The Sun.
London, England, 1811-04-13 00:00:00

MEL/IND.

Ti Al M IltcFt 24.—During thoiast uteck we
copied from a Cork Newspaper the aceouot of the
attack on the house of John Purcell, Eq. of High-
hat, near -Charle‘ille. As any further prticulars
of the' extraurdilary resolution, intrepidity, and

prowess unknitested: in this aged (.44:ntleman's de-
tenc:e of his life and property, most be deemed ,in-
teresting, we will insert such an ample detail of
the occurrence as Mr. Purcell's presence in this
'town had enabled us to coned.
It appears that• Mr. P. had determined to set apart
the evtuing of the t the purpose of ar-
ranging some of his accounts, and as he torbaw that
he would be thereby employed until a late hour, 'lie
caused:his servant, to proyider Supper. That 'provi-
dential interference so remarlsable throughout the
occurrence, was not a Ittle visible, in .the seeming
immaterial circumstance of Mr. P. having preferred
that the supper table should remain dnrennived' till
morning, rather than his servant should have conti-
, hued up until the time at which Mr. P. conciudtd'
he should hove finished the arrangement of his ac-
counts, ' •

Mr. Purcell conceives he had been two lieur! in
bed, when his attention was engaged by an unusual
noise outside hiti house. The mitt en which lie '
had supped and slept was ills* his partner, the
windows of which latter, after, after a short litl-
terval,- were beat in,' and namely. air instant claps:••
eel below he beard several persons, he believes tee
or 13, leap into the room in rapid successioo—he
had but a moment to deliberate, and although he
found himself eaten), wprovided with any other
weapon than the knife, which he recollected lay
(01 the table, he, with the most astonishing and
unparalleled bravery, resolved on defence. '..
As there were two doors conneCting his bed,
chamberewith the parlour, he was a while in sus-
pense at whieli the robbers would enter, but was
speedily relic., ed from his doubts; by hearing them
remove a g;irdeilLi•viO, which eWtrualed tine of
the phitiiigS, diA ' teereopon seen* the' door threveri
hi by a v tuk b.. Wu v of a' sledge ; Mr. P. now put
his hick e:ose against tho wall,
,immediately emei-
veto to lee dour. Although th'e' darkness oteMr.
V.'s ro,,iii i tWeted b,ul inAffiiiit: to those without,
yet thL in eel shining brightly through the win-
u4, which had been broken, and thrrwgh which
tee patty entered, gave him an impatleet view Of
re., assailants,. and discovered two men abreast ep-
pniiL,biog him by the door. Mre Purcell at. this '
mometit only hesitated to decide whetheraiinel:
hand or a rigtitiprward blow would ha most power-
tul, and'on preferring the (miner, he plunged his
knife into the, breast 'of the nearest. Man, who ins-
-1 inediatdy fell back with a horrible scream 3e , and :e.-:
, •
1 pixel.
The Captain of the party gave orders to fire,
and a musket was theqm.,qm: presented at Mr. P.
and atinally lay against his belly, but as from its,.
'oblique position Mr. P. save it could not injure,
him, he eressed against the barrel in order to hi,
duce a beliet that it shou;d prove mortal,, and per-
mitted it to be fired ; he t hen rave ,his reffian•also
a terrible wound,' with which he retreated; a third
Petit w; undeterred by these examples, lrad. the te-
merity to 'memo, an entrance, but mot with a
like repolsee--ehe expu:sioo of the etvire gang front
the house, it was imagined, was, by this .effected,
'with the exception of one powerfully strong vil,
lain, who, more successtill than his cpmpanioris,'
forced his waYe into. the' .bed-chamber; whtch the
ruffian immediately.,, notified in the loudest , and
most exulting tone.
During the whole of this most terrible proceed-
ing, Mr. P. had not felt the influence of apprehen-
sive until this, 'that.when greitly fatigued; his de-
strnflion seemed inevitab:e. ; but yet, as a hopelets
'effort, he determined ,on continued resistance;—h'e'
clo‘ed on his assailant, and a Very fierce struggle,
ensued. Mr. V. troing, that altbough`he frequent,
ly stabbed the felloW in the side, he neverthelesS.
persisted in repeating a demand Of Mr. P.'s money,
dreaded the point of his knife-had. been turned and
blunted, and such, on feeling it, he found to be
the case—he was this bereft of his only weapon ;,
however, in, the encounter, lie discovered a swotd.
suspended to his opponent, which he now ' istroVe
to gain, but during the exertion, the wretchettman
' expired in his arms, and thus ,Mr. gurcellotiod.
that his knife had not failed until guided by provi-
c-mtial interposition, it had miraculonsly and:faith.
fullz secured his ,deliverance,
Ihe reniainder of the party were now contented
to depart, carrying off the dead and. wounded, and
Mr. P. dreading the renewal of the attempt with
increased numbers, prudently concealed himself'
between two heaps of emit, inean adjoining yard,
:fruit). whence he issued to the morning, completeiy-
: (mated 'with blood, and whatever else this. clam*
matter caused to adhere in, his body and limbs.—
leseems a third fellow, named joy (a native of this
;county) who cotni.osed one of this party, died in
Newcastle, Comity letmeriek,' his wounds not 'have
,ieg permitted him to escape further than that town,
end it. is thought few out of ',the entire ,will, go un-
puniThed, al they are welt known, „
1
The Gentleman , who so valiantly repulsed this
s,mg of rildiana„. is more , than seventy years of
age.
..

S,r P►iclt.atin
PHiLtilis, it seems, is coming for-
ward with a new wotk on the subjeel of JurteS, it
which we oncierstand he has introduced 'an appro4
pri tte tribute of praise to the PRINCE tier
Cuti,o STEALING.—A daughter of Mrs, HIND.;
stiN, of Berwieß-street, three years and a hall old,
was dtooYed from the door of ,her parent at dmik,
on,Wednesday evening, by two women, rind after
the feelings of the mother had been tortured,by the
toss of her child tltirty-houra,' the latter Was left,
in a watch-box, near her home, on,'l`htir4daY
The account the child gave of the transl6tion was,
that one of the miscreants described herself
ras her
aunt, and said she was' about to 'buy her -some-
thing, and took her to a house in some, court about
W4rdritir-street and stripped her. woman has
been taken into custody on suspicion, and will be
examined -this day.'

and Pcblished by 141 ',LIAM Alt c; Rle PS, South hiolton street, Ofirdl34l* 441411t1'
RI
s, et
treNtios, 4 .o,Mhaerrtel e
dirt t
11.Z,..ust,:tetet
tier for the Paper, Le tics for the Rd for Lke. (pott-paics), must t" 1144"11114.
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