IT COULD have been a massacre had his aim been better but astonishingly only one woman died the day a deranged sailor ran amok with a rifle in a Hampshire town, firing indiscriminately at those he encountered and the crowd who pursued him down a country lane.

The tragic victim was Margaret Treble, the wife of a Lymington tradesman, who had been visiting her sister and family.

They were about to return from a shopping trip when she suddenly cried out amid a volley of gunfire: "I am shot" and fell against a wall. She was carried into an adjacent stable to be treated as best her family could before being rushed to the local hospital where she died shortly after admission.

Her murder instigated a top-level Admiralty inquiry why William Mitchell, 24, had been released so soon after attacking a shipmate with a razor when medical staff knew of his violent past.

The second-class naval stoker should have been taking part in a week-long routine training exercise at a Portsmouth range but went missing after three days. Heavily armed with his service rifle he marched to Petersfield, oblivious as where he was and what he was doing.

Treble's last moments were witnessed by a cyclist, political agent William Aldridge who saw a figure in a naval uniform pointing his rifle at her.

"The man fired and the woman staggered a few steps round the corner of the wall where she fell. In my opinion he took deliberate aim. He was standing at the time, about 10-20 yards from her."

Aldridge then felt a bullet cut his trousers and graze his knee but he was unsure whether he had been targeted or it had been rebounded off the wall. He fled into a dairy yard where he saw Treble lying unconscious on the ground.

Hearing gunfire, job master Albert Clark ran into the road and was confronted by the sailor who fired at him but missed.

"I assisted in taking Mrs Treble back into the yard and then ran out to some children who were in the road, to take them to safety."

The horrific drama took place in the centre of Petersfield on August 21, 1906, when Mitchell should have been taking part in a week-long training exercise at a Portsmouth range but went absent after three days.

Clark, giving evidence at the following day's inquest, said Mitchell then walked off towards Winchester.

"Did he look sane or like a maniac?" asked Edward Goble, the South Hants Coroner.

"No," he replied. "He looked like a man drilling. He advanced carrying the rifle and appeared to be quite calm. He did not say anything or shout out."

The shooting naturally had attracted a large crowd who ghoulishly followed him down the road where they were joined at the railway gates by Pc Charles Stockwell who saw Mitchell clutching the rifle as though he was about to fire. Moments later he did, having dropped down on one knee. Extraordinarily no one was injured.

"I followed him and with others got into a meadow to try and head him off but he was too far ahead."

Despite their narrow escape, the crowd still followed Mitchell and several times he turned around and fired at them. Again, remarkably, no one was hit.

He was eventually captured after auctioneer Fleet Goldsmith armed with a shotgun, opened fire and the stoker fell to the ground.

At the police station, Mitchell was found to have run out of ammunition and placed in a cell, initially saying nothing before eventually identifying himself. He then told police: "I don't know what happened."

The following morning, he was seen by Dr R G Cross who confirmed his head injuries were slight and questioned him about the events of the previous day.

"His mind appears to have been a blank from the time he left the range at Tipner. He recollected however that he had assisted a soldier who he had met on the road with a damaged bicycle. I asked him how it was damaged and answered, "I might have shot it.' He does not remember anything else and did not seem to realise he had been shot himself but said he had a bad headache."

But an insight into his state of mind emerged when he revealed that seven years earlier he had been serving in the mercantile marine and suffered severe sunstroke in Saigon. Admitted to hospital for almost four months, he had to be restrained because he believed he had been mentally unwell.

On his release, he bought his passage home and enlisted in the Royal Navy but in the port of Vigo while serving on board the battleship, HMS Hannibal, he attacked a crewmate with a spanner and bit him on the head during one of his several fits for which was jailed for two years and dismissed from the service.

Having served one year and 10 months, he was freed and took a job at a London garage before re-entering the navy under a false name but six weeks ago he attacked another sailor with a razor and was detained in Haslar Hospital for three weeks before being declared fit for duty.

"His replies seemed to show he did not think he had done anything wrong. From his history and demeanour, I believe he is a man who is subject to what is known as post-epileptic mania and during those attacks he is in no way responsible for his actions. He also informed me that his father at the present time is in an asylum."

Solicitor Mr Burley, acting on behalf of Treble's husband, demanded: "If his story is true that he went for another with a razor, is he man that should be allowed to be at large six weeks later?"

Dr Cross replied: "That would be a matter for those in attendance of him."

Directing the jury, the coroner took up that point, commenting that with Mitchell's "homicidal tendencies," it was "regrettable" the naval authorities had released him so soon after the razor attack and had not kept him longer under medical observation.

"I am sorry to say this is a procedure which is accepted with respect to many of our lunatics but it a bad thing for the state."

Jurors inevitably returned a verdict of wilful murder against Mitchell who was committed in his absence for trial at Hampshire Assizes.

After the hearing, it was revealed that Mitchell's release from Haslar Hospital was being investigated by the Admiralty and a solicitor held a watching brief for them when Mitchell appeared before Mr Justice Kennedy on November 24.

In a low but audible voice, he pleaded 'Not guilty' and took a keen interest in the proceedings, looking about the court as he leaned against the dock rails.

Mr J A Simon MP then related how the stoker who was stationed at HMS Nelson had been a member of a party sent to the Tipner range for "musketry practice" but went missing and was later witnessed by the auctioneer walking towards Petersfield acting in "an extraordinary way" by dropping down on one knee from time to time and discharging his rifle.

On one occasion, Mitchell fired at him.

It was after the fatal shooting that Goldsmith procured a shotgun and with others gave chase to Mitchell but it was not until he had crossed the railway lines that he could get ahead of him and face to face, brought him down with a shot.

The barrister informed jurors: "His defence will be that he was suffering from insanity at the time the murder was committed. That will be for you to decide but the prosecution quite share the view the man was showing all the signs of having an insane illusion at the time."

Apart from the medical testimony, the leading witness was Goldsmith who recalled how Michell had once fired at him from a range of 100 yards.

"He missed me but fired several times afterwards at people. I saw the woman shot after which he fixed his bayonet and went up the Winchester road for half a mile, firing at people following him. I brought him down when 70 yards away from him and took the gun away."

Winchester Prison based Dr Richards said he had seen Mitchell suffer two fits while on remand. "Before and after he was a most dangerous person and not responsible for his actions."

Mr H Brodrick was succinct in his speech for the defence, stating: "There can be no clearer case of insanity than this."

Jurors concurred, taking less than a minute to reach their verdict.

Having complimented Goldsmith on his courage and presence of mind, the judge ordered Mitchell to be detained as a criminal lunatic.