The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-03-14 00:00:00

AN ATTEMPT ON THE LIFE OF A
CHIEF CONSTABLE.

An attempt was tuadeou Saturday evening to assassi-
nate Mr. Fox, chief constable of Derbyshire. Between
five and eix o'clock Mr. Fox was walking towards his
office, at the top of Station-street, Derby, when he
was met by a man named James Connor, who was
recently discharged from the county force. Connor
said. "Is that you ?" and became very abusive. At
length he said, "fl---- you, I will shoot you," and
pulling from his pocket a pistol presented it at Mr.
Fox's head. Mr. -Fox tried to persuade the man to go
towards the office; but the fellow said, "No sir, I
shall not go with you; I will elioot you at once,t' and
thereupon fired the pistol. The pistol was heavily
charged, and Mr. Fox was wounded in both hands and
legs. Mr. Fox, after he was shot, rushed at his
would-be murderer, and the two struggled together.
Mr. Fox at length succeeded in wrenching the pistol
from Connor, and dragging him to his office. Mr.
Fox's injuries are not dangerous. There is no doubt
it was the position in which he held his umbrella that
prevented the shots from entering his head. The
umbrella is completely riddled with shot.
At the Derby County Police-court on Monday,
James Connor, alms O'Connor, was brought up in
custody, charged with attempting to murder Mr.
Willoughby G. Fox, chief constable of Derbyshire, on
the Saturday evening previous.
Fax said that at a quarter to seven o'clock on
Saturday evening he was passing along Station-street,
Derby. He had gone about half-way up the street
when he heard a voice call out, "Is that Mr. Fox.
He said, "Yes," and turned round in the direction in
which be heard the voice. He was at this time on the
footpath. It was raining fast, and he had an um-
brella in his hand. On turning round he Raw a
man in the middle of the street with something in
his hand. The man immediately shouted out twice,
"11l shoot you." He knew the voice, and said,
"Connor for what ?" He then saw what he believed
to be a pistol aimed at him. He kept the umbrella
moving up and down. The shot was then fired by
the prisoner, he being about six or seven yards dis-
tant. After the shot was fired Connor cane towards
him and he seized him, took the pistol out of his hand,
ancebrought him to the lock-up, being- Met on the way
by Police-constable Millington, and he delivered the
prisoner into his custody. After the pistol was fired,
he received the contents in his legs and right band.
His wife afterwards sent for Mr. Gisborne, surgeon.
Mr. Gisborne examined the marks, but no shot was
extracted. The prisoner had been in the police force
from 1857, and was discharged on the 30th of January,
1867. After he was discharged from the force lie
made complaints against the superintendent of the
Chesterfield division and also against the witness.
Those complaints were inquired into by the County
Police Committee, hut they were found to be untrue.
Henry Francis Gishorne, surgeon' Derby, said the
shots had penetrated the skin, but no doubt by the
action of walking they had fallen out. The wounds
were not dangerous in the legs, but they might have
caused death if they had been in the face. It was
small shot.

Joseph Tomlinson, a moulder's boy, deposed that
he was in Station-street about seven o'clock on
Saturday evening last, when be saw prisoner and Mr.
Fox there. The first words he heard were spoken by
the prisoner, who said to Mr. Fox "I am going to
shoot you." Mr. Fox said, "Come up here a bit, and
I will have a little talk with you," and prisoner said
"Oh no," and then pulled a pistol out of his pocket
with his right hand and fired it.
Police-constable Millington and Mr. Thomas
Wheeldon, superintendent of police, Litchurch, gave
confirmatory evidence. The latter stated that after
the prisoner was removed to a cell be became much
excited, and said, "This affair will go all over the
world, but it has been caused by Mr. Wheeldon, of
Chesterfield, for I was never properly dismissed from
the force. I might as well be on the bulks as be here
a ruined man."

Edwin Davis, detective officer for the cquoty of
Derby, said that on Saturday last he was at the Derby
railway station about ihalf.past six in the evening,
and saw Mr. Fox leave it. He saw prisoner on the
platform at the station about a quarter before six the
same time. At that time the chief constable was at the
book.stall and the prisoner ste.l near, behind one of
the pillars upon which the gag lamps are put, and he
appeared to make it a place of cotstellinent while he
was watching Mr. Fox. lie then went from the
platform and stood outside the railway station, when
prisoner came up, and began talking to him. Ike
said, "I am a poor distressed creature, Davis;
my wife and family are starving, and Mr. Wheeldon,
of Chesterfield, and the chief constable have
been the cauee of it." He further said he appre-
hended a man, who broke out of Montgomery gaol,
for a burglary at Heath, and it was the worst thing he
ever did for himself ; for through that case Mr.
Wheeldon wrote to the chief and got him dismissed,
hut he should have satisfaction, for Lord Edward
Howard and Mr. Bright were goingitto take up his case
for him. At the time the prisoner left the force he was
stationed at Brampton, and the superintendent at
Chesterfield was Mr. George Wheeldon. The prisoner,
having received the usual caution, .aid, " I have
nothing to say."
The Bench then committed him for trial at the next
aseizes at Derby on the charge of attempting to
murder Mr. Fox.