The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-25 00:00:00

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A serious encounter with armed nit poaliers-9
took place on Saturday last, in Pilton-wood, situate
between Shepton Mallet and Glastonbury, one of
the Somersetshire estates belonging to the Right
Hon. Lord Portman, in which two young men,
named Miell, sons of a farmer at Pilton, were fired
at, and more or less injured. _

The preserves of Lord Portman, it appears, ex-
tend from the parish of Pylle some distance into
the adjoining parish of Pilton, the gamekeeper, a
man named Stickland, residing in Pylle. Mr. Mid.,
who preserves the game for the owner of an adjoin-
ing estate, had a mutual understanding with his
lordship's gamekeeper that they were to protect
the game for each other when necessary. About
two o'clock on Saturday morning, Mr. Geo. Miell,
jun., heard the report of several guns in Lord Port-
man's wood, and very near to his father's residence.
He immediately told his father of it, and Mr. Miell
at once got up, and, accompanied by his sons (Mr.
George Miell and Mr. Albert Miell) proceeded to
the wood. On arriving there Mr. George Miell
went towards the upper side, leaving his younger
brother and a boy, who came with them, watching
from another point, whilst Mr. Miell went to the
lower part of the wood. In a few minutes George
Miell came upon the track of the poachers, three in
number, who were going in the direction of the
spot where his brother and the boy stood. He
quickened his pace, and soon reached the place
where he had left his brother Albert, and then.
turned round and confronted the poachers, who
were armed with guns and bludgeons, and
in the act of coming out of the wood. At this time
the brothers Miell were about six or seven yards
from the poachers, George standing a little in front
of his brother Albert, and on seeing one of the
poachers level his gun at them, the former (George
Miell) sprang a little on one side just as it was
fired ; the consequence was, that his younger
brother received nearly the whole of the charge in
his left side. At the same time George Miell, who
carried his left arm in a sling, through injuries re-
ceived by the bursting of a gun some days before,
was also wounded in the elbow. The poacher who
fired the gun was identified by Mr. Miell as a
labourer residing in the village of Pilton, named
George Hill; but as soon as he noticed the effect of
the charge, he jumped over a gate and ran away.
Mr. George Miell then rushed at the other two, ono
of whom levelled his piece, and swore with an oath
he would " drill a hole in him" if he did not stand
off. But young Miell, nothing daunted, went boldly
at his antagonist, pushed the poacher's gun aside,
and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not go off.
The poacher then managed to get hold of the gun,
and gave Miell a violent blow with the barrel over
the head, causing the blood to flow copiously.
A desperate struggle now ensued, and, not-
withstanding the injuries and loss of blood
caused George Miell to feel faint, he valiantly
closed with the poacher, took the gun from him,
and held the fellow until his father arrived.
The second poacher was then secured, and he
was ascertained to be also a Pilton labourer,
named Vinning. The prisoner was taken by Mr.
Miell to his residence, and the third man (a
brother of Hill) escaped, but he was subsequently
captured, as well as George Hill, who fired the
gun. The three prisoners have been examined
before the magistrates, and remanded until the
injured men are able to give evidence against them.
As soon as possible Mr. Albert Miell was carried
home, and surgical assistance obtained. It was
found that he was severely wounded from the chest
to the hip on the left side ; and there can be no
doubt he would have been killed instantly but for
the accidental circumstance of his having a large
pipe-ease, containing a tobacco pipe, in the left
breast pocket of his coat, where the main force of
the charge took effect. The pipe was smashed to
pieces, and the case completely riddled.
The other brother, Mr. George Miell, received
several shots in the left arm. Both the injured
men are progressing favourably.