Singular Scheme.
The Times, 1824-02-10T00:00:00

(Fromn the 3fannjie:er Guardian.) Early on Sutnday morning last, the familYs of Johr, hIarshalL Esq., at the Polvgon, Ardwick,4avas alarmed by the report of a pistol: and, on going down stairs, thev found at the outside of the door, the footman, who stated that he had been alarmed by hearing some-persons about the door of the ouitbuilding in which he slept, and an attempt to fbrce the door ; that he got up, put on part of his clothes, and proceeded towards the house to alarmi the family, armed w-ith a bar of iron. On his way thither, he heard a signal given by a lian from the opposite aide of the yard, anA saw another man run in. to thc garden. A third man rushed out from the steps of the back- door, v*heie he had been concealed by a porch, fired a pis. tdl at the fdotman, and ran away, a fourth man was also standing on tbe steps; and he, too, fired a pistol, which, the footman said, woounded hitt slighbtlk owl thearm. but he rushed on the man, struck him on the face of the ne*t, and. knocked the pistol out of his hands; however, he suceeeded in malng his escape. When lMr. Marshall, iun.,gotdown stairs. he foind thst a hole lihd been cut on the back door, apparenty with an itention of taking out a panel, and it seemed as if an attempt had been mAade to force the lock, by means of a crow bar. On the door, and on the groundT near it, a quantityoe blood was sprinkled, and a large horse pistol, with some irregular pieces of lead, which appeared to have been used as slugs, were found in the yard. In the gardern, footsteps swers traced as if persons had gaured admittance, aud escaped by getting over the walU ; and a rope, which ,eemed to have been in. telided to hbeW d for that purpose, was foind near the door. Of oaurso, io dioubt was felt by the fa,nily of. Ir. Alarshall, that an at- tempt had been matle by a desperate gang of robbers to beteak into the house, and great creiit wa; given to the footman for his courage. ous and resolute conducLt. In the morning, Afr. Laven<ler went to the plsce, with a view to assist in the detectioa of the supposed o'fenders; but nii examining tie premises, and partIcularly on ob- serving the marks of biood on the door, he began to suspect the truth of the footman's story, and on lookinig at the wound on the arnt of the latter, he found that it was a mere graze, the skin having been scarcely raised, and yet it appeared r** his clothes as if it had bled very copiously. Several other trivial circumstances contributed to increase Mlr. Lavender's doubt-, and he comnmuni- cated his suspicions to 11Mr. Mlarshall, jun. Thiat gentle!nan, how- ever, had so high an opinion of the footman, that he could not then be indluced to saspect him hut, after some consideration, he began to think it possi'ide that the man <new onnre of the matter than he wrished to explain. In the mean time hnnd.biUs were issued, offer- ingareward for thediscoveryoftheersons who had attempted to break into the house* an'd. a3s Mr. Tvender had observed thrat the pistol found appeared to have been reccnity liri the hanids of a gun- smith, it was requested that parties who had sold such a weapon would apply at the police-office, by whieh means it was discover- ed that the pistol had been purchased at the shop of lift. Styan, in Hanging Ditch, on the preceding Satuidav; anid the descrip~ tion given by Mrs. Styan of' the person of the m;an who bought it left no doubt on the mind of MIr. LJavender that his suspicions were well founded. On Wednesdav, therefore, it was arranged, that Alrs. StYan should take a pair of pistols to aILr. IarshaU s house, as If for his inspection. 'and that thie footman should open the door for her hich h was done; antl as soon as she saw him, she knew him to be the mari who had purchased the pistol on Saturday. About the same time Mr. Lavender made bis appearance; and the footman was charged with having invented the whole affair. At first he stoutly denied having purchased the pistol, and persisted in his former story, but, after being closely pressed, gaid confronted with Mrs. Styan, he admitted that the whole was a fabrication, and that he had fired the pistol, and cut the panel of the door hTimselr; and rubbed his arm with a piece of iron to make it look as if it had been grazed bv a ball. He had obtained the blood by making his own nose bleed, and had splashed it on the door and the ground, to make it seem as if it had fallen from a Wounded man. In short, he disclosed the whole contTivance, from first to last ; and when asked what could he his motive for such conduct, he sail he found his wages insufficient to maintain his wife and family, and therefore did what he had done, in the hope that Mr. Marshall would reward him for his display jof courace. It was tbought necessary to ex. amine the plate and other property intrusted to his care; but everv tliing was found perfectly correct, and no suspicion is entertained that he has been at all dstihonest. Indeed, his previous conduct had been such as to szive Mr. Alarshall (in whoss service he had been for several years) avery high opinion of his integrity ann( tiielty; ann he had reedved from that gentleman several marks of kindness. Of course he was immediately discharged. SNf2VOLfA12 .icAtEMArg