THE ATTEMPT TO SHOOT MR. RUSSELL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 55, 10 February 1872, Page 15

THE ATTEMPT TO SHOOT MR. RUSSELL.

The " New Zealand Herald" gives the following particulars of the'recent attempt to shoot Mr Thomas Russell:— I Shortly after 12 o'clock, Mrs Thomas Russell, who is residing with her husband and family at the Pah farm, situ- ; ated about two miles to the north of Onehunga, heard a noise upon the ; verandah, as though some person was cautiously creeping along it. Mr Russell was absent at the time, being in Auckland. We may here shortly describe Mr Russell's premises. # The Pah farm stands upon the brow of a hill ; the dwelling-house is at the very top, and there is a good deal of cover in the immediate neighborhood, by means of which any person might creep to within a few yards of the house, even on a bright moonlight light, without fear of detection. The house itself is fully a quarter of a mile from the public road, and is some hundred yards from any other dwelling. Mrs Russell, hearing the footsteps, at once called out to her son, a lad, sleeping in the nexto room, that there was some person about. The son got out of his bed, and then went to the window. The windows of the house are glass, opening on to the verandah in the French style. He drew aside the curtain, and put his face close to the glass to look for the intruder. As he did so, he saw the face of a man peering in. He at once drew back. Almost at the same instant the man outside presented a revolver at him, and fired. The bullet was, fortunately, aimed high, and narrowly missed Master Russell. Had he been some what taller, as tall, for instance as his father, he must inevitably have been shot. The person then proceeded, without waiting, to the next bedroom (that occupied by Mrs Russell) and fired two shots in succession through the window, fortunately missing Mrs Russell. He then went to the next room (the sittingroom) and fired two shots through the window there, but without doing any harm. These three rooms constituted the front of the house. There was then a cessation of the firing for the minute, when it recommenced at the back of the house. One shot was fired into one of the back bed-rooms which was occupied at the time, and two shots were fired into the kitchen, thus making, in all, eight shots. During the whole time the occupants remained close within for there were no meu upon the premises, and they dared not venture forth. That so many shots

should have been fired into the house, and no one damaged, is indeed a wonder. The assailant having thus discharged eight shots made off, leaving himself two barrels to spare in case, we presume, of emergencies, and for his own defence. It is thought that he had but one revolver which he loaded between the fusillades upon the back and front of the house. Close to the kitchen there is some shrubbery, and after firing five barrels against the front of the house, as described, the miscreant probably concealed himself in this shrubbery, and reloaded to blaze away again at the back. The firing appears to have alarmed a Mrs Parfltte who lives in a house belonging to Mrs Eussell some three or four hundred yards away. On getting up to see what was the matter she observed a man running down the hill from the direction of Mrs Russell's house towards the road, and skirting by the shrubbery.