The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-02-29 00:00:00

AN EXTRAORDINARY ATTACK ON A

LIVERPOOL MERCHANT.

One of the most extraordinary and dazing attempts
at murder and robbery that has ever come under the
cognizance of the police of Liverpool (and such
offences are by no means rare in that town) was com-
mitted on Monday morning. About half-past eleven
&clock, Mr. Adolphe Kusel, a wine merchant, who
has an office in Tower-buildings, Water-street, was :
alone there, his clerks happening to be all out on
business at the time, when two persons entered. One
of them appeared to be a woman, and the other, seem-
ingly a middle-aged man, had a large beard and
moustache. The latter holding in his and an &leer-
tisentent cut from a newspaper, made an inquiry of
Mr. Kneel concerning some wines he had on sale, saying
he wished to sample them. Mr. Kugel was going into
the outer office to show the wines, when his interrogator
jumped upon his back, and began beating him in a
furious manner upon the head with a life preserver or
loaded cane. The other person then joined his corn.
pardon in the attack upon the helpless merchant, and
the latter was felled to the ground, the two beating
hint savagely. Ilia cries of "Murder!" were heard
by Mr. Hoppe, a merchant, who occupies adjoining
rooms, and he and his clerks rushed to the assistance of
Mr. Kusel. They found, howee Cr, that the door of his
office seas locked, the ruffians having turned the key
when they entered. The door was forced open with an
adze, and they found Mr. Kusel npon the floor covered
with I hiod :mil most seriously injered. Near hint were
standing his assailants, who treated the matter in a
very cool eff-liand manner. They were of course de-
tained, and the polic, sent for. Mr. Kugel was taken
to the nearest hospital, where it was found that he
was fearfully cut about the head and face his right
arm broken, and other severe injuries. an the pris-
oners being examined, the supposed female turned out
to be a young fellow named John Wilson, a clerk in
the establishment of Mr. Wood. confectioner. Bold-
street, who hail obtained leave of isbsence for an hoar
or two, and borrowed his "get up" from a girl if his
mipusintance. The man with the moustache and
beard (which were false) was David Harris. a clerk in
the office of Mr. IL S. Williams, attorney, Moorfields.
They are beardless boys, neither of them seeming more
than eighteen or nineteen years of age. Mr. Kugel
was known to keep large sums of money in the safe in
his office, and the object of the young miscreants in
attacking him no doubt was, if not to murder him, to
maim hint to such an extent that he would be unable
to prevent them robbing the place. It is expected that
, there must have been some collusion between the
' would-be thieves and some one on the premises, as the
young men hail obtained a key of the office door, and
it is singular that they should have made their appear-
ance when the whole of the clerks were absent.

The young men Wilson and Harris were brought
up before the magistrates on Tuesday, and, Mr. Kesel
not being able to attend, they were remanded for a
week. A clerk of Mr. Kasel is in custody charged
with collusion with the prisoners. A room in which
the prisoner Wilson was confined for a short time had
a floor covered with sawdust. and on his being re-
moved it Nvas found that he hail written with his
Luger in the sawdust the words, "Forsake us not, 0
Lord, in this our hour of sorrow."