The Sun. — 1842-01-11 (London, England)

SHOCKING TRAGEDY AT SHEFFIELD.  The town of SThe[lisdd has bcea the scene of a very shocking occurrence, the result of intemperance. A young man, aged named Henry Vaughan, a table-knife manufacturer, living in Whitecroft, Lad, it appears, paid attentions to Sarah Poole, who, with her two sisters, lived at Pie B ink Bridiehouses. and ohtailed a respeet.thc livelihood by dressmaking ; but. about eighteen months ago, in consequence of his dissolute conduct and intemperate habits, she refused any longer to keep company with him. Soon after this period, he called upon her, and endeavoured to induce her to revoke her determination to discard him as a lover. But finding his persuasions in vain he drew out a raz and attempted her life. She, however, with great promptitude and spirit, threw him down, and got the razor from his hand. In October be had fired a pistol at the house, and on Monday last he vis:tcd her and uttered such alarming threats that she applied to the Magistrates for protection, and obtained a peace warrant. Vaughan was summoned to appear before the bench on Friday. The sisters had, in consequence of his violence, been latterly in the habit of fastening the door and window-shutters in the evening ; but on Frid ty night unfortunately forgot or neglected to do so. At about a quarter before eight o'clock they were sitting at their work, when Vaughan suddenly rushed in at the outer door, closing it after him as he entered, and cried, " Revenge ! revene this night, if 1 go out a corpse!' He then drew his hands from his packets with a pistol in each. Sarah Pool! immediately rushed to the door, followed by her sister Harriet, who, perceiving that be was aiming at Sarah, shut the door, but he fired one pistol before it was closed. Sarah escaped down the stairs, but 11 irriet, by closing the door, shut herself in with the infuriated man, while the third sister, Hannah, escaped out at the front door, and ran over to give alarm at tl:e public-house opposite. Vaughan essayed to follow :Sarah, but Harriet, with great presence of mind and wonderful intrepidity, pushed him backwards and lin fell. At ;his moment she snatched from him what she supposed to be the other loaded pistol, threw it dawn, and escaping 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, when 1.11. villain fired at. her. The bail struck her upon the shoulder, inflicting a superficial wound, and passed by her cheek. At this moment the landlord of the Barrel public-house, and Mr. Palfreyman, a commer,:ial traveller, came over, upon which the descei-ate fellow fired a third pistollich through the panne) of the door, the ,ball from which entered the front of Mr. Palficym4n s trowsers and tore his shirt, but, wonderful to say, passed over his thigh without wonodi,g- him. The door still remained fastened, and they were afraid to make any further attempt at entering until the police should arrive. In the interval three other shots were heard in the room, and when they at length entered they found the miserable man in his last agony. He had discharged one of the pistols at his own breast. Near him lay three pocket pistols, one discharged, one loaded, and the third with the barrel partially noscrea ed, as if an attempt had been male a second time to reload it. Taco or three bullets were found on the floor, and that fired at Sarah Poole, which had touched her left temple and raised a small lump, had flattened against the wall, and fallen down the cellar steps. An inquest was held on the body of the suicide on Saturday afternoon and a verdict of Felo de se returned, after the facts above related had been deposed to before the jury by the witnesses to the dreadfpl transaction. The Coroner accordingly gave the usual directions for the interment of the body at midnight, without Christial burial.—Abridged from the Sheffield ladependent