The Sun.
London, England, 1840-06-15 00:00:00

THE ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE

THE QUEEN.

No mew facts of any importance have bean brought to
light ;int* the assassin was committed to Newgate.
There are various conjectures thrown out in the Sunday
mad carsqtrY papers, and numerous details of the habits,
es,nnexions, and family of the wretched youth, from which
we have made ostracts, is addition to the following letter,
reastivei from owr Birmingham Correspondent :
" Birniingitana, Saturday morning.
`4 As every particular connected with the history and
fapily onnaexton of the individual who has earned for
himself 3Q infamous a notoriety by his atrocious attempt
en the lice of our youthful Sovereign, roust prove of in-
terest at the pretent moment, I have been at some pains
to ,collect tse following facts, upon the aecuracv of which
you may place the utmost reliance. The grandfather
of t'he prisoner, Edward Oxford, was a man of colour,
and was born in London, but little is known of his history,
except what may be gathered from the fact of his hav-
ing been placed in his old age on the Greenwich Elospital
ettablishinont, where it is believed he died. His son, George
Oxford (the father of the misguided youth whose guilt was so
nigh plunging a nation in mourning,) was bound apprentice
to a goldsmith and jeweller in the City, a trade in which
he appeasS to have been exceedingly clever, for, on his
arrival in Birmleghana, about five-aid-twenty years ago,
he was eagerly sought after and employed by the princi-
Pat saanitaciarers in the town, and the fruits of his earn-
ings enabled him in a very short time to commence busi-
ness on his own account. The trade of a gold chaser,
whieh he followed, being then ver3 profitable, he, with the
assistance of his apprentices, was known to earn a large
sum of nidney, frequently so much as from twenty to
thirty pounds per week. Being a man licentious in character
and uncontrollable in his passions, he launched out into every
vice when he became possessed of the means of gratifyine,
his favourite propensities." After giving, an account of
the manner in which the marriage took place between
the prisoner's parents, oar Correspondent adds that,
" the family having been unsuccessful in Birmingham,
came to Loadon, where the father died in 1829. Imme-
nyeitately after this event, tte widow and her children
returned to their native place, and were received by Mr.
Markiew into his house. At this period, Edward Ox-
ford, whose name has become so notorious, was between
wren tad eight years of age, and was remarkable for a
wayward and passionate temper—quick and lively in ima-
gination, but of a " tractious" disposition. Ile was sent
to school by his grandfather, from whom he received the
nude education whisks he possesses. His mother having
obtained a situation as housekeeper in the family of Mr.
Prescott, hanker, of London, went to live there, leaving
her children under the care of her relatives, and, during
het absence, two of them died. Finding her circumstances
eetaLtled her to support the remainder of her family, they
were sent at her request to London, and have continued
to live with her ever since."

The Birmingham Journal, of Friday, gives the follow-
isg account of the prisoner's family:—
" It appears that some twenty-five years ago, a man
ivied George Oxford, a Mulatto, and a gold chaser by
trade, came from London to reside in Birmingham. He
was accompanied by a man named Plenscoe, and another
knows by the name of Harry. All three were of the same
trade. At that time gold chasing was very little, if at all
known in Birmingham ; and Oxford and his companions
haviag been the first to introduce that branch of mann-
Eaoture into the taws, they enjoyed a sort of monopoly, and
earned very high wages in consequence—as much, it is
said, as 10/. per week each. The ressalt was that Oxford
was led into a life of extravagance and dissipation ; and
from the frivolities and appearance of his manners, he be-
came suite a known character. He aseel bo drive about
the town, and to piny off a variety of eccentricities, and by
many was cresiguated the fawner/ beau."
" This man married the daughter. of a tavern :keeper in
Bir„,,iggham, named Niarklew. Tbey had several chil-
dren, of whom Edward Oxford was one. The father was
implicated wish a gang of coiner!, and afterwards went to
London, where he lived wretchedly, and obtained a liveli-
hood by sellinv, pies, and " from a lower and less credit-
aide source." Ile once stabbed his wife, and absconded
until she recovered.

