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other Ths cenernl circumataDceB of the c...
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iHetropIttan Iitteliipnc^
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KQCKST3. ,_ ..... DETEEirrssD S.-lfIIb T...
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yorkshire. Yoke.—The Execution cf Reid, ...
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Perthshibe. Perth.—Militart Di6TrjRBAJfC...
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CARDIGANSHIRE. MqsHOMTB Morality.—At the...
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(Fre-m our ewn Correspondent.) THE BABL ...
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THE SPECIAL COMMISSION. On Wednesday wee...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Other Ths Cenernl Circumatadceb Of The C...
jANTJAtt ? 15 , 1848 . ff ^ THE TJOtt'TWERN STAR " -, ^ ¦ ==- TTTT 6 ^___—— . _____ - —•—— ^ ' " " ~
Ihetropittan Iitteliipnc^
iHetropIttan Iitteliipnc ^
Kqckst3. ,_ ..... Deteeirrssd S.-Lfiib T...
KQCKST 3 . , _ ..... DETEEirrssD S .-lfIIb TBcCTios . —Before MrMiUs , d « pusy . wnm « , in uw Aiiddlo ^ K ll MDitaL on HfinrrLtraonnt . sgedfortr . nve , a faithful servant , ^ ho had lived as porter twenty-three years with Mr Salomons , glass-dealer , Poland-street The deceased had the misfortune to be married to a woman who ralher indulged in drink , and who died on Tiinrsdav . After tier death deceased went to a drawer in his room where he expected to find £ 14 and his watch ; both wore gone . He then rushed frantically from his lodgings , in Broad-street , to Mr Solomons , e-daiminir * I am a ruined man ! I will
never recover it ; I will be compelled to apply to the piriEh to bury my wife . ' Mr Solomons in vain endeavoured to saot ' e the poor fellow . Alter some time he lelt his master's house , and having boueht half-apint of vitrol drank it off ia the street . He was removed ia the greatest agony to the hospital , whare death quickly terminated bis sufferings— Mr Solomons , who was affeated to tears while he cave evid * nc ^ , deposed that deceased could not be surpassed for honesty , sobriety , industry , and attention to his employer ' s interest . He ( Mr Solomons ) was certain that he never could get such , another servant . Verdict . * Insanity . '
The Late Fatal Accr pExr at the Efsion-Siy-AUK TeKITTSCS OF THK NoRTH-WevTEKN Rah > ¦ wat . —Before the same gentleman , at the University College Hospital , on the body of John Shea , aged forty seven , labourer , whose death was caused by the fall of a wall in front of a waiting twom , in process « f erection , at the above-named terminus . —Charlotte Glass , narse to the hospital , proved the death on Frid y moraine last , and said that irhen he was admitted , he conld talk inte'ligibly , and blamed no one far what had happened . —Mr Park , house-snreeon , md the immediate cause of death was injury to the } ane =. which were Penetrated by the ribs driven in njonfe 'em—J- Hiekmar , E . Scanlan ( one of the men injured ) , and James Stevenson , foreman of the bricklayers , all in . thecmnloy of Messrs Cubitt . engapedby Sir Hsrdtriek , the architect to the Railway Company , to construct the h « Udtnjr , were examined at great length . None of them could account for f he fall of the wall and the which it str j
