The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-08-30

with great self-control, he fell back upon the
floor, pretended to be dead, and gave no
sign Of consciousness even when the assassin
stopped so close that he could feel the breath
hot upon his face. After another pause he
heard retiring footsteps, and then resolved,
with the strength that remained in him, to
try chance for his life 81 knew" he says
in his testimony, shat if could get on my
feet, should be able to make fight for it"
He looked about him, saw that his assalant
was at some distance, grasped pair of tongs
which lay near by, as his only available wea
pom, and stood erect.
Then commenced desperate and savage
struggle, the like of which the quiet chambers
of Northumberland street had never before
witnessed. As soon as Major Murray NOV
ed, the assassin turned and faced him.
They were upon one another in flash. The
first blow launched by the Major missed its
aim, but the second threw his antagonist
down upon the ground. They struggled
while for the tongs, and both being powerful
men, the mastery for while was doubtful
At last the Major found an empty bottle up
on the floor, which he dashed full in the face Of
his adversary, making him culver all over
But the contest continued, until after long
struggle, the Major wrenched away the tongs,
with which he repeatedly beat the head, neck
and wrists of his opponent, leaving him at
last, as he thought, after breaking the instru-
ment to pieces upon him, sufficiently disa-
bled. While this was going on, the strange
man cried out first That won't do, Master
Williem," and afterward, when the blows
rained most fercely upon him, "Come, come,
give me fair play
He had crept under table at the close of
the struggle, where the Major left him out
stretched and started to make his way from
the House All the doors he tried were
locked As he turned back to seek another
means of egress, he was astonished by again
meeting his assailant face TO face, walking
toward him. 4 last blow sent him to the
floor insensble. The Major then threw open
a window.leapei into the area below, Chamber
ed over wall, land passed through an adjoin-
ing house into the street, whence he was re-
moved by some bystanders to a hospital
His wounds We're discovered to be dangerous,
but probably not fatal. Oae bu!le. had been
stopped by his spine. and was with great
difficulty extracted. The other party to the
iiiray who was also taken to the hospital,
died IN The course of few days, having
steadily, although never very coherentiv, de-
clarcd that MAJOR Murray had voluntarily Wis
i,el him upon business. and in the midst of
their discussion, hal, w.thod. any warni ng,
sho, himself. and then attacked and endeav-
ored 70 destroy him.
For two weeks this extraordinary event con-
tinued 70 excite throughout London the most
various specula:ionS. Major Murrav's state
ment WAS al first refused the slightest Gre
deacc, although it has since been accepted as
!nduhtab.y true. Ii seemed incredible that
two men, utter strangers to one another,
Shoald. at their first meeting. have come to
such a furious and fatal conflict At last the
CorOner's inquest. in the case of Murrays as
sailant. lifted the vail from the mystery
The story was perfectly plain, although, per-
haps, IN ,re startling than if it had been less
simple in It's nature and details. The evil
deEce showed that the attempted assassin
was professional bilI-discounter, whose real
name vas Roberts. and that he had, in the
WAY of business, met with Miss Noodle, a
beautiful and attractive Young woman who
for some years had lived with Major Murray
as his mistress. bearing, however, his name,
as if they had been married. Roberts soon
became enimored Of Miss Noodle, not ten
derly. but with a sort Of ferocious desperation.
For many months he had endeavored to per-
suade her to desert the Major, and place her
self under his protection. To accomplish
this he spared neither entreaties nor threats.
Sometimes his demonstrations were brutally
violent. He had thus worked upon the
Young woman fears to such an extent that
she dared not reveal her situation to the Ma
Ior lest some tragic consequence should en-
sue. She was, moreover, compromised BY
certain money transactions with Roberts,
which she had first concealed out of delicacy,
and aiterward from apprehension. So great
was Roberts ascendancv over her, that he
had forced her into compliance with all his
wishes, excepting that upon which he had
most emphatically resolved. Finding that
she could not be swayed upon this point, he
coolly determined to remove what seemed to
him the principal obstacle. The attack upon
Major Murray was the result of no sudden
impulse The preparations had been carefully
taken. For months Roberts had been in the
habit of firing pistols about his chambers,
in order to forestall suspicion when the time
for executing his plans should arrive. All
this and more, was brought out at the inquest,
by the testimony Of various persons, but
principally by that of Miss Noodle herself
whose modest demeanor and evident devotion
to MAJOR Murray SO wrough, upon the specta-
tors that, in spite other equivocal position,