About four o ' clock on Thursday morning, the inmates of the
Angel Inn at Ludlow were roused from their beds by cries of "lire" front one of the bedrooms ; and a noise was heard of breaking glass, as if some one were making frantic attempts to break open the window. The passage was immediately filled ; and sense one stumbled over a man who was lying on the ground, with his throat cut from ettr to ear. The wounded man was recognized as a commercial traveller named Aloe- reeth. He made signs tint pen, ink, and paper, and wrote in a bold stiff hand, "I have been murdered by a villain." It was at first supposed that Macreeth had attempted suicide, but after some time suspicion was directed to a different quarter. Drops of blood were observed on the floor from Mr. Macreeth's room to that of an adjoining room occupied by a young man named Misters. This, and the circumstance of a bloody razor having been found lying on the ground in a yard opposite the . window of his room, led to his apprehension. Misters had arrived at the inn on the previous night, and introduced himself as the friend of a Mr. Ludlow, a cattle-dealer of Birmingham ; whom it has since been ascertained he had been following to different parts of the country, for the purpose, it is supposed, of plundering him, it being known that Mr. Ludlow had large sums of money about hint. Mr. Ludlow arrived at the Angel Inn the same evening. Misters had met hint at Shrew- bury fair, on Tuesday the I Ith ; and had there shown a strange anxiety to be made acquainted with his movements, and especially to be informed as to the room in the inn which Mr. Ludlow would oc- cupy at night. At Shrewsbury, however, Ludlow slept at a friend's house; but Misters was present when he mentioned his intention of
being at Ludlow on Wednesday. When he arrived at Ludlow, Misters again made inquiries as to Mr. Ludlow's proceedings ; and on the arrival of the latter, he claimed acquaiutance with him, upon the strength of their having mutual friends hi Birmingham ; and they took tea together. Air. Ludlow inquired of the chambermaid, in the pre- sence of the prisoner, whether he could have No. 9 room, that being the apartment usually occupied by hiin for a series of years on his visits to that town. The maid replied certainly ; and shortly afterwards, the prisoner Misters retired to his bed, leaving Mr. Ludlow in the room below. Soon after the prisoner had retired to bed, the servant again entered the travellers' room, and informed Mr. Ludlow, that she had Made a mistake—that the room he had usually occupied had, previously to his arrival, been shown to Mr. Macreeth, who had already de- posited a portion of his property there. Mr. Ludlow was then shown Into another room; and by this mistake, probably, he escaped. In the
morning, Misters remained in his room. When roused, he seemed con. fused, and said that he could not find his stockings. lie was observed to leave the inn about eight o'clock, carrying something under his coat. He returned to the commercial room to breakfast ; but in the mean time suspicion had been awakened, and he found himself in custody of the police. When his room was examined, blood was found on the floor, and marks of feet clothed in blood-soaked stockings; but no such stockings were found about the room. Marks of blood too were found upon the window-curtain. The deposition of the wounded man was taken by the Magistrates at his bedside : he spoke with great diffi- culty, in a whisper. He said that he was disturbed by some one feeling at his throat ; and, putting up his hands, he felt a hole there, and the blood was running. He jumped out of bed, and ran to the window, in spite of some one who tried to hold him down by the night-shirt. [The shirt was found to have been torn from the left shoulder downwards.] He had two razors, with white handles, which were in a small box on the dressing-table. When be was disturbed, he opened a larger box and put in a small parcel and a bottle. He was not then aware that he was so badly hurt. He then went to the door, which he had locked. over night, and found it open. " I had every thing to make me happy," says the wounded man at the conclusion of his deposition, " and was going to be married in five weeks."
Misters has been examined three times before the Magistrates. One of the witnesses said, that under Alacreeth's bed were marks, as if some one had been under thc bed : the mark of a left hand was plain, andthe appearance of the floor seemed to indicate that some one had been breathing on it. At the last examination, on Wednesday, a statement made by the prisoner, that he had passed the night previous to the murder at Worcester, was disproved. One witness said, he saw Misters on that night asleep in a learn in the neighbourhood of Ludlow. Dr. Lloyd stated, that although he call not i.roonnee Mr. Maereeth out of danger, there was every Fo,i,vet of his ultimate recovery. All the witnesses were cross-examine.' by tlie. priscmer with great shrewdness. I [is main object appeared to be to show the pt:,;:thility oc mistake as es, his identity, to account for she spots of blood leading from the room occupied by Mr. Macreeth to Isis own bed-ronnt, and the stains of blood found on his shirt, and bell, atttl .e.indow -curtains. The prisoner was remanded until Monday next : De. 1,loyal giving it as his opinion, that in all probability on that day Mr. Macreeth would be sufficiently re- covered to attend and give evidence.
The only articles found upon Mistessv. lien searched were an empty purse, gloves, a piece of alum, and part of a pennypiece made hollow.
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