The Sun. — 1852-12-30 (London, England)

MURDEROUS ATTEMPT AT BRISTOL.—On Tuesday lasi "By the standing orders of Parliament it is necessary the police of St. Philip's were 'informed that a man that a contract deed for three-fourths of the capital re- named Jefferies, a labourer who lived in the Dings, quired (in this case 45,000 ten pound shares) should be contemplated murdering several members of his family, subscribed and deposited in the proper office, on or before and probably his own destruction. Alarmed at the inthe 31st instant, that 45,0001., and ten per cent. on the telligence, an officer was despatched to Jefferies's resiamount, should be paid in early in the ensuing month. deuce, to inquire into the circumstances of the case. Although the time is so short and the period approaching when men of business and men of leisure are occupied by Upon his arrival at the house, the wife informed him that her engagements peculiar to the season, the directors, trusting husband was in a moody an. d obstinate state of mind h , and was resolved upon destroying his four youngest to the merits of the measure, took courage and issued the children and himself, and she begged. the officer to interprospectus on the 9th of December, closing the period for making applications on the 20th. Although only eleven fere to prevent his carrying out his terrible purpose. The days intervened, and the prospectus had been only ,therein constable as hastily as possible proceeded to the room advertised a large number of applications were received. where the husband was, and found him making the neces" The directors, after having used their diligence and sary preparations for effecting the wholesale murders care in selecting and rejecting applications, allotted up- he meditated. He had upon him four strong cords, wards of 25,000 shares to be paid upon within four days, each of which he had fixed with that peculiar knot the directors undertaking, in addition to their qualification which is used by the common hangman, and which is shares, for which they signed and paid, to appropriate called the " Tyburn knot," and in his hand was as open amongst themselves and the officers for their immediate knife. Upon the officer addressing him, he made no connections and friends 10,000, leaving the remainder for secret of the crime he contemplated, and said he was special application after the usual allotments had taken determined to hang them up like kittens, and that if he place. could not do for them that way, he would with the " Shortly after the issuing of the prospectuses, the changes in the Government absorbed a large portion of the knife. He also said it was no use interfering, for if he public attention, and a counter current of mining specu- could not do it in twenty-four hours he would in fortylations has set in with a force that scarcely allows time to eight hours. The constable then thought it right to consider any other description of undertaking. secure him, but he made a desperate resistance, and beat "Under these circumstances, the directors regret to say and kicked him about the head and body. A second that, out of 25,000 shares allotted, little more than 10,000 policeman and other assistance having fortunately come have been signed and paid upon, and there appears no pro- up, he was with some difficulty secured, and taken before bability of the deed being executed by the requisite numthem agistrates, who directed him to be detained that ber in time, unless it be by application for assistance to some capitalists connected with one of the great railway the state of his mind might be ascertained. companies, or to some eminent contractor, who may be