Skegness Magazine

A shocking gun accident occurred at Spilsby last Wednesday evening, a little boy named Jacky Dodds, son of Mr Leslie Dods, a Spilsby ironmonger, being accidentally shot by Mr J H Goodhand, a painter of that town.
It appears that the latter has an old shed in his garden in “Blind Lane” just outside the town. The shed is roofed with thorns and straw, and being plagued with rats Mr Goodhand was there on the look-out with his gun when he saw a movement in the roof. Thinking it to be a rat, he fired and on going up was horrified to see that he had shot a fellow tradesman’s little son.
It seems that the boy had gone to the shed by himself to look for birds’nests and climed on to the roof, into which he inserted his hand, which was seen by Mr Goodhand from outside.
The little fellow’s hand was seriously injured and some of the pellets entered the side of his face and body.
Mr Goodhand at once went for surgical aid. The little sufferer was immediately taken by car to the County Hospital at Lincoln, and the latest report as to his condition is very satisfactory.