The Sun. — 1853-02-01 (London, England)

CAPTURE OP TWO NOTORIOUS BURGLARS.  The greatest possible excitement prevails in Birmingham at the present time, in consequence of the following burglary, and diabolical attempt to murder, having been made by a party of four armed burglars. From the information obtained, it appears that yesterday morning (Friday), Mrs. Horton, who lives with her husband, a gentleman farming his own estate at Tamworth, was aroused from her slumbers by an unusual noise in the house. She immediately alarmed her husband, who, without dressing himself, ran down stairs with a pitchfork in his hand, which he had kept in his bed-room ever since an attempt to rob his house was made about Christmas last. On going into the kitchen, he found a man busily engaged in packing his goods together. He at once called him to desist, and leave the house, but he refused, when Mr. Horton made a thrust at him with the pitchfork. The burglar thereupon drew a large clasp knife from his pocket, and managing to open it, a lifefor-life struggle ensued, which lasted between a quarter of an hour and twenty minutes, and during the encounter .Mr. Horton was frightfully stabbed in the neck, the face, -the shoulders, and arms, but the blade of the knife suddenly closed upon one of the fingers of the burglar, so -that he was unable to use the weapon any longer. He, -therefore, went to work with his fists, by means of which -he knocked out three or four of Mr. Horton's teeth. The burglar managed to escape, but Mr. Horton, nothing daunted by the injuries he had received, and although still in his night dress, he took down a gun which was hanging in an adjoining room, and followed him. At the top of a dark lane, he heard a cart and horse galloping off, when he fired the gun in the direction the noise had proceeded from ; but imagining he had not shot any one, he entered the stable, har:nessed a horse, and, having put the animal into a gig, he started off in search of the intended murderer. At Hall -green, on the Stratford-road, he fortunately met with Police-constable Powell,, of the 'Worcestershire force, a tall, powerful fellow, of much courage and presena?. of mind. Having taken the officer into the gig, they made with all possible expedition towards this town, but, on gaining Sparbrook, about a mile and a halfdistant, they came up to a light spring cart, containing four men, one of whom had his clothes torn, and his person smeared with-blood, whom Mr. Norton at once identified as having been the one who had so fearfully stabbed him. As soon as the two vehicles met three of of the parties in the spring cart jumped out, and made an attempt to escape, when Powell sprang upon them, knocked one down with his staff, whom he succeeded in handcuffing, and in securing the fourth, who was left in charge of the cart. The other two, however, managed to effect a safe retreat. The two prisoners were safely lodged in the King's Head tavern, Stratford-road, when one was identified as a notorious character, named John Humphries, and the other as Hurst Stevens ; one was out on bail to answer a charge of felony, committed a few days since. In the cart were found a number of articles taken from Mr. Horton's premises ; and, from the clue already obtained, there is no doubt that the other two wi' be speedily taken. Mr. Horton, upon his arrival home, was found to have been so seriously.injural as to require the attendance of Mr. Lowe, the surgeon. The prisoners, it was understood, will be examined on Monday, if the sufferer is able to give his evidence against them.  A