pillars on ^ r they said that the very best materir > -. ;; *» ftj ™ the best workmen efflplflT ^^^^^^ J ? * _ a - „ : a ti ,- _ . wtt d rot oc afraid to work tonoone , anW thev ^ TOCtedasbefo ^_ ThoTDas fwf " " & general foreman of the works , said his in-,. "fi * ons were to u ? e the be * t materials , and the very best workmen , and he bad done so . He examined the works seven times a day , and had never apprehended any dauber . He did not know the cause of the accident , hordid Mr Cubitt . who had pxamined the rnins with him . — Mr Christopher-Bavin , clerk of tbe works to Mr Hardwick the company ' s architect , ? aid that Mr Hard wick ' s directions had ' been carried ont by Sir Cabitt , and that the former had never made the slightest complaint of the way the works were being carried on . He had not the slightest knowledge ot h « w the fall took place , and should have no fear of recommencing the work as before . Verdict , ' Thatdeceased died of injuries caused by the fall of the wall , but what caused that fell there was no evidence to shiW . '
Aged Female Br / R . vr to Dsath . —In St Bartholomew ' s Hospital , on tbe body of Martha Watts , aged sixty-five , of 48 , Whiteborse-yard , Aldersgatestreet ; an imbecile , who accidently set fire to her clothe * , and was burnt to a cinder . Verdict—* Accidental death . ' Death from Starvatiou — At the Green Man , Cambridge-road , on the body of Rob ? rt Page , aged frty-five , an eccentric , who died of starvation . Verdict— 'Natural death , accelerated by want , caused by Lis own neglect in not applying for relief . '
rises . Da > ger ot Lr cife 2 Matches . —A number of chil dren , who had been left in a room at No . 23 , Marlborounh-sireet , St James ' s , comrsenced playing with pome luc'fer matches , which becoming ignited , the flames speedily communicated with tbe bed and furniture . ' The cinsfqnence was that the children be . came surrounded with fUmes . Their cries brought assistance , and they were happily secured . The engines from" King-street , Golden- square , quickly attended , £ nd the firemen got the fire out , but not until considerable injury was done .
A Mischievous . Spabry—A fife occurred at No . 9 , Princes ^ couri , Princes-street , Losdon-road . It was causedjfrcin ^^ 'irk flying oat of the fire , which eet a q ^ aiiStysf ^ T ^ reSsrjtr ' apparel in & blaze . The Sk & G & a . speedily ertingaulie ^ - ^ s ^ Bom > Ttjcsses : — -At No . 91 , Feit « 4 s _ e . - "The teat of the farnaee attached to Fetter-lane Chapel ¦ s ras the cause of the tire . —Another fire hroke out at Ko . 337 . St Wary Axe . The cause was similar to the last : the heat of the furnace connected with the a ijoining baths fiied the bond timbers in a bach Kmnting-honse .
Ixcexdiabrji . —A fire , supposed to be the work of an incendiary , broke out upon the presses occupied by Mr P . Mills , a cah-net-msker . Ke . 41 , Tottenharo-conrt-Toad . wrf » "Vdifcovcred , the contents of fij ^ workshops pnftSie srouiid floor and the workshop en the story above were on fire . Fire escapes and numerous engines of the London Brigade attended , bat the flvmes were not extinguished until eoasidVable damage was done . Bckxixg of _ Waddikg FAcroRr —A § re broke ont on the premises of Mr Springer , wadding manufacturer , 13 Splcer . street . Spital 6 elds , which ** s not extinguished before the stove room was burned out , tie drying-room gutted , the roof burned off , and considerable damage done'to- the adjoining storerooms and warehouse . Unfortunately , Mr Springer was not insured .