" Edward was sent to London by his grandfather in the
year 1833, and has remained in London since that time.
tie had when in Birmingham what is termed a teating,
fictitious temper : he was passim/ate, bat did not display
any symptoms of insanity. lie was sent to school by
Mr. Marklew, who paid attention to his education ; and
the boy appeased passeesed of great acuteness and capa-
city for learning. From the time he left Birmingham, he
was never eammanioated with any of the family ; nor did
any of the relations reocise any letter from him or his
mother from drat time till the recent visit. His friends
here are deeply atfectrd at his conduct, and utterly at a
kes to conceive the motives which could have impelled him.
Hls motier when is Birmingham statal, after she bad heard
of the eccurrence, that her son had presented a pistol at
her some time ago. ihc also remembered that her son
had been in the habit of attending a shooting-gallery in
1,--snelon, and that he was deemed a very goo(' marksman.
The cpi:;i:m of his uncle is, that the youth has been the
tool of some designing viliains. As every thing oonaected
with this youth is, at the present moment, interesting, the
followiaz incident way not be deemed unworthy of notice,
About txo years ago, his Rust was in London, and went to
visit him at the King's Read, Hounslow, where he was
then engaged as besman for his aunt, Mrs. Fowell, who
ewned-tlar house. While there, a boy about the same
age as Oxford was amusing himself in the house
orith a 14'47i aria a-row, firing at a mark ; Oxford asked the
boy ass Jell out his hand as a mark, but the other refused;
acon which Oxford said he wouki bold out his hand if
the other would ire at it; he did so, but the boy fired an:l
missed ; Oxford thou said; Now let ale fire at your
i,:a.nd;" the bov, ashamed to refuse, held up his hand at a
c-o.,Laiderable distance, and Oxford took aini, and instantly
swiek th_: boy's hand violently in the centre, evidently
. abowing his superiority in that species of a clusament, and
th.a oarrectnese of his aim."

