The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-29 00:00:00

TRACING A HIGHWAYMAN.

A report of a desperate encounter with a highway'
man appeared in The Sun of the 23d inst., in which
it was stated that Mr. Clarkson, of Huggato-
lodge, about eight miles from Driffield, was savagely
set on as he was returning from market by a high'
wayman, who attempted to rob him when within
a mile of his own house, and that Mr. Clark-
son discharged four barrels of a revolver at hia
assailant with such effeot that the latter was glad to
decamp, although severely wounded, and with hia
clothes on fire. The Eastern, Counties _Herald of
yesterday tells how the thief was pursued and
apprehended :—" Next morning. Mr. Joseph
Young, superintendent of the Driffield police, Wag
informed of the attempted robbery, and immedl;
ately took those steps, known only to sharpwitteu
detectives, for the apprehension of the offender. 118
first carefully examined the scene of the attack,
discovered copious blood marks on the road, and
foot traces through a gate in the direction of Drif-
field, the gate being bloody. He also received a
cap and a bludgeon, found on the spot, and a
neckerchief and burnt pieces of a shirt, which were
found in an adjoining field. On the following dais
from. some information he received, he went to
Burlington, 18 miles from Suggate-lodge, and
ascertained that a man had arrived at a lodging"
house there about 2 o'clock the previous morning
—which would be six hours after the robbery--;:
minus shirt, cap, and neckerchief, covered with
blood, wounded, and very much exhausted, stating
to the inmates of the house that he had been at-
tacked and fired at on the Driffield-road, and that
he was anxious to get away before he
should 11
overtaken, and having washed his wounds and
stayed about ten minutes he made off. Young then
lost sight, or rather trace of his man, but he snail
again got wind of him, and on the followinf
Tuesday succeeded in ascertaining at Scarborour„,
that a man answering to the description of
the one • he was in pursuit of had applied to a
surgecnithere for medical relief, and had then gone
in the direction of Robin Hood's Bay and
Whitby. On the Thursday Young traced him t°
the latter place, found that he had been lodging
there in the house of a sweep, having left 28 hours
previous, and then quitted for the moors. Youngl,
afterwards discovered that he had doubled, 81,_"
once more made for the sea-coast. On that day 11
traced him to Upgaug, thence to Sandsend, nu'
afterwards to Runswick iron works and Straithe%
where he. had stopped the night before. He nest
traced NM in a circuitous route along the road, a
few hours in advance, begging from house to Iloilo'
and finally traced him on the road to Guisborough,
where Young, learning that he was a few miles to
advance, pulled bridle for a while, till night came
on, when he resumed his pursuit, got into Gills'
borough, and finally ran his man to earth in a
lodging-house shortly after his arrival there. The
prisoner's waistcoat was found to be burnt in the
back, and with a bullet-hole through the front 0f
it, and a small wound on the breast correspondin,oo
to the puncture in the waistcoat. He was gat!
wounded in the nik titth, which was discoloured as 1,,
from the effects of gunpowder. A very lalt
wound was found on his back, some five inches 2:
diameter, and corresponding with the burn in the
13i
waistcoat. On being apprehended and charged With
the offence the prisoner stated that he knew nothl
of the matter, and that if he had done it it rall;
be unknown to him. He gives his name as Jars
„
Ireland, and states that he is a native of the county
Roscommon, but he has gone by other aliases. i'Se-
veral highway robberies have been lately perfL,
trated in the neighbourhood of Driffield, and stl,T
cient information is in the possession of the po."ee
~f
to show that Ireland is one, if not the foremosz,Z,
the gang. Too much praise cannot be given to n
perintendent Young for the prompt and energ
measures he took for the apprehension of thePLO
Boner' and the clever effective manner in whicuf
carried them out ; and, were it not for that the.ure-
velation might be turned to account by 04re
a
criminals, we could give our readers some amused
details of ingenious shifts and devices resor_a
to to obtain information from unconscious
sometimes unwilling deponents. The privy,'"
been committed for trial.