Fire is St Saviour ' s Church . —Bcrxisg o ? Dead Bodies . —On Tuesday morning , about a quarter bcforeniue o ' cl < ck , the utmost excitement was created in the immediate vicinity of London-bridge , by the circulation of a report that St Saviour ' s church , was on fire . The report was strenethened by smoke Hsain-r thrown ir < e windows of the church and Ladye char-el . ' Mr Superintendent Evans and Inspector Cowlen ef the M division , with a powerful body of police , immediately hastened to the spot , a ^ at once cleared a space for the firemen and engines . In a very brief period the engines of the London Briaade . t- * the number of-seven or ei ght , sr \ d that of the West of England Company , arrived . The doors having been ferccd , the firemen were
unable for some time to find out the exict seat of the Sre . on ace unt of the dense suff eating smoke . The patent smoke-proof jacket having been placed npon one of the fi-emen . an engine wns employed to pump fresh air int » the dress , and by that means the spot where the fames were rasing was found out . Whilst thspersr . n was examining the fl-or of the ehurrh , he perceived a body of smoke pouring f .-rth from the entranea to the vaults used for burying the dead . Forthwith orders we e given to have the vault epened . and the hossof the engines carried to the s :. oD . TJv * cement the door of the vault was takes np , thetfHavium that arose nearly knocked the men down . Nothing daunted , they kept to their post , 5 nd with the aid of the fire-proof drea , the firemen were enabled to descend into the vault , aud afterconeiderib ' e trenb : e the fhmes were extinguished ¦
, when a scene presented itself of a most horrible nature : a number of coffins in the vauh were found to be so extwfively burned , that the bodies had fallen on % ar : « i were exposed to view ; some had their hvads barned r . ff , others bid theirentraih comjiletely destroyed , wiiilst others vrere so charred ; that it would be impossible to identify tuem . The psrochialauthorities were icstsntlysent for , and orders were at once gi ^ en k > have the rem-iiKS placed in new coffins . Respecting the origin « f the diBusrer , npthiri < r is precise !? known , b ; it from the fact . ¦;'¦' . 'vjiiy having b 4 « ntn ; crr 6 dinthesame va-uli the prcvii- ^« afternoon , it is generally believed that s . spar from a . lighted candle during the fimera ! mi ht have rallen amongst the coffins , and henee the ulsmity . The damage done by fire and smoke is very exten-Bve .
aiFCELLAXEOUS . Life SrrusGE as Romance One of those extraordinary events which now and then occur , as if to exemplify the adage of truth being stranger thanffiction , has this week taken place at Gravegcnd , the facts , as communicated to ns by a private correspondent , being as follows : —On Monday , an old « man-ofwar ' s raan , ' the boatswain of a yacht belonging to a gentleman wh » was about to ssTil for the Mediferra . aean , having obtained a brief leave of absence went np to London , in one of tbe steamers which ply to and fro , for the purpose of tiwaarting some private business . In the boat he met with a young man , a servant to one of the officer ' s at Tilbury Fort , whom he had never seen bsfore , but he diJ not then take much notice of his fellmr-paaenger . Upon returnee the nsst day , however , he found the same man on bard and 'Jack ' haviBg- scraped acquaintance , thev en * teredmto conversation . The office ' s servant soon became
i exceedingly communicative , oikeivic i amongst other matters , that he was . io tiart- ' or i China in ten days , and , that fee tad ' been to town to i see a lawyer respecting some - property to ' which he I believed he ras heir ; bat upon ri-ferrin" to the will i it had been discover * d that he was only to inherit the 1 property m tieevenfpf an uncle , supposed to be < drownf * Je years since , not coming forward to « £ ¦ ' - xne nameof a Lord Gianville teinjr men . ie sailer observed , 'Why , messmate , I have fenow that name well . ' Mutual explanak place , when it turned out that the boat-« vs the very missing uncle , and will now inbeproperty , worthin all about £ 5 . 000 . Notwithms this unexpected acquisition to his fortune . oncf - veptane' tar like , ' seems inclined to stick is ship o . which he is now the boatswain , ob = ervmat he d just as soon sail round the world with i rpt master .
inr . rAi . in- a ihe Msiropolis -By registrar ' s e . uTtt «» pp ? aiatha- the number of deaths durin * ttewee ^ ending January' 8 , was 1 , S ( U bpin » 9 Vr ; ab . ve the average of * e cVesp ^ dingwtk durSg the last Sve years . It is satisfactory , however that , . ihe mor tality oflast week is li hte 7 bvS th % that of the ^ e ek end . n JannBry 1 . Ttennmber ? fffi £ « wees f , flM _ , r , flueC 2 a i , 6 tated to have been S ' - S am typhis , eighty-seven . ' 4
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Yorkshire. Yoke.—The Execution Cf Reid, ...
