The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-18 00:00:00

ATTEMPTED .MURD_ER NEAR SHEFELLYLP.

At an early hour on Saturday morn
blooded attempt w‘ts made to murder anassistant
gamekeeper, named William Crookes, at the village
of Eccle'efield, near Sheffield. Crooks, who is a filecutter,
cutter, lives at a lonely place known as the Engine
House, in the middleoof Smith Wood, Cowley Silly
his dwelling having some years ago formed part d'
the engine house of an old collier. There is no
other house witlh'n half a mile of the place. Crookee
has a small smith 3 his house, for the purposed
told
working at his trap e during a part of the day, e'
voting the remainder' of the day as also part off
the
night to the preservat'ion of the game in the vond
on behalf of an association of neighbouring gentry,-
Ire has displayed considerable activity in his °cell
pation of assistant keeper, and as a consequence
has several times been atreatened by poachers in
the locality. He had a very valuable dog shot Olt
a short time ago. Crook es, got up to commence
work at his files a little I.,ete.'re 4 o'clock at
day morning, and continue, working until 20
minutes to 57when a gun wae fired at him through
the window. The gun prove,rl to have been loaded
with mixed shot, and the conte la,ts entered his right
cheek and shoulder, knocking ,111 m off his horsing
oackwards upon the floor. Th'o'ugh dreadfullf
stunned, Crookes was able to jump
two dogs, kennelled outside the hease, but the
animals failed to get upon the track of OW woold;b,e
up and looee
murderer, and Croolzee was himself obliged to retire
to bed. The only ocarpants of the house ar,e
self, wife, and four young- children ; and the Walt
having jumped out of bed instantly the gun vilw
fired, at once ran to Ecclesfield, lonely and dark
it was, to acquaint Inspector Ashley, of the 'Wee
Riding constabulary, with the diabolical outrage'
The inspector hurried to the' place, accompanied bt
Mr. Hawthorn, surgeon and found the poor fellolf
in the greatest agony. It wits found that the Will"
dow shutter was closed, but a wide crevice in the
shutter had enabled the miscroa nt to see the position
of his victim, and the charge was so large as to
pierce a jagged hole an inch and a half in diameter
through the shutter and glass, the wadding of the
gun even passing through the hole. Around. tile
hole the shutter is charred with the lame of the
exploded powder, and even the clothes ..of Crooks
have the appearance of being singed. Ii is clear,
from the state of the shutter, that the gin vreli
fired with the muzzle close to the window, any'
consequently, not more than a yard from Crooke'
himself, who sat close under the window. VI
situation of the window is such as to offer great
facilities for the perpetrlition of the intended wily
der, being very low, and surrounded outside 1/
grassy soil, enabling the miscreant to move noise'
lessly up. Crookes's eheok is completely rid'
died with shot, and the vound on the shoulder
is an extensive one, completely paralysing the arta,
It is feared that a portion of the ,shot may even have
reached some of the vital parts ; , and the poor mall
lies in a very, dangerous state. 4., collier, name?
Joseph Ibbotson, living in the adja
cent village
Thorpe, has been apprehended on STU Ticion of air
milting the outrage.