Osiord'e great grandfather was a black man,
he came to Englarsel none of the family can tall."
The follewingparticnlars we select from the Observer :-
Ivt faultily of Oxford appears to be well known in the
rouieboutl.;,,sod of Lamhrth, they having resided for a
considerable pctiod at Miss Pigot'a, corner of Garden-
road, 8% Gstor;:e's-road. The house in which they now
reside is not aituated in `Vest-strut, \Vest-square, Lam-
beth, but in West-place, running out of West-square, to.
wards the rear •f Bethlehem Hospital. It is a small nar-
r,aw turning, and the house in question is the one nearest
the equate. It has on the front, over the window, a board,
en which is painted the words Packman, house-painter
and glazier.' The inmates, we understand, consist of Mrs.
Rickman, who rapt+ the house, but occupies only the par-
lours ; Mr. and Mrs. Phelps, the brother-in-law and sister
of Oxford. oacupying the front room oi the first floor, and
in she back room Mrs Oxford. the mother of the prisoner,
resider, until she left for Birmingham, when her son occu-
pied icesstead. On the second floor, in the front roam,
reaisted Mr Wegropp, a person living upon his income;
and in file hack room, Mr. Sutherland, who holds a situa-
tion as land's: waiver in the Customs. The former is a
middle aged man, and a native of the sinter country ; and
the latter is apparently twenty-five or twenty-six years of
age. These were the only inmates of the Lowe, with the
exeeption of an old lady named F,vans, who has been de-
scribed as the housekeeper,' but who is another sister of
Mrs Packvc-an, the landlady.
The police have directed their attention more particu.
laxly to the habits and connexioas of the inmates of the
lustier, and the intimacy that subsisted between them and
she prisoner. In ardor to furnish our readers with a faithful
outline of their movements, we cannot do better than de-
csibe what took place after the prisoner's committal to
Nategate ou the charge of hign treason.
The prisoner's sister, Mrs 'Phelps, accompanied by her
busiband and the son of Mrs. Packman, their landlady,
whose name is Jones, and who is a waiter at a *Tern in
Lambeth, proceeded to West-place, and upon arriving
there they found two constables in possession of the house.
The officers regarded them with a scrutinizing look, mad
at tatervala were engaged in earnoet conversation. They
said, in answer to Mrs. Packman's remarks, that they were
plaited there merely to notice any person who might call
.sod enk for Oxford. The sister Sciog in a very distressed
and exha.oated state, her husband said he would go up stairs
mad get some tea and sugar. upon which one of the consta-
bles whispered to the (viler ass Phelps was leaving the
roam, "Go after him." Mrs. Packmatea son immediately
observed, " For God's sake, don't let ns throw any impedi-
ment is their way," and thereupon the effictir accompanied
Mr. Phelps to get them.
At this time Inspectors Pearce and Hughes wire at Mr.
Tlownrd'a, the City Arms public-house, at the corner of
We4-street, West-square, those officers having delivered
their prisoner to the custody of the Govern:Jr of Newgate.
Jones Ras sent for by them, and closely questioned as to
the habits sod resources of Mr. —, and the result was
tnatthat party was pointed out to the Inspectors, and he
proffered them permission to search his room. A minute
search wit; accordingly made but without any important
roeutt.
Th habits and haunts of the individual alluded to are
".17i 11‘, ohlect of scrutiny by the police. It has been
"ascertained that it is hie n
f cast °m
hour in the morning, and
notretutronquunittihloamelatact ahnouerarilny
the evenieg. He associates alternatelyb
with the higher
and lower classaea of society ;althoughhitherto
been
discoveredlivingashan
independent man, it has not
what kis souroos of income are
;
poliaieal sentiments be espouses. 1 . neither is it known t e
therance of the
whore alfuded to, two police constables in plain
ceiotires have been employed to watch the neighborhood.
splice have obtained a specimen of the writig of
several inmates of the house in West-Plate, but it doens-not
Ime qi We the writing of the rules of the " Young Eng-
irt-1g" society, or any of the other treasonable document,.
rive inquiry it was found that acne of the witnesses,
artroenitiog altogether to eighteen or twenty in number,
who were examined before the Privy Council, have re-
eoived their recognizance papers, and that they were merely
bond ever to appear again when sailed upon, which makes
it prettify clear, notwithstanding what has been said, that
the prisoner will be again brought up.
It is said that Oxford at times showed an irritability of
temper and want of control over his actions, and that he
Was at other times exceedingly indolent. He frequently
confined himself to his room for a whole week, merely
quitting it to take his meals ; during such periods he stu-
diously applied himself to nautical works, going to sea,
and a desire to distinguioh himself in the navy, being his
greatest Ambition.

" but hva,

AIiPIIPLLY SUDDEN DZATH.—On Friday last,
is a yssung ream maimed Prier, a shoemaker, of Tregonnissey,
visas St. Austell, win, proceeding towards his home from the
/alder place, he was taken very unwell, and a friend who was
passing assisted him back to the shop of 3lessrs. Robinson and
Iraudrey, surgenns, where he shortly afterwards expired. We
believe his death was occasioned by the rupture of a blood-
Teasel near *le lungs, caused in a great degree by the weak
Mate of initis in tAith he had been for some tithe. A Gam-
ines inquest was held on view of the body the following day,
2,
212,.,Trhen the Jnry returned a verdict of " Died by the visitation of
tS•P hod. " He was twenty-six years of age, and was to have been
"""-- - rid is a week or two.—West Briton.
LISKEARD.--New potatoes were selling at
:eard this week at Eki. per quart ; and th© aypearance of the
to pis exceedingly vino tit tire at ighbourhoal of that
West Brltcm.

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