yorkshire . Yoke . —The Execution cf Reid , the Mirfibld MnRnEREB . —Patrick Reid , the man who was convicted of having murdered Mr and Mrs Wraith , and their servant , Caroline Ellis , at MirSeld , was executed on Saturday morning last at York . The facts ofthis atrocious murder have already been minutely laid before the public , and it is , therefore , unnecessary to repeat them . Since his condemnation Reid has been frequently visited by his friends . He leaves a father , a mother , a brother , and a wife and
infant child ; for the latter ke has expressed much concern . It is satisfactory to know that he had complied with the exhortation of the learned judge who tried him , in laying aside a'l hopes of a continuance in this world , and in endeavouring to make hia peace with and obtain that pardon from the Almighty which the law _ of this land could not grant under the fearfully deliberate circumstance of his crime . Being a Roman Catholic , he has been regularly attended since his cosviction by the ministers of his church . The interest which the execution of this mm has caused throughout the neig hbourhood was very excessive , and many thousand persons arrived in the city to witness the execution . It is supposed that no less than thirty or forty thousand
individuals were present on the occasion . When the clock was at the point of twelve the prisoner v ; as brought upon the scaffold , attended by the Rev . J . Render , and followed by the Under-Sheriff , the Governor of the Castle ( John 'Noble , Esq ) , and the other officials . Halberdiers were placed to guard the scaffold , as were alsa the officers of the sheriff The prisoner walked with the utm < st firmness and composure on the scaffold ; and having knelt down , he engaged in prayer with the minister of religion by whom he was attended . At the conclusion ~ £ ' service , he rose without assiesn « -o ~ n ^ -. ossea himself upon the bres ^ ~ «*«» turned round , and said to those iron - » te ! y around him , 'Well , gentlemer * '"* " S 8 V . *" *¦ a * 0 Ee am * R ni " ,-. oofl ; that M'Cabeis entirely innocefit , and that
j no human being in the world had anything to do 1 w'th it but myself . ' lie then resigned himself into the hands of the county executioner , Nathaniel Howard , who adjusted the fatal noose , and the cap being drawn upon his eyes , after a momentary interval , the fatal bolt was drawn , and Patrick Reid was launched into eternity . The culprit , who was a light made mar , appeared to suffer much for a few seconds , when the death struggles ceased , and he became a motionless corpse . The body remained suspended for an hour , when it was cat down and placed in a ' shell , to be interred in the precints of the prison . The immense crowd behaved with great decorumpassive spectators of the awful scene .
KORFOLK . Nokwich . —The notorious George Thurtell ha been convicted of felony .
SURBET . The Chaeob of Nkglbct acaisst the Medical Officer of the Crotdos Ukiok . —On Tuesdav Mr Carter , coroner for Sarrey , and the jury empanelled an the Sid inst ., to inquire into the death of Elizabeth Hopkins , who died a few hours after confinement on the 29 th ult ., as it is alleged through the neglect of the medical officer of the union , Mr Berncastle , re-assembled for the third time , at the Gun Tavern , Croydon . The proceedings were adjourned from Friday IM , owing to Mr Neville , the medical gentleman appointed to make the post mortem
examination , having omitted to open the head of thedeceased , contenting himself with having found , as he said , sufficient to account for death in the abdomen . After a lengthened investigation into all the circumstances of the case , and medical evidence to prove to the satisfaction of the jury that the deceased died from exhaustion , arising from protracted labour , a verdict was returned to that effect ; ' and that Mr Berncastie has shown the greatest inhumanity towards the deceased in leavin ? her when in labour , and that we the jury consider him a very unfit person to act as a parochial medical officer . '
DEV 05 SH 1 RR . Highway Robbsrt . —Oa Saturday last the police received information that on the Thursday p revious , about six o ' clock in the evening , whilst a man named Joseph King , a travelling tradesman , was passing through a lonely part of Exminster-lane , to K ' enford , near Exeter , he was attacked by two men , who fust demanded his money or . his life . The poor . Hlcnv . hayiBgrefuEsd ; - taiy threw him opsr . ( he ground and treated him with bri ' . tal violenff " . One of the m : a gave him a kick in tbe sirf ? which broke his ribi , and so severely in . 5 i : j- -d hita in other parts of the body , that he brought , up * considerable quantity ef blood . Whilst m an insensible state , they robbed him of turte £ a nota , and £ 4 in gold and silver . The unfortunate man who is upwards of sixty years of age , remains in a very precarious state .
