The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1842-01-14 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

ATTEMPTED MURDERS AND SUICIDE AT SHEFFIELD. —ln another column we record the barbarous murder of a young woman at Mansfield, by a lover discarded for his intemperance. We have now to narrate a dreadful event in this town, arising opt of similar circumstances, but differing in this, that no less than three persons have almost miraculously escaped with their lives, while the author of the crime is himself his own victim. 'Hannah, f;.rah, and Harriet Poole, are three sisters, living together at Pyp Bank, Bridgehouses, and maintaining themselves in comfort by dressmaking. Henry Vaughan, the miserable suicide, was a tableknifebafter, living in White Croft, and aged about twenty, five. He has paid his addresses to the second sister, Sarah; but, about eighteen months ago, his conduct had become so dissolute and intemperate, that she refused any longer to keep company with him, Soon after he called to see her, and endeavoured to induce her to revoke her determination ; but, finding that it sills in vain, he drew out a razor and a knife, and,l throwing open the razor as he sat, uttered some horrible threat. She, however, spiritedly pushed him and his seat down together, and took the razor from him, cutting his hand with it. Since that time he has frequently alarmed her and her sisters with threats, and has lurked much about the house as if watching his opportunity. A few months ago, seeing Sarah near a chamber window, he threw a large stone at her, from which she. very narrowly escaped. In October last lie came with a pistol, and fired it against the house, declaring he would frighten them to death. Last Saturday night he was at Mr. Pearson's, the Barrel public-house, en the opposite side of the road, and sent a message to Sarah, requesting to see her. She was out of town at the time, but returned on Monday ; and, in consequence of the violent threats which he had uttered, she applied to the magistrates on Tuesday, and obtained a warrant of the peace, on which Vaughan was summoped to appear on Friday. We understand that he just showed himself at the magistrates' room, and did not remain to answer his name' On Friday night, about a quarter to eight, the sisters were seated at their work, when Vaughan suddenly rushed in at the outer door, and, closing it violently after him, cried " Revenge ! revenge this night, if I go out a corpse !" Drawing his hands from his coat pockets, he exhibited in each hand a pistol. Sarah immediately rushed to the door, followed by Harriet, who, perceiving that Vaughan was aiming at Sarah escaped down the stairs ; but Harriet, by closing the door, had shut herself in with the madman, while Hannah escaped out of the front doer, and, running across the road to the Barrel, gave the alarm. Vaughan rushed to the door as if to follow Sarah ; but Harriet, with wonderful in repidity, pushed him backward, He fell, arqd she snatched what she supposed to be the other loaded pistol from his hand, threw it down and escaping through the door into the next room, made for the window. She threw open the sash, and. pushing open the unfastened shutters, was in the act of jumping out in a stooping posture, when tii6 villain fired at Per. The ball struck her upon the right shoulder blade, making a superficial scored wound, passing over her shoulder and by her cheek. Meanwhile, Mr. Pearson, of the Barrel, with Mr. John Palfreyman, a commercial traveller, and and several others, alarmed by Hannah, and hearing the screams of Harriet, and the sound of the shots, came up to the door. The door was fastened; and Mr. Palfreyman had raised his foot to force it open, when the desperate villain fired a third pistol through the panel of the door. The ball entered Cie front of Mr. Palfreyman's trousers, tearing his -girt, and passing along his left thigh, leaving him most wonderfully without a wound. But, for the peculiar position in which he was, there can be little doubt the ball would have passed through Mr. Palfreyman's abdomen. Finding the chow so desperate, no farther attempt was made to enter the house ; but the police were sent for. Ere they came, three other shots were heard within the house. Alter a short time, Serjeants Wakefield and Astwood arrived ; and, bursting open the door, which had been fastened in the inside. Wakefield entered, and found Vaughan lying on the floor, near the door.. Wakefield immediately seized him by the throat, kneeling upon his arms, under the apprehension that he was only feigning drunkenness, But there was no need for this precaution. The miserable man was in his last agony. His eyes but once moved, and his guilty spirit was gone. The iast shot heard by the neighbour had been directed at his ,wit breast. Near him lay three pocket pistols, one dis,l,arged, one loaded, and the third with the barrel partially inserewed, as if for the purpose of reloading. The suicide's oocly was conveyed to the Barrel, there to await the inquest. —Sheffield Independent.