The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-02 00:00:00

AFFR A Y WITH G AMEKE EMI:RS

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of those fearful effroyi, ti,:et are cola:ilea:I) tukieg pi see
in different parts of the kingdom—Prising from the evil
tendency of the game-laws—occurred on Friday night last,
at. Picton, on the estate of Sir R. B. T. Philipps,
M.P. fur the borough of Haver ordwest. It will pro-
bably be Weed, d with the loss of one or t- lives. It
appears from tl,e different fl; ing reports, that on Friday
night and Saturday morning the gamekeepers heard the
report of fire-arms in a plant .tion very close to the man-
sion of the abov, mimed gentleman, arid collecting assist-
ance proceeded towards the place from whence the
sound issued, and lay in wait for the poachers until they
should retire, NI ith the intention of surrounding and cap-
turing them. But, unfortunately, this intention was
frustrated in the following rnaener :—One of the poachers
wounded, but did not bring down, a bird, which he im-
mediately pursued to the edge of the plantation, and was
laid hoist of himself by one of the keepers or assistants.
Ile gave the alarm to his comrades, and they quickly
came to his support. The keepers endeavoured to se-
cure their man, but failed to do so, and in the fight the
poachers inflicted an awful blow on one of their party,
which he will not probably long survive. The poachers
then made otf, carrying with them their wounded man ;
however, one poacher covered the retreat in such an ef-
fectual manner, that on the keepers attempting to as-
cend a bank on which he stood, they were knocked
down quickly cno after the other. The bank or grip on
'which the poacher stood was rendered inaccessible by
the circumstance of a deep ditch being at the bottom.
At last he thought proper to decamp, taking away all
the game, splinters of the butt ends of guns, &c., and the
whole party got safe off.
Of the keepers and assistants, eleven altogether, eight
received very severe wounds. One person had his skull
fractured, jaw broken, and teeth knocked out, and was
unable to speak until Monday. The others got off with
severe bruises about the head, &c. The poachers, five
in number, have not been taken, although active means
are being used for the purpose. It is supposed from the
immense pool of blood left that he will expire from the
effects of his comrade's blow.
Picton Castle estate is situated about three miles from
Haverfordwest, and the game is preserved. The planta-
tion in which the poachers were heard is close to the
house, of one of the keepers, the birds being fed there.
On Sunday and Monday, persons were apprehended
on suspicion, but on being brought before the magistrates
at a private hearing, the keepers failed to identify any
of them. The appearance of the keepers was ludricrous
in the extreme with their heads bound up.
Sir Richard Phillips is at present in France.
Persons in the neighbourhood of this town are sus-
pected, but proof cannot be obtained on account of the
unwillingness of the peasantry to give information.
They view poaching as a very venal offence against law,
if any at all. This is another coast quence of class
legislation.
We shall probably be able to give the result of the
search of the prlice in a few days. •