The Sun. — 1844-10-26 (London, England)

THE DESPERATE OUTRAGE AND BURGLARY AT MANCETTER. (FURTHER PARTICULARS.) On Saturday night last, between the hours of twelve and one o'clock, the dwelling-house of Mr. Thomas Worthington, at Mancetter, near Atherstone, 'Warwickshire, was broken into by a gang of ruffians, wearing black masks, and their persons otherwise disguised by black linen, which they wore over their clothes. The house is in a very lonely spot, and a considerable distance from any other dwelling. It seems the burglars commenced their operations by cutting a hole in the front door, the noise of which disturbed Miss Worthington, who opened a window and inquired what they wanted, on which the burglars said the cows had escaped from the close ; but Mr. Worthington, who had now joined his niece, seeing the desperate looking gang of five or six fellows he bad to deal with, ordered them to be off about their business, or he would shoot them. Of this the burglars took no notice, but continued their operations against the door, and at last succeeded in making an opening. The inmates, consisting of Mr. Worthington, a niece, a grandniece, and a servant lad and maid, were by this time fully prepared, and Mr. Worthington, who is in his 89th year, placed himself at the door, and with a drawn sword cut and stabbed at the fellows through the hole they had made, and kept them at bay for a considerable time. Finding they could not obtain admittance this way, the burglars battered the door to pieces; but while they were doing so, Miss Worthington brought her uncle his fowling-piece, which was loaded with swan shot, and desired him to shoot the villians, and seeing that his aged hands shook so that he could not take an aim, this heroic lady actually pointed and held the gun, while her uncle fired. This did not deter the burglars, but, finding the inmates so resolved, they, all the while uttering the most horrid oaths and imprecations, next tore up the stones with which the front of the house was paved, and threw them at the old gentleman and his neice, who still kept their places in the hall, defending the entrance of the house from the robbers ; when, at length, after half an hour's fighting, and no assistance appearing, and Mr. Worthington being wounded in the temple and in various parts of the body, his niece, who stood firmly by his side during the conflict,' parleyed with the robbers, and asked whether they wanted their lives, when one of them, who acted as spokesman, said, all they wanted was money, and they did not want to hurt them. The lady then said, if they would promise not to hurt her uncle, no further resistance should be made, which the robbers promised; but the old gentleman still continued resolute, aad stood at the door with his sword, threatening to cut down the first who approached, the blood all the while pouring down from the wound in the temple he had received,. when the niece, fearing he would bleed 'to death, threw herself upon him, and took away his sword, which was covered with the blood of the burglars, on which four of them made their way into the house, and after making the servant lad give up all his money, they next took from Miss Eliza Worthington, a grandniece of Mr. Worthington, ayoung lady about fifteen years old, all the money she had, threatening to hang her if she did not keep quiet. They then forced the niece to show them where the money was kept, which they took, as well as some fire-arms ; and after threatening the inmates, if they made any noise about the robbery or took any steps to discover the robbers, they would come again some night, and burn the house and murder all the inmates, they took their departure, and as yet, we regret to say, no traces have been obtained of them. We are. tmiaPPY.Y3' say that neither Mr. Worthington nor any of taly are seriously injured, and trust that justice wll b not e long in overtaking the ruffians, for whose apprehension a reward of iooi. has been offered.  Rabbits are easily taken alive by soaking their favourite food, parsley, in strong rum or brandy. A similar method is employed in catching small birds with steeped seed. They, like rabbits, are so intoxicated with the :spirit, that there is no difficulty in obtaining as many as you wish.