it down. He picked up the tongs and told him that if he did not put it down he would smash it. He walked across the room, and she saw her son trying to prevent her husband from striking the revolver with the tongs. She next heard the report of the revolver, and saw that the deceased was injured. Witness knew that her husband had gone with the son to purchase the revolver, and that her son had saved the money up, it being his intention, he said, to find out Jack the Ripper, and get the reward, and then not have to work any longer. The son said to his father, "Father, speak to me once more; forgive me, I do not know how it occurred; I am innocent." A doctor was called in, and her husband was removed to the Great Northern Central Hospital, where he died the same evening at half-past 10. The landlady of the house said that the father and the son were on good terms, and Police-constable Augustin Topping, 562 Y, gave evidence to the effect that the son told him he shot the deceased, and that it was a pure accident. Medical evidence having been given, the jury, after some consideration, returned a verdict of "Death from misadventure," and added the following rider:-"The jurors desire to call the attention of the authorities to the advisability of placing restrictions on the sale of firearms, so that they cannot be procured indiscriminately." The coroner said that he would send a copy to the rider to the Home Secretary.
