The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-02-12 00:00:00

ATTEMPT TO MURDER A CLERGYMAN,

As fruit from the order recently issued to the constabulary
of the King's County, it is our painful duty to record an
attempt to assassinate a most amiable clergyman, an active
and impartial magistrate, the Rev. G. L. Gresson, who was

fired at on bis way home from Clara to Kilbeggan, on Sun-
day night last, between eight and nine o'clock. The rev.
gentleman was sitting in a gig with his servant, driving at a
distance of about a mile from his residence, when a shot was
fired from behind, which made a riddle of the servant's bat.
A few grains of large shot struck Mr. Gresson in the neck,
and some grains lodged in the skin of the servant's bead.
There is no reason to suppose that religion or politics was
the cause of the attempt. The rev. gentleman was lately
most active in discovering and bringing to justice some per-
sons who attacked a process-server employed to deliver a
writ at the suit of Lewis and Co., the topographers, to a
Mr. Judge, of that neighbourhood ; and we incline to think
that revenge prompted the miscreants to attempt the horrid
deed.—Evening Packet of Tuesday.

ATTSIPTED MURDER OF THE REV. SKELTON GRESSON.
" Clara, King's County, Monday.
" SIR,—You will be shocked to hear of a desperate at-
tempt to murder the Rev. Skelton Gresson, J.P., which
took place on Sunday last.

" Scarcely had the public mind recovered its composure
after the dreadful attempt to murder Mr. Biddulph, J.P.,
when it is again excited to frenzy by the demoniac attempt
on Mr. Gresson's life.

" He is a gentleman universally respected and beloved—
the kindest and most humane of men—gives a great deal of
employment to the poor out of means which he derives from
his private fortune, having no land in this part of the coun-
try out of the management of which feuds or animosities
might arise, except the few acres of glebe land which have
always been in his own hands, and cultivated by himself.
" He was returning to' his own house from the town of
Clara, on Sunday, at eight o'clock in the evening, driven by
his servant in a gig, when he was fired at from behind a wall
by some person or persons unknown. The horse bolted on
seeing the flash of fire-arms, by which his life was spared :
the duck-shot or swan-drops having riddled his hat, and that
of his Protestant servant also, without serious injury to either,
except contusions : no shot having entered the reverend gen-
tleman's head, though some are being extracted from the
servant's. How narrow the escape was may be judged from
the fact, that a large quantity of the shot was retained in silk
pocket-handkerchiefs which they had in their hats, and which
probably saved their lives.

" No man's life is safe in this county ; the only question
asked is, whose turn will come next? Mr. Browne, the sti-
pendiary, was early on the spot ; for of course it was reported
to him, whilst the local magistrates might find it out as they
might. Of course a government reward will be offered, and
of course, the people will laugh at it ; and of course the go-
vernment will boast of the tranquillity of Ireland, and take
no alarm from the firing these minute-guns of warning to
show the destruction that is contemplated.
" I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
" AN INHABITANT OF CLARA."