Fatal Shooting At Miniature Rifle Range

14 year old Willie Lord, of 6 Ashes Lane, Kiln Lane, was a member of the the Milnrow company of the Church Lads Brigade, as was his pal, 13 year Joe Ridehaugh of 23 Albert Street.

Willie had been a member of the Brigade for around 4 years, Joe had only been member for a couple of months, Willie worked as a piecer at Milnrow Spinning Company.

During the evening of Wednesday 27th March 1918 the lads were practising rifle shooting at the miniature rifle range at St. James School in the village, there were 12 boys present for the session.

Around 8pm, 16 year old James Ormerod Wild bought some shot and loaded a rifle, James then went to move a chair which was in the line fo fire, Willie Lord went to the targets, he had replaced two of them with fresh targets, Joe had been stood on the shooting step and picked up the rifle, believing it not to be loaded.

One of his fingers caught the trigger and the rifle went off, it seems by sheer fluke, Willie Lord who was stood down the range about 25 yards away next to a target was hit by the bullet. 

It passed directly through his heart and exited his body under the left arm - he died almost instantly.

An inquest was held the Saturday after Willie's death where evidence was heard from the boys present at the time of the fatal shooting, also Rev. Holland was there to give evidence, he had been in charge of the range on the night in question.

Joe told the inquest in his evidence;

"Jim Wild sent me to Mr. Holland to get some shot which I got and took to Jim Wild. He went to move a chair out of the way putting the rifle on the platform. I picked up the rifle and as I was raising it I must have touched the trigger and it went off, I turned round to Jim wild and asked if it was loaded and he told me it was".

James Wild said that he told the boys not to touch the rifle after he had loaded it, another boy, William Sutcliffe, of 10 Bridge Street said that he thought Joe hadn't heard the instruction from Jim Wild.

Rev. Holland then told the inquest that all the lads he received instruction in musketry, they had been told to never fire when anyone was at the targets and to always point the rifles downwards.

It didn't take long for the jury to return a verdict of "Accidental Death".