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Perthshibe. Perth.—Militart Di6trjrbajfc...
Perthshibe . Perth . —Militart Di 6 TrjRBAJfCE 8 .--Between eight and nine o ' clock on Monday evening , the High-street of Perth was thrown into a state of considerable tumult , in consequence of the successful attempt bv a party of soldiers to rescue a comrade from the hands of the pplice . The soldier in custody bad , in a state of intoxication , fallen against and broken soraepanes in the window of a shoemaker . Two policeman were
sent for , who were conveying him to the office when they were met by the picquet , who demanded fn the most summary manner that he should be delivered over to them . This being refused , bayonets were instantly drawn , and the police , seeing the futility of resisting men who bad arms in their hands , and seemed resolved to employ them , surrendered their prisoner . —The soldieis , after taking their comrade to the barracks , returned and paraded through the streets in a menacing manner , but no further breach of the peace occurred .
KlNCARtimHIRB . Stosehaves , —Another ' navvie' riot has occurred at Stonehaven , where in addition to much destruction of property , one if not two lives were sacrificed . Part of the ringleaders had baen lodged In gaol , from whence it was feared they might be released , and under this apprehension a military detachment had been ordered from Aberdeen { distant about sixteen miles ) , but up to the latest accounts the soldiers had not arrived . The Weatheii , —In the north there has been the extremes of weather , commencing with-a snow storm on Wedne-day and Thursday last . In the low country the average depth which fell was only about a foot ; but along the ranges of the Gram
plans , Sidlaws , and OchiSs , the depth was much gieater , to an extent that interrupted travelling . In the Ochil district there has not beeen such a fall of snow for several winters , which drifted in many places to the depth of six feet . In the course of Thursday the weather cleared , and sharp frost set in , which increased in intensity throughout the night , to a degree unprecedented save in the course of a long continued frost . Saturday was foggy , with s temperature of twenty-eight degrees , which enabled the skaters and curlers to erjoy a day ' s amusement , but the weather changed next day to sleet and snow showers . In the Highlands the weather that day was exceedingly stormy , with heavy drifting snow showers . The Inverness mail took thirteen houra to make the journey from Dalivhinnie to Perth :
having frequently to cut a passage through deep snow drifts , a ' onj the road from the county March to Blair . On Monday morning & rapid thaw set in with a balmy south-west wind , and a temperature of forty-flve degrees higher than on Friday morning . So thorough was the fresh , that by evening hardly a vestige of the spow was on the ground , and the rapid rise of the Tay indicated an equal change of weather in the Highlands . On Monday night the sky suddenly cleared , and there was a beautiful display of rose-coloured aurora borealis , similar to the phenomenon in November . The whole heavens were illuminated , and for an hour before and after midmght the light was rqual to that of the full moon . In the morning the air resumed its moist character , which it still maintains .
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Cardiganshire. Mqshomtb Morality.—At The...
CARDIGANSHIRE . MqsHOMTB Morality . —At the sessions , Thomas Harries , an itinerant preacher , belonging to the sect called . 'The Latter-day Saints , ' or ' Mornjonites , pleaded not guilty to the ebarge-of stealing an En ' glish and Welsh dictionary , the property of David Davies , of the Crow u public house , Llanddewy-Aberartb , oii she 15 th of December last . The prisoner preached at the prosecutor ' s house , and lodged there that night . On the following day he requited the prosecutor ' s hospitality by walking away with his book . The next , day the prosecutor went after the prisoner to a place called Rhywlasfach , and asked him if he had taken away his dictionary by mistake . The prisoner denied it in the most solemn manner , calling God to witness that he knew nothing at all about the book in question . On being informed by
the prosecutor that his daughter had seen the book in his hand on the morning he left , the prisoner ofierred to come and confront his daughter , and accordingly called at the prosecutor ' s on the following day . but subsequently confessed that he had taken the bcok , intending to return it , and that it was then ata house in the neighbourhood , where he kad left it . It , however , appeared from the prisoner ' s statement , which , after due caution , he made and signed before the committing magistrate , that tho booh was in bis pocket , both at the time he made the solemn denial to the prosecutor , at Rhywlasfaehl and also when he subsequently called at the prosecutor ' s to confront the daughter . The prisoner said he was in the habit of carrying a bible in his pocket ; that he had put the dictionary in that pocket by mistake , and thought it was the hible ; - that when the prosecutor naked him if he had seen the die-1 tionary , he became confused , and denied It—that as soon ae the prosecutor left him , the . ' Evil One' per-
Cardiganshire. Mqshomtb Morality.—At The...
