The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1840-08-25 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

BIRMINGHAM, SUNDAY.—I transmitted you On Friday evening last a hastily-written account of the attempted murder of Mr. Millar Mackreth, a gentleman holding a very responsible situation in a commercial firm of some magnitude in Bristol. lam happy to communicate that the intelligence received in Birmingham of the death of that unfortunate gentleman, as stated in the Herald of Saturday, is incorrect. He is, however, in great and imminent danger ; and the medical gentleman in attendance upon him can give no opinion upon his case at its present crisis. It is now fully shown that the attempt to assassinate Mr. Mackreth resulted in a mistake. The intended victim was Mr. Ludlow, an extensive butcher and cattle dealer of Birmingham ; and there is a startling impressiveness in the providential circumstances which were auxiliary to his escape, that cannot fail to strike us with awe. The prisoner Misters, who is most respectably connected both in Birmingham and Leominster, has resided for a considerable time in Canal-street, in this town. •By some means or other he ascertained that Mr. Ludlow intended to take a journey into Shropshire for the purpose of attending a sale of cattle. A person answering the prisoner's description is proved to have called at the Unicorn Inn, in Shrewsbury (the house at which Mr. Ludlow usually stopped in that town), and inquired if Mr. Ludlow was within. The latter individual being well known to the landlord, the prisoner was informed that Mr. Ludlow was not there, and that it was believed he had gone to the Earl of Powis's sale of sheep, &c. The prisoner accordingly left the house, and it would appear that a few miles distance from Ludlow he gave a signal to the driver of the Red Rover coach that he wished a seat. The coach accordingly stopped, and the prisoner went inside, when, remarkable to say, the only passenger therein was Mr. Ludlow himself. A conversation was naturally commenced, and on the arrival of the coach at the Red Rover Inn, both parties entered the room, and partook of supper. Subsequently Mr. Ludlow inquired of the chambermaid, in the presence of the prisoner, whether he could have the room he usually slept in (No. 9, I believe), when he was answered in the affirmative. The prisoner shortly afterwards called for a light and went to bed, leaving Mr. Ludlow in the travellers' room. The circumstance which followed, in all human probability, saved Mr. Ludlow's life. The prisoner had not long retired to bed, when the chambermaid again ent madeer e ad mt hi set arkoetn, th aa tn i the nefho ar mmehde r M( (Nor.. .0 L. 9u)d liouw that which shhee uhsad u. ally slept had already been shoivn to a traveller, and that he ha ot ( night. s ar ine aLs matter t Bd)tae erwtrethowuatuftehl eeed hnue probablyuffwaorcsouteurs ladarnestpdat they acefieedvyc aeet noKt o'clockyca occurred allnr one unoccupied. aneuedhni oh naotumetpeehhur. eetpori se IMrd2. were . alike Ludlow, to morning,'cl chku wa ever, the whole house was suddenly alarmed by loud cries of " Murder !" and " Fire !" and a Mr. Jobson, of Shrewsbury, who slept in an adjoining apartment, bearing the cries, accompanied by a loud smashing of the window-glass, as if a person was endeavouring to break the panes, rushed from his room, and encountered in the lobby other parties whom the noise had brought tothe spot. The first object which struck their attention was the • unfortunate Mr. Mackreth, lying prostrate on the ground, near to his bed-room door, with his throat dreadfully gashed, and his cheeks mangled in the most horrible manner. The first impression that struck the beholders was, that the wounded man had committed suicide, and he was immediately carried into his bed-room, and *placed on the bed. He could not utter a word, but making signs for pen and ink, he wrote, " I have been murdered by a villain !" The parties in the house were now in the utmost state of excitement. Medical assistance was promptly sent for ; and the inn was searched for the perpetrators of the deed. Notwithstanding the accumulating noise. on the stairs, the prisoner Misters never made his appearance ; and the suspicion of the parties being once aroused they went to his bed-room, but found it locked. After knocking for some time they gained admittance ; but he denied all knowledge of the dreadful crime; and said that Mr. Ludlow knew him well. The entrance of Mr. Ludlow, however, into his bed-room, who declared he knew nothing of the man beyond the slight acquaintance contracted in the coach, confirmed the suspicions already entertained. He was immediately secured ; and, after a minute search, they traced marks of blood from the chamber of Mr. Mackreth to that of the prisoner—marks as if the prisoner's stockings had been saturated with blood. Spots of blood were also discovered on the curtains of the prisoner's bed. The next object was to examine the apparel of the prisoner, but nothing to excite suspicion was found thereon. His stockings, however, were not to be found, nor have they since been. I have alreddy stated to you the discovery of a razor in an entry opposite the prisoner's bed-room, and upon which were spots of blood, not then dry. It was also ascertained that the prisoner, on retiring to bed, had a whole candle, but in the morning it was found burnudlown to the socket of the candlestick. There are other circumstances of a collateral nature all tending to criminate the prisoner, who, however, preserves a dogged demeanour, and insists upon his innocence.