The Northern Daily Times. — 1857-01-16 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

MURDEROUS GARROTTE ROBBERY.  Last evening between five and six o'clock, the neighbourhood of Rock Ferry was thrown into a state of great alarm by the report of a most murderous attack made by two men upon a young medical student named Saxby, whose paren's reside at Elizabethan Cottage, Rock Ferry. It appears, that between the hours above named, Mr. Saxby was taking a walk in the direction of the Rock Ferry R,ailway Bridge, close to. Mr. Watson's coal yard, and while on his way, he observed two men a short distance before him, On his passing, one of them addressed him, and made use of some expression to the effect that he (the man) would give it to him through his bloody guts"—whereupon Mr, Saxby asked what he meant, and whether he alluded to him, because if he did, he had better come to the police office and explain himself, whereupon the man who had made use of the expression pulled out a large knife, and immediately attacked Mr. Saxby, and made several attempts to stab him. Fortunately Mr. S. managed to parry the blows with a short stick he had in his hand. Mr. S. then finding that the man was intent upon doing him some serious mischief, managed to pull out his own knife to use in self defence, and made several blows at his assailant. At this moment the second man attacked him from behind by seizing bird round the throat and inflicting a severe blow with a stone, or some other bard substance, on the top of his head, the first man at the same moment stabbing him on the left breast, immediate'y over the heart, which knocked him down, and he became insensible. They then proceeded to rifle his pockets, and took from them a purse, with some silver and a silver pencil case, and then made off. Shortly after, a gentleman residing in the neighbourhood cam., up, and finding Mr. S. lying on the road, assisted him to his residence, where, with the aid of stimulants, he soon recovered, so as to be enabled to give an account of what had happened, and a police officer having been sent for, they all three went to the spot where the attack had been made, and found on the ground both the knife of the robber and the one used by Mr. S , the latter being covered with blood, indicating that Mr. S. must have inflicted one or more wounds on the man by whom he was first attacked. The knife with which Mr. S. was attacked is a most formidable weapon, set in a handle such as used by carpenters for bradawls, ground very sharp on both sidee of the point, and about five inches long. Upon examination of Mr. S's clothes. it was found that the stab had gone through his pilot cloth over coat and a shooting jacket to his pocket book, which he fortunately had in his breast pocket, and which, no doubt, was the means of saving his life. The stick with which Mr. S. parried the blows was deeply cut in several places. Mr. S. is a young man, about 20 years of age, and while at school learned the art of self-defence, which enabled him to ward off the blows aimed at him, and which is fully proved by the marks on the stick. Immediately on the attack being made known to the police at Birkenhead, Mr. Superintendent Birnie gave directions for the searching of all lodging and other low houses in the town, shortly after which three men, strangers in the town, were brought to the police station, one of them answering to the description of the man who used the knife, and upon being interrogated, he admitted that he and the others had come from Chester that (lay, and had passed by Rock Ferry, arriving at the lodging house where they were taken from about seven o'clock in the evening. Mr. Saxby was sent for, but he was unable to identify him, and they were again set at liberty.  POhICE