The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-01 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

SERIOUS POACHING AFFAIR IN
NORTHUMBERLAND.

NEWCASTLE, Nov. 30.—The details of a serious
poaching affair which occurred near the Cheviots
on Saturday have reached this town to-day. It
occurred upon the estate of Mr. E. I. Collingwood,
of Lilburn Tower, near Wooler. It seems that
gangs of poachers roam about the hill districts of
the northern part of our county, and in conse-
quence the country gentry have to employ a large
number of game watchers. A number of watchers
were perambulating the estate of Mr. Collingwood
and the adjoining estate, belonging to Mr. Cress-
well, of Harehope, about 3 o'clock on Saturday
morning, when poachers were descried. A
watcher named Nixon, in the employ of Mr.
Creswell, saw three of them. He ran after them,
and in doing so was joined by some, if not all, of the
other watchers, and had nearly overtaken them,
and was pursuing closely behind, when the poachers
were observed to look back ; they seemed deter-
mined not to be taken, but each seemed to wish
his companion to fire the first shot towards the
watchers, until at length one of them did delibe-
rately turn round and fired his gun and shot poor
Nixon, who fell, apparently mortally wounded, to
the ground. The other watchers first saw to the
state of their companion Nixon, and gave up the
chase of the poachers, who had still two guns with
them besides that which had been discharged, and
who, probably as a matter of prudence, were
allowed to escape. Nixon was carried in a faint
and suffering condition home to his cottage, and
several shots, about No. 6 size, were found to have
entered his body about the thighs and the lower
part of his bowel,s. He was evidently da
wounded, though%opes are miiv entertain o is
recovery. When the gang of poachers left him -it
was about 3 o'clock in the morning, and, though
some time was lost in doing so, information of the
outrage at an early hour was given to the police
office at the village of Eglingham, and thence
passed on to Mr. Superintendent Marshall at
Alnwick, which is about 10 miles off. Mr.
Superintendent Marshall also sent a tele-
graphic message to Major Browne, chief
constable of the county, and the best measures that
could be thought of were devised for the purpose of
apprehending the perpetrators of the murderous.,
attack. From inquiries of Nixon it appeared pro
bable that he would be enabled to identify the
man who shot him, and to whom, though it was
rather dark, he had been very near. v Having
obtained the best description they could of the
three poachers, seven men, suspected as poachers,
and in the houses of some of whom game that morn-
ing had actually been found, were taken into cus-
tody at Alnwick on suspicion, and conveyed, in
charge of Mr. Superintendent. Marshall, in an om-
nibus to where Nixon resided ; but as neither
the wounded man fior any of the other watchers
could identify any one of them; they were brought
back to AlnWick and liberated. The detectives,
however, are still engaged in inquiries, with a view
to bring the real parties to justice. It seems that
one of the other watchers was also hit by the dis.
charge of a gun, but he is not seriously hurt.

TIER FATAL POACHING AFFRAY IN

CHESHIRE.