The Sun. — 1841-11-15 (London, England)

DREADFUL STRUGGLE WITH A  RUBBER.  Between ten and eleven o'clock on the night of Tuesday, Mr. J. Dixon, of Raneforth, was returning from market in his gig. On arriving at Felton-hill, he was accosted by a man dressed as a farmer, who asked if he would " give him a cast downward ?" Mr. Dixon assented, and took the man into the gig. He proved an agreeable companion, and chatted away pleasantly on agricultural prospects, the markets, the Corn- laws, &c., on all of which topics he appeared to be well conversant. On arriving at the cross-road leading to Raneforth, Mr. Dixon inquired which way the stranger was going, intimating that his (Mr. Dixon's) road lay to the right. The man replied that he was going to Hiliwood, and that he would alight. He accordingly got out of the gig, and after wishing Mr. Dixon a good night walked off briskly along the main road. The man had scarcely proceeded twenty yards, when Mr. Dixon, in adjusting the skirts of his great coat, discovered that his pocket-book, containing 139/. in bank-notes and checks, was missing. Feeling confident that he had the pocket-book in his possession a short time previously, his suspicion fell on his late companion, and he immediately drove after him, his person being still visible on the road. The man turned as the sound of the gig-wheels reached his ears, and then running a short distance sprung over a gate into an adjoining field. Mr. Dixon reached the gate in a few moments, and springing from his gig rushed across the field in pursuit. The fugitive gained the hedge at the opposite side of the enclosure, but the hedge being extremely high and thick set, he was baulked in his a:tempts to break through it. Mr. Dixon came upon him, and a desperate struggle took place. Mr. Dixon demanded his pocket-book, when the fellow, with the ferocity of a bull-dog, sprung at his throat, which he seized with an iron grasp; at the same instant giving Mr. Dixon several tremendous kicks, which brought him to the ground, the man falling heavily on him. However the shock 01 the fall released his grasp on Mr. Dixon's throat, and that gentleman, who is a powerfully-built and active man, managed to raise himself on his knees-. Before he could recover his feet, he received a severe blow over his left eye from a large stone, which, it is supposed, the fellow had picked up during the struggle, and was again knocked down, dragging the man along with him. At this juncture, the sound of approaching wheels was heard on the road, and Mr. Dixon called out " Murder !" several times, upon which the man struggled violer.tly to release himself, striking Mr. Dixon several blows on the face and head with the stone, and at last succeeded in breaking away, just as two men came to Mr. Dixon's assistance. The men who arrived thus opportunely commenced a pursuit after the retreating robber, but he ' succeeded in effecting his escape. In making a search after the unfortunate gentleman's hat, which had fallen from his head in the struggle, one of the men, to the great surprise and joy of Mr. Dixon, picked up the missing pocket-book, which had doubtless dropped from the robber's possession during the conflict. Mr. Dixon's face and head are severely cut, and his legs dreadfully bruised from the kicks he received ; but he managed to drive to his own residence, after having liberally rewarded the men whose timely aid probably saved him from being robbed, if not murdered.—Dark astir Gazette.