The Express.
London, England, 1848-01-03 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL

.......
THE DARING BURGLARY NEAR BINGLEY has
caused the greatest excitement in the surrounding neigh-
bouThood. On Monday last four men, who had been
apprehended on the charge, were examined at Brad-
ford Court-house. Their names are Mellor, Calvert, and
Hodgson, all of Baildon, and Waller, of Bingley. It ap-
pears that the prosecutor, Wm. Wood, is a strong athletic
man, about 50 years old, and resides on • small farm at a
lonely and romantic spot called Faweather, near Bingley.
His house consists of three rooms, two on the ground floor,
and a chamber over them. In this house he lives by him-
self, being a bachelor, and a man of rather eccentric habits.
On the morning of Saturday, the 18th of September, he
was awoke soon after one o'clock by some persons breaking
through the house windows, Ile immediately jumped out
of bed, seized a hedge knife, and went down stairs inh is
shirt; and in the house, by the light of the moon, he dis-
covered four men armed with large sticks, and having their
faces blackened. He asked them their business, when one of
them, whom he knew to be Calvert, said they wanted money.
The prosecutor then said that he had none for them, and at
the same time gave one of them a blow with his hedge knife.
They then made a brutal attack upon him, throwing him
down, kicking him and beating him in a most savage man-
' nor, one of them saying at the time, " Kill him, kill him."
He contended with them for near a quarter of an hour, and
then contrived to make his escape through the parlour win-
dow, The burglars, however, risu after him, and again
seized him as he was climbing over the hedge. Here a se-
cond combat took place even more severe than the first. Se-
veral times he wrested their sticks from them, with which he
defended himself. After he had struggled with them for a
considerable time he became quite exhausted, from the nu-
merous wounds he had received, and great loss of blood ; and
in this state they took him back into the house, and laid
him on the door, quite naked; his shirt having been torn
off in the scuffle. They then lighted a candle, and
began to ransack the house, and took away with
them about twenty shillings in silver, • few pounds
of cheese, and other articles. After the burglars had cone
away, the prosecutor crawled about 200 yards to the house of
Mr. Denby, his nearest neighbour, and told him what had
happened: he presented a shocking appearance, his head
and face being covered with blood. A surgeon found a
great number of wounds upon his head, one of which was
four inches in length. His lege and arms were also covered
with bruises. The surgeon does not yet consider him out of
danger. From a description given to the Bradford con-
stables by the prosecutor the four prisoners had been appre-
hended, all of whom, with the exception of Waller, were
identified. Calvert and Mellor had also made a confession
of their guilt to Mr. Jowett, one of the ceustables. The
prosecutor's shirt was exhibited in court, which hail the ap-
pearance of having been dipped in blood. A blood-stained
coal rake was also produced, which was evidently one of the
instruments by which the wound& had been inflicted. The
prisoners said nothing in defence, and Calvert, Mellor, and
Hodgson were committed to York Castle to await their trial.
Waller was discharged. J. Pollard, Esti , who was on the
bench, complimented the prosecutor for his cour.,gtous con-
duct, and expreseed a hope that the judge at York would
consider that he deserved a reward. Re also hoped that
others would imitate his example when attacked in a similar
manner.