The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1839-03-26 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

MURDEROUS ATTACK.—On Sunday night, about nine o'clock, a fellow of decent exterior (being respectably clothed and wrapped in .a mackintosh) entered the kitchen of Mr. Wilmot s house, at Coundon, which is in a somewhat secluded situation near Coventry, and enquired of a female servant if her master was at home, to which she replied in the affirmative. He then asked whether Mr. Wilmot had any company, and the servant answered he had not ; she believed her master was• alone in the parlour; upon which " the man in the mackintosh" said .he wanted to see him, and at this moment, observing Mr. Wilmot passing from one parlour into another, followed him, and in a very unceremonious manner told him he wanted him to sign a check for £3O. Mr. Wilmot, of course, began to express his astonishment at such a request, and without hesitation refused to comply ; upon which the fellow made a peremptory demand, and intimated very distinctly that the only alternative was for Mr. Wilmot either to give the check or his life, and at the same moment drew from under his mackintosh a coaple of pistols. Most fortunately it happened that Mr. Swan Wilson, a neighbouring farmer, was in the adjoining room, where had been sitting with Mr. Wilmot, and being alarmed went to his assistance, and at the desperate and critical moment when the ruffian was levelling one pistol at Mr. Wilmot rushed in, and, by a prompt blow on the assassin's arm just at the instant of pulling the trigger, diverted the direction of the ball discharged from the pistol, which, missing the object for whom it was intended, struck the wall near the ceiling. Baulked in his first attempt, the blood-thirsty villain, without the least delay, snapped the second pistol at Mr. Wilson, who was most miraculously saved by the failing of the deadly weapon to go off; for, although the percussion cap exploded, it did not take effect upon the contents of the barrel. The pistol discharged at Mr. Wilmot had a common flat lock. It may naturally be supposed that by this time the whole of the family and domestics were in a state of the utmost terror and consternation, and the only male servant had come up to the assistance of his master. Defeated in his murderous purpose, the daring villain made a desperate resistance, and did not suffer himself to be captured till he had received from Mr. Wilson some rather severe punishment about the bead and face. At length he was made secure by the pinioning of his arms and legs, and upon being searched, he was found to have upon his person a complete apparatus for robbery and murder, consisting of a portable dark lantern, phosphorus-box, lucifer matches, and sand-card, besides an ample supply of bullets and gunpowder. Having been made fast to prevent his escape, a messenger was sent to Coventry for officers to take him into custody, and he was ultimately conveyed to the station-house and brought up on Monday before the Coventry magistrates, by whom he was ordered to be taken to Anstey on the following day, to undergo examination by the Warwickshire magistrates, the offence having been committed within their jurisdiction. We understand that the fellow had some knowledge of Mr. Wilmot's premises, for having had occasion to call there a short time ago to deliver up a dog which had been lost, and for which he was treated with great liberality, besides receiving the reward offered for the recovery of the dog. He gives his name as William Read, and states that he comes from Birmingham.—Leamington Spa Courier.