The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-23 00:00:00

MURDEROUS OUTRAGE AND

ATTEMPTED ROBBERY.
PRESTON, WEDNESDAY.—Last night, one of the most
daring outrages which ever occurred in this neighbour-
hood took place at Broughton, about three miles from
this town, at the residence of W. Miller, Esq., surveyor
and land steward. Mr. Miller's house is at some distance
from any other residence. About six o'clock in the
evening, Mr. Miller and his daughter being in the house,
and no other person there but a female servant, a smart
knock was given at the front door, on which Mr. Miller
observed, "It is some gentleman from Preston who
wishes to see me on business." The door was opened
by Miss Miller, when six men, armed with pistols, made
a rushinto the house, two of them subsequently retreat-
ing back, and remaining in front of the house. Miss
Miller, terrified by the villians, cried out, "Thieves,
thieves !" making at the same time a rush towards the
lawn in front of the house, when one of the men out-
side shouted out, "Grab her." At the same moment a
pistol was fired at her, which was immediately fol-
lowed by the firing of another. Miss Miller then ran
to the house of a neighbour screaming out "Murder."
In the meantime the villains bad gained full access to the
house, and one of them, presenting a pistol at Mr.
Miller, said, "We want your money." Mr. Miller told
them he had none; upon which the men said, " We knwo
you have." Mr. Miller again denied having any, and
called to the servant, whom the robbers had forced into
an adjoining room, to ring the bell: The bell alluded to
is an alarm bell, situated at the top of the house, foln
which there is a communication with the room into
which, fortunately, the robbers had forced the attendant.
At her master's call, the servant commenced ringing;-
the bell, on which the men looked at one another in
amazement, and then ran away. In less than ten
minutes from the alarm bell having been rung, a number
of neighbours arrived. From the cool determination
evint el by the whole gang, there can be lit• tle doubt that
the lives of the whole family would have been sacrificed,had it not been for the escape of Mi▪
ss Miller and
the ringing of the alarm bell. Mr. Miller's presence of
mind, too, during the attack, was wonderful, especially
considering that he is 75 years of age. On Miss Miller
returning home, with a neighbouring farmer, she was
much exhausted, and it was discovered that her life had
been in the most imminent peril, the contents of one of
the pistols having grazed the front part of her head, to
the extent of about three inches. She bled considerably,
but, we are glad to say, is in no danger. The lady's
alarm may be imagined, when it is stated that on
arriving at the house of the farmer alluded to above, she
struck and broke a window in her excitement, the arm
passing quite through the framework. It is said that
Mr. Miller had, a few days previously, been receiving
certain rents, and the presumption is that the delin-
quents were aware of that fact. We regret to say that
they have not, up to the present time, been apprehended;
but suspicion rests upon some characters in the neigh-
bourhood, whom the police are on the look out for.

It is understood that the Bishopric of Sodor and
Man has been offered to the Master of Christ's College,
who, however, has declined accepting it.—Cambridge
Chronicle.