The Sun. — 1860-12-18 (London, England)

NEAR SHEFELLYLP.  At an early hour on Saturday morn blooded attempt w‘ts made to murder anassistant gamekeeper, named William Crookes, at the village of Eccle'efield, near Sheffield. Crooks, who is a filecutter, cutter, lives at a lonely place known as the Engine House, in the middleoof Smith Wood, Cowley Silly his dwelling having some years ago formed part d' the engine house of an old collier. There is no other house witlh'n half a mile of the place. Crookee has a small smith 3 his house, for the purposed told working at his trap e during a part of the day, e' voting the remainder' of the day as also part off the night to the preservat'ion of the game in the vond on behalf of an association of neighbouring gentry,Ire has displayed considerable activity in his °cell pation of assistant keeper, and as a consequence has several times been atreatened by poachers in the locality. He had a very valuable dog shot Olt a short time ago. Crook es, got up to commence work at his files a little I.,ete.'re 4 o'clock at day morning, and continue, working until 20 minutes to 57when a gun wae fired at him through the window. The gun prove,rl to have been loaded with mixed shot, and the conte la,ts entered his right cheek and shoulder, knocking ,111 m off his horsing oackwards upon the floor. Th'o'ugh dreadfullf stunned, Crookes was able to jump two dogs, kennelled outside the hease, but the animals failed to get upon the track of OW woold;b,e up and looee murderer, and Croolzee was himself obliged to retire to bed. The only ocarpants of the house ar,e self, wife, and four young- children ; and the Walt having jumped out of bed instantly the gun vilw fired, at once ran to Ecclesfield, lonely and dark it was, to acquaint Inspector Ashley, of the 'Wee Riding constabulary, with the diabolical outrage' The inspector hurried to the' place, accompanied bt Mr. Hawthorn, surgeon and found the poor fellolf in the greatest agony. It wits found that the Will" dow shutter was closed, but a wide crevice in the shutter had enabled the miscroa nt to see the position of his victim, and the charge was so large as to pierce a jagged hole an inch and a half in diameter through the shutter and glass, the wadding of the gun even passing through the hole. Around. tile hole the shutter is charred with the lame of the exploded powder, and even the clothes ..of Crooks have the appearance of being singed. Ii is clear, from the state of the shutter, that the gin vreli fired with the muzzle close to the window, any' consequently, not more than a yard from Crooke' himself, who sat close under the window. VI situation of the window is such as to offer great facilities for the perpetrlition of the intended wily der, being very low, and surrounded outside 1/ grassy soil, enabling the miscreant to move noise' lessly up. Crookes's eheok is completely rid' died with shot, and the vound on the shoulder is an extensive one, completely paralysing the arta, It is feared that a portion of the ,shot may even have reached some of the vital parts ; , and the poor mall lies in a very, dangerous state. 4., collier, name? Joseph Ibbotson, living in the adja cent village Thorpe, has been apprehended on STU Ticion of air milting the outrage.