The Sun.
London, England, 1830-05-31 00:00:00

MAGISTRATE.

On the night of Wednesday, the 12th of May
instant, a most determined attempt was made to
murder George Wheildon, Esq., a Magistrate of
the county of Stafford, residing at his seat, Cotton-
hall, in the parish of Alton, in that county, by shoot-
ing at him through the window of his dressing-
room, as he was retiring to rest. On the night
mentioned Mr. Wheildon had been sitting in his
study, which is on the ground-floor, writing until
half-past twelve o'clock, and, during the time he
was sitting there, he several times heard the sound,
as he supposed, of footsteps, which he imagined
were those of some of the domestics within the
house ; and, before he went up stairs he searched
the rooms and passages below; but could discover
no one stirring, and concluded that fancy had mis-
led him. The window of his dressing-room fronts
, to the garden, and has no shutters ; and he had
placed his candle on the table, and was admiring
the beauty of the night from the window, when a
report of fire-•arms was heard, and, at the same in-
stant, the glass of the dressing-room casement was
dashed to atoms, and Mr. Wheildon felt himself
severely wounded in the face and neck. The whole
family were alarmed immediately, and the servants
of the house armed themselves, and went off in dif-
ferent directions in pursuit of the authors of this
diabolical attempt, but no trace could then be
obtained of them. The whole neighbourhood was
in a state of strong excitement the next morning,
and Mr. Wheildon caused handbills to be published,
offering a reward of two hundred pounds for the
discovery of the offender or offenders, and promis-
ing that every exertion should be used to obtain his
Majesty's pardon for any accomplice who would
come forward and impeach his companions in the
crime. Taunton, the senior principal officer, was
sent down ; and Sir Robert Peel, upon the cir-
cumstance being laid before him, caused a procla-
mation to be issued, offering his Majesty's pardon
to any accomplice (except the party who actually
fired the gun), and a further reward of two hun-
dred pounds on conviction of any one person con-
cerned. The garden and grounds near the mansion
were carefully examined, and the mark of footsteps
in the mould were of such a kind, as to show
clearly that two men at least had been waiting
about for a considerable time. The footsteps were
traced over a hedge and railing, and across a field
which terminated at a row of-palings, enclosing the
garden of a small public-house, called the Star,
kept by a man named Joseph Ratcliffe. Suspicion
at once fell upon him, as he had been several times
convicted before Mr. Wheildon for offences against
the tenour of his license, and had been heard, in
conjunction with a well-known poacher and fre-
quenter of his public-house, named Joseph Harris.
to threaten to be revenged upon that gentleman,
' These men were taken into custody by Taunton
and the local constables on Tuesday morning last.
and conveyed before a bench of Magistrates assem-
bled at Cheadle, five miles from Cotton-hall, where
they underwent a very long examination. It was
there proved by a number of witnesses, that both
these men had been heard repeatedly to declare that
they would do for Mr. Wheildon at the earliest op-
portunity. On Wednesday the prisoners were
again taken before the same bench of Magistrates,
and underwent a final examination, and the result
was, that they were fully committed for trial at the
ensuing Assizes for the county of Stafford, for the
capital felony in shooting at Mr. Wheildon, with •
intent to murder or do him some grievous bodily
harm, and the witnesses, fifteen in number, bound
over to prosecute.

OUNDLE.—This place was visited on Sunday
evening last by an awful storm of thunder and lightniug,
which continued for about an hour and a half. in the
midst of it, two tremendous reports were heard, very
much resembling discharges of cannon; and so violent
were the shocks, that a portion of the stonework near t..e
top of the church spire was forced in and fell among the
belle, and the slates, chimney-pots, &c. of sevend houses
were dislodged.--Linccln Mercury.