suadedhiffl to tear off the title-page , containingihe prosecutor ' s name , and to hide the book in a hole in the ground ; but that whilst digupg the hole , God' Bugcested to him to keep the book and return it When the prisoner was taken into enstody he was at the house of a blacksmith , where he was en"a"ed to preach that evening . Several witnesses to character were called , all of whom acknowledged themselves to be « Latter-day Saints . ' —The learned Chairman summed up very favourably for the prisoner j but the jury returned averdict of Guilty , , and the prisoner was sentenced to two months' imprisonment without hard labour .
CARMARTHENSHIRE . Trance mistaken for Death . —A very strange occurrence happened last week in the neighbourhood of Llangeitho . A poor woman , who occupied a part of a small cottage , in ene end of which , separated only bv a partition , lived other people , was taken ill , and after a short time died . The corpse having been laid out in the usual manner , the neighbours left the house , and locked the door . They were however , gosn aroused bv a very strange noise m the deceased s apattment . similar to hard coughing , wmoh frightened them not a little , but no further notice was taken of it . On entering the apartment the next morning , they found the corpse turned on one side the eyes wide open , the bands loose that tied the hands together , and the sheet that covered the body thrown off . It is presumed that the deceased must have been in a trance when laid out , and afterwards in the agonies of death had struggled violently .
Attempt : to throw a Passenger Thais dowj a PHKciPicB .-Atthe Cardiff sessions on Friday , William Scott , a young man attired in the rarboia }» bourer , was indicted for wilfully and maliciously attempting to overthrow a passenger train on thelaff Vale Railway , by removing several rails , and there-Wnsidera ^ Ie pcnl . The t ^^ ^ ^^ . t » rorci the evidence adduced , it appeared that on the evening of the 8-. h of last month , a passenger train , comprising eight carriages with upwards of fifty passeneew , left Cardiff for Merthyr on the Tag Yale Railway It proceeded at its nsnal rate with every apparent security until it had arrived at a particular part of the lineeighteen miles from Cardiff and six
, from Merthyr , when thcengine , tender , and three of the earriagrs went off the line . At this point the line ia formed on tableland on the scarf of a mountain called Rubuchan . The mountain is on one side , and a precipice of 100 feet overhanging the Taff river on the other . The evening was dark and stormy . The river was much swollen , and in the event of a passenger train going over the declivity into the stream the result must have been frightful . Fortunately for those In the train , the engine went off on the side of the mountain . Aa may be supposed , the most painful alarm was manifested by the passengars , and on the guards making an examination as to the cause of the accident , they discovered that two of the rails had been forcibly taken up ;
one was thrown across the centre of the line , and the other was subsequently found to have been thrown down the embankment . The spot was described to be most secluded , the nearest habitation being some miles distant . There are a series of severe curves , under twelve chains radius ; and by a providential interference the delinquent , ignorant of the laws of motion , had as appeared from the evidence , removed the rails at a point , which , although he intended to have been the means of hurling the train down the precipice , had a tendency to force it on the reverse side . Had they been displaced only a few yards distant nothing could have prevented the precipitation of tbe train into the river . From a variety of suspicious circumotances tho prisoner was apprehended on
the charge of having committed the murderous act . It would appear that the prisoner was a native ot Aberdeen , and for the previous six months had been employed on the works of a branch line , but not in the service of the Taff Vale Railway Company . During that time he had formed an acquaintance with a young female named El ' zi Williams . lie had been supplanted by another party , Thomas Low u , the stoker of the train , which had given rise to considerable ill-feelirg on his part . He had been heard to hold out several threats , one of which was that he would kill his rival . The mode of removing the rails being explained , it was shown that ho had been inquiring for such tools as would be required in ef . fecting their remorsf . ' In the course of the evening , just before the occurrence , he was seen in the vicinity of the spot , four and a halfmilesfrom his house , sr . d failed in giving a satisfactory explanation of his heinir there . " A peculiary constructed knife was
