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

HORRID, 'BARBAROUS, AND MYSTERIOUS ATTEMPT ON THE LIFE OF A COMMERCIAL GENTLEMAN, AT LUDLOW. • (From the Ludlow Standard of Saturday.) On Wednesday morning last, this town and neighbourhood was thrown into the., greatest state of excitement, first by a report that a commercial gentleman had committed suicide. at the Angel Inn, by cutting his throat, and subsequently by, its proving too true that a most barbarous and mysterious murder had been attempted on the life of Mr. William Miller Mackreth; Traveller for the firm of Christopher George and ' Co., Patent Shot Manufacturers,. Bristol, at the above Inn, by cutting his throat, extending over seven inches in length, also by a frightful horizontal wound extending across the mouth literally "from ear to ear." The whole circumstances, as detailed in the following report of the judicial proceedings of the local authorities and examination of witnesses, to unravel and discover the perpetrator of this almost unparalleled deed of blood, will be read with the deepest interest, as. partaking in a very extraordinary degree of the character of the frightful murder of Lord William Russell. The 'person now under suspicion of the deed is a young man of very youthful appearance, of the name of Josiah Mister, who till lately lived, in the neighbouring town of Leominster, and we believe he has a brother living near Birmingham in a very respectable line of business as malster. We are in possession of many interesting facts relative to the accused, which in the present state. of the inquiry we forbear publishing. He is about five feet seven inches high, dark hair, sallow complexion, dark eyes, animated with a lurking expression of cunning and penetration, slim figure, and well dressed, might pass for a person who had seen tolerably good society. His present appearance is somewhat below the " Shabby Genteel." At times, during the examination of witnesses, his expression is that of a care worn person, at other times he shows a confidence somewhat bordering on discretion for a person in so serious a situation, and he has more than once shown a little flippancy of manner in his mode of questioning the witnesses.. As one gentleman observed in court, he seems "to be watching the extent of the case against him." At an early hour in the morning, the Mayor, John Smith, Esq., Humphrey Smith, 'Esq., John Hutchings, Esq., the Rev. Charles Walcot, of Bitterly, and other county and borough magistrates, were at tfie Angel taking deep interest in tracing out the perpetrators of the' crime. And here we must pause to say, that the anxiety of the medical gentlemen consulted, Dr. Lloyd, Mr. Henry Hodges, Mr. Baines, Mr. Crawford of Shrewsbury, &c., to render the wounded man prompt aid, to console him in this terrible visitation, and through whom an early suspicion of the fact that a foul murder had been attempted, originated, entitle theM to the thanks of society ; nor must we withhold a weed of praise from the mayor and his judicial coadjutors, and Mr. William Downes, town clerk, for the untiring zeal with which they have acted up to the present tin-.e. We witnessed it and feel it our duty to record our unqualified approbation of the course pursued. Being on the spot at an early hour in the morning, we can truly say, that the scene of blood was the most frightful we ever witnessed, and the unhappy object of the assassin's knife presented a most appalling spectacle ; the room where he lay, passage, stairs, walls, &c., were literally smeared and deluged in blood to an extent scarcely credited. The medical gentlemen called in being unable to say the wounded gentleman could long be expected to survive, the mayor and borough magistrates, in whose hands the management of the case necessarily rested, determined on taking the deposition of Mr. Mackreth, as he lay on his bed. They accordingly proceeded to his room, and, partly in whispers, for the almost dying man spoke with great difficulty, and was obliged to be propped up with pillows, took the following