ATTEMPTED MURDER IN TASMANIA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 182, 16 June 1862, Page 5

ATTEMPTED MURDER IN TASMANIA.

We have to record another diabolical attempt at the destruction of human life made by two armed men, whose names are unknown, upon the person of Mr. A. C. Murray, of Bishopsbourne, on Saturday, the 10th inst. The circumstances attending this outrage are /is follows : —About ten o'clock on the night of the 10th of May last, Mr. Murray heard a knock at the outer door of his store. He repaired thereto and opened the door. Two men presented themselves, and requested to be served with half a pound of tobacco. Mr. Murray acceded to their request, and went to the store counter for the purpose of procuring the tobacco. He had to stoop to get the tobacco. When he recovered his position, and was in the act of weighing the tobacco in the scales, one of the men presented a revolver at Mr. Murray's face, actually touching it, and said, " What we want, Mr. Murray, is your money, or your life." Mr. Murray replied that he would go into his sitting room and get his money. Mr. Murray iras in the act of proceeding to his sitting room, pretending to get his money, when both the ruffians presented revolvers at his head. This latter action so exasperated Mr. Mvi ray that he violently grasped one of the men, and a wrestle for life or death ensued, during which Mr. Murray succeeded in throwing the man who first presented the revolver. When down, he cried out to his mate to shoot Mr. Murray. This request was repeated twice. In the scuffle both men went down, and the second man smartly jumping up, resting "on his knee, he discharged his revolver at Mr. Murray's head, the ball of which struck him on the left side of the head, in close proximity to the temple. The wound is not dangerous, but it is supposed the ball must have glanced off, otherwise fatal effects would have resulted. The cowards then bolted, leaving Mr. Murray in possession of one beautiful and highly finished revolver, and his old felt hat. The description of the men, s(/ far as Mr. Mumy's memory serves, is as follows:—First man, dark complexion, no whisker, about five feet eight and a half inches high; dressed in pilot cloth coat, dark waistcoat, white shirt, dark trousers, English accent. Second man, cannot be described well. The police had notice, and proceeded in pursuit. The men are not yet arrested.— Cornwall Chronicle.