found in his possession , which was shown to have been used in cutting some pieces of wood which were left on the spot , and which had been employed in removing the rails . The chairman having summed up the evidence , the jury consulted for a quarSerof an hour , and returned a verdict of Guilty . —The chairman then prozeeded to pronounce judgment , and lamented that the legislature had made no proper provision to meet such cases , the maximum nunishment . according to the General Railway acts , bsiDg two years' imprisonment , with hard labour . Fortunatelv . however , lor the protection of the public , the " l 60 th section of the company ' s actprovi . ded , ; that if any person should wilfully and maliciously injure , break , throw down , or destroy any portion of the works , he should be subject and liable as in casss oflarcenv . The court , therefore , felt bound to ap . ply that power . There could be no doubt as to the murderous intention of the prisoner , and the sentence was , that he be transported for the term of ceven years .
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(Fre-M Our Ewn Correspondent.) The Babl ...
( Fre-m our ewn Correspondent . ) THE BABL OF SHREWfBvJBT ASD THE CATHOMC CXBrtGY —EXPLOSION AND DIVISION IN THE * NATION * CAMPTHE ' EREKCrUXVASlOX '—THE SPECIAL COUUISSION . Dublin , Jan . 10 th , 1848 . Mr O'Connor's letters to The Old Guards' and to ' The members of the Land Company / in last Saturday ' s Northern Star , give fresh evidence of that enterprising gentleman ' s activity and patriotism , and . demonstrate the success of his gigantic exertions for the benefit of the labouring classes of that community , amongst which ( fortunately for them and unfortunately for us ) , he chose his' place for
rest , ' when driven by calumny and ungenerous vituperation from the land of his nativity- I am happy to find by the glowing address of the' Grattan Club' to Mr O'Connor , that Irishmen are beginning to open their eyes to the truth , and that they can appreciate sterling worth , and recognise , with gratitude , the exertions o f their illustrious countryman in behalf of Ireland ; lam certain the day is not fardistant , when every section of Irish patriots will co-operate with Mr O'Conncr , and spurning the' Old ! system of cajo . lery and humbug . ' agitation , ' > nd the 'New ' thrashery about ' swords' and ' sun-bursts' and' physteal' bugaboo , join fervently with their English fellow-subjects , in a steady and practical and business-likc struggle , to obtain the privileges and
benefits which are the indefeasible right of every born inhabitant of the British Empire . Indeed , the people , as far as I can learn , are already well aware that from tlie past or present policy of their ' leaders' and would be leaders , there is nothing to expect but chagrin and disappointment ; they are sick of 'broken pledges' and ' hopes deferred , ' and if duly 'instructed in the way they should go , ' would bo very happy to follow in the footsteps ot that brave fellow , who never deceived those who trusted in his honour and judgment , and who , already , has effected more substantial good for the poorer classes of Englishmen , than any other man with whose history we are acquainted . But , however willing the Irish people are to beset right with their English brethren , they
are not just now in a position to be so . They want encouragempnt , they want example , and above all , they want INSTRUCTION . It is for Mr O'Connor and his co-labourers in tho cause of Social Reform and Progression , to undertake the task of arou « ing the torpid Irish peasant , and of pointing out to him the mode which he should adopt , and the path by which he should travel , if he would better his condition , and see his bleeding country 4 great , glorious . and free . ' Let nobody presume to say that the Irish peasantry are a besotted , or a slothful , or an ungrateful people . They have been duped and misled , truly , bux that is their great miVortiHie—not , by ncy means , their fault . Many think they hate their fellow subjects of JEWmid oa account of their nation and ., religion . ' xfiis ' is a
monstrous fabrication , too .- They do not hate the working classes of England . They do not despise a man for his religious opinions . But they hato thoso who grind , and rob , and persecute the poor , both in England and Ireland . They abhor the tyrant and the oppressor—no matter what may be hia creed , or in what country he may be born . They would , 1 am convinced , join hears and hand with the working classes of Enslishmon for any useful and beneficial reform . Let the leaders of the great English' movement , 'Jthen , bjstir themselves , and see what is best to be done for their sufier ' ipg Irish brethren . I think the first step towards this great object would be to enlighten the Irish public , and show them what might be done by patient , steady , and active exertion in the rigltt line .
The people here are frantic with indignation at tho presumptuous effronterv of Lord Shrewsbury in daring to catechise theRAshi Rav . Dr M'Uale , and the Irish Catholic Hierarchy . Nor do I blame Irish Catholics to feel indignant on tbatsubject . Even were the priests really culpable—were they in verity the monsters—the assassins—the blood-auckera , which their enemies in Parliament , and as the Press would fain make them—were they all this , and a-thousand times worse , what right had Earl Shrewsbury to intermeddle in their affairs , or set himself up as a censor on their public or private conduct ? Where was his lordship ' s taste or jud & raeivt , or even his common civility ? But the Irish priests or bishops do not deserve rebuff from hira , or from any body else . They are innocent of . the crimes with which Lord Shrewsbury and Co . would fain inipeach them , andithepropriet ' orof the Northern Star can bear tesnihiony to the piety , and purity , and harmless demeanour of every branch of the Irish Catholic clergy . Ilia Lord-
(Fre-M Our Ewn Correspondent.) The Babl ...
v „ f etiw >« 4 tutrv mav have had his own paltry , Stf ^ SWScIm t Dr M ; iIale . He may seJnsb moi ve » 1 ^^ tfBrittp ?^ ShmtI * H » Wmttatta » Ie raav succeed in that quarter , his impudence w , 11 XHtXlMtw of his anoint cowme ¦ and that Kngroll of English aristocrats , so long will it coStinue a by-word tor treachery , and falsehood SLbsurdityf with every class of Irish Roman Cath Alf Dublin ia ringing witii the 'explosion' which has taken place lately in the ' councils ' of the Nat on newsnaner I have not time now to enter into details , bS ^ DtatW self with a brief statement of leading facte connected with . th j s eurion iwent . It appears that one of thepriBcip « i ] editors of th » M » per -Mr John Metchell , * native , I believe ot Ulster and a Presbvterian-has for a considerable time . back HiM 3 B 2 ^ W »« M « f 4 to ^
the oolitioal shufflings of the proprietor ot tne haihw -Mr Sawn ^ Duffy-and several times avowedi h » Mr Duffv who , duly considering that however « fit MrUufly , wno , u v Q fc and ? TJ TL AmS revolutions , it was extremely Jhe ' WhTp hand' over Mr Mitchell , and managed to t u-o ; L « . nl dear of the shoa s and quicksands so tSSSSSSSiSU her Majesty ' s Court of Sen " BenT Mr Mitchell , on the other hand , eyes did ^^ . SS'JSSdSthe ' Conciliairt » Unmowr anc ! that it was all' blarney' to be Sg up Se ashes of William Tell . or Robert Emmftt , without trying to emulate their heroism ami act by the esample which these glorious ' rebels ' left to the ' earnest men" of all P ^ w ™ , * n of a * ;™ . He 9 ecordingly sought to induce Mr Duffy to
allow bit paper to be made the vehicle through which he Mr l /) might speak his mind before the world , and call upon Irishmen to gite up all notion of redress unless by ' physical force' alone . He wished to drill them , through the leaders of the Nation , in the use of the pike and pitchfork ; and ho would fain instruct them in the mostimproved tactics of wholesale slaughter and puerUla warfare 1 In fact , Mr Mitchell does not deny that he wished to arouse Ireland to a speedy and bloody insurrection , , and