The Sun. — 1860-01-20 (London, England)

BURGLARY AND ATTEMPTED  MUI?DER.  At the Town-hall, Ledbury, on Wednesday, before Lord Bolton, the Rev. E. NVyvill, and the Rev. R. Wood, Michael O'Bryan was charged with having, on the Ist of January last, burglariously entered the dwelling-house of the Rev. John Winn, at Nappa, near Askrigg, and with having stolen therefrom a sum of money, a coat, and other articles, and with intent to murder the said gentleman. The prisoner is below the middle stature, and of a stolid and heavy cast of features ; he is an Irishman, and 35 years of age. A large number of persons assembled in the hall to hear his examination. The Rev. John Winn deposed—l am vicar of the parish of Aysgarth, and reside at Nappa, near Askrigg. I remember the Ist of January instant. About three o'clock in the morning my servant boy got up, and I heard him calling out" Get up, get up; there is somebody in the house." He then came to my room door and made the same announcement. I arose instantly and walked along the passage to the stairs, and called out, " Who's there !" I heard considerable noise in the front kitchen, as if caused by chairs being moved about. I then returned to my room, and shortly afterwards heard them coming up stairs in heavy shoes, making a great noise. Opposite my room door and on the other side of the passage there is a small dark lumber room. I moved in there, leaving my own room door open, and shut the door. The burglars passed the door and went into the room where the servant boy slept, which is at the other end of the passage. I could not see them pass and c innot say how many men there were, but I heard them. They remained there a short time, and then came to the room where I was. They pushed the door open, and I stood in the doorway. Two men presented themselves, and instantaneously one of them struck me with a hay spade. One of them had a dark lantern, and I distinctly saw he had a spade before I received the blow upon my head. A second blow was attempted, but I warded it off with my arm, and the spade hit the top part of the door posts. Blood was flowing pretty freely from my head and running down my face when I stepped forward and seized the spade ; the taller man had the spade. The light then disappeared. The other man then made an attack on me with his fists while I was holding the spade. I struggled with the taller man about 15 or 20 minutes ; he attempting to wrest the spade from my hand and I retaining my hold of it. During this time I called out to the servants to bring me a light, but none came, and the lesser man discontinued using his fists. I said there was no necessity to use violence, and I would give up the money I had to him. We were still wrestling for possession of .the spade, when the man cried out, "'Liver up ; up ; or I'll give you the knife ; here it is." The lesser man cried out, " Give the money ; give the money." I continued my attempt to wrest the. spade from his hands, and when we got to the_ end of the passage I twisted the spade round d ed it into my possession. Then the taller mmanyan me by the thighs, threw ma down back,g and both men trampled upon me. The.ed me half then seized me by the legs and rag, _ the spade down to don lesser man way down the stairs. threw got possession of , it.h the bottom n oo of the orel got from them somehow on the staircase, and got back to man followed. of stairsthe tallerw h e n mj a n . my room ; and the lesser I opened a drawer, and handed over the amount of £23 to the man, who repeated, " Be quick, be quick." Mr. Winn then detailed the loss of some trifling articles, and con tinued—lheard a crash through the staircase window, which I afterwards found was broken sufficiently large for a man to go through. After this I saw nothing more of the two men, but I dressed myself and rode to Askrigg, and gave information to the police. I went to Mr. Park, surgeon, and had my head dressed, and I have