POSTSCRIPT.
SATURDAY NIGHT.
Some dismay was created about the West End, and the public offices, yesterday evening, by the report that an attempt had been made to assassinate Mr. Edward Drummond, Sir Robert Peel's private secretary, the nephew of the banker in Charing Cross. After having been in at- tendance on Sir Robert Peel at the Privy Council Office, Mr. Drum- mond called at the bank to see his brother, and he left it again about four o'clock. As he was walking along, with the Earl of Haddington, close by the Salopian Coffeehouse, a man was seen to present a pistol and discharge it : the ball entered the fleshy part of Mr. Drum- mond's right thigh ; he staggered, and would have fallen, but was sup- ported by his friend ; and with some difficulty he walked back to the bank, the assassin being seized by a Policeman. Mr. Jackson, an apothecary, was promptly in attendance on the wounded man ; and he was without delay removed to his own house in Grosvenor Street, Grosvenor Square. When the assassin was seized by Policeman Silver, of the A division, he made a slight resistance; but was soon overpowered, disarmed, and taken to the Stationhouse in Gardiner's Lane ; where he was charged " with attempting to assassinate, by shooting at him with two loaded pis- tols, near Charing Cross, Mr. Edward Drummond, the private secretary of Sir Robert Peel." He is described as a broad-faced man, with lightish hair, between thirty and forty years of age. He looked like a mechanic, and is understood to be a turner from Glasgow. He was decently dressed in a black coat, plaid waistcoat, and drab trowsers. Mr. Mayne, the Commissioner of Police, was summoned, and the prisoner was examined ; but little could be drawn from him. He stated that his name was Daniel 51'Naughten ; but he refused to make any further disclosure whatever. He was searched, and there were found on him two Si. notes, 4/. in gold, and a deposit-receipt of a Glasgow bauk for 7501., made out in the name of " Daniel M'Naughten." On his way to the Station- house he repeatedly said that " he knew what he was about." For the last fortnight he has been seen loitering about during office-hours in the neighbourhood of the Home Office and Downing Street. The prisoner's motive is at present utterly unknown. There is some mention of his having been a discharged clerk. The Policeman said, that when he was seized he exclaimed, " he " or "she shall not disturb my mind any longer." A surmise has been hazarded, that he mistook Mr. Drummond for Sir Robert Peel ; a conjecture which would na- turally occur, but for which not the slightest ground has been shown. The ball was found, by Mr. Bransby Cooper and Mr. Guthrie, the surgeons, to have taken a circuitous course, and to have lodged in the fleshy part of the thigh close to the groin, but to have injured no im- portant part ; and it was extracted without mischance. Mr. Drummond is about fifty years of age, and of a full habit, which is considered against him ; but at half-past twelve o'clock last night he was doing well. Repeated inquiries were made at his house ; and Sir Robert Peel paid his secretary a visit in person.
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