The Sun. — 1858-10-20 (London, England)

DIABOLICAL ,ITTEMPT TO MURDER AT SHEFFIELD.  SHEFFIELD, TUESDAY. A most alarming outrage has this morning been committed in the Wicker whereby the life of one man will in all probability be sacrificed. The scene of the outrage was on the premises of Mr. Fewsdale, the extensive joiner and builder in the Wicker, and the man whose life has been perilled is Henry Grayson, a journeyman, in Mr. Fewsdale's employ.. For some time it would appear the whole of the men in Mr. Fewsdale's employ have been in an unsettled state and much dissatisfied with the foreman, Thomas Champion, the author of the outrage we are now recording. So much was the man disliked that it appears, in order to keep the men at their work, Mr. Fewsdale found it necessary to suspend Champion, and he was suspended all last week. On Monday morning his employer permitted him to start work as a journeyman, and he went to the " Farm" (where Air. Fewsdale has a good number of men employed) for that purpose. As soon as he got there, however, the men refused to work with him, and gave over accordingly, and also sent word to the men at the workshops in the Wicker, where they also desisted from work in consequence of Champion having commenced. In consequence of this Mr. Fewsdale had no alternative but to tell Champion he would have to leave altogether. This, it would appear, satisfied all the men, and this morning they resumed their work. About half-pa-st nine o'clock they were surprised by seeing Champion enter the shop, where there were nine or ten men at work. He first went to a man named Womack, and after a few words, asked him if he had anything to say against him. He then turned to Grayson, and said, Have you anything to say against me ?" Grayson said, "No ;" but immediately Champion drew out a six-barrelled revolver, and placing it under Vrayson's right ear, fired it ; the ball with which the pistol was charged entered just at that point. Champion next turned to another workman named Kenyon, and presented the pistol to him in the same position, but the pistol missed fire, and Kenyon, who had felt something at his ear, instantly turned round and laid hold of Champion, who was soon secured by the assistance of the other workmen. The whole affair was the work of an instant. Poor Grayson was found to be dangerously wounded, and lost a very great quantity of blood. Mr. Haxworth, Mr. Chessman, and. Mr. Booth, surgeons,were sent for, and severally arrived. The ball, it was found, had lodged in some part of the man's head and could not be extracted, and there is not the slightest hope of his recovery. Grayson is a married man and has a daughter 15 years of age. He is much respected by his employer, and had worked for him 28 years, including his apprenticeship. Champion lived in Rodney-' lane, Suffolk-road. When he was secured by the workmen the police were sent for, and Inspector Linley and Sergeant Marsland were shortly on the spot. The pistol, on being taken from him, was found to be a six-barrelled revolver ; one barrel, of course, had been fired, the other five were found still loaded; and from the way in which the man commenced the outrage there is every reason to believe that he intended to make deadly use of every barrel. At the moment we conclude this brief account the wounded man still remains at the workshops, as the doctors have pronounced it unsafe to remove him. A magistrate, accompanied by Mr. Thorp, Mr. Albert Smith's clerk, is also in attendance taking the dying man's deposition, in the presence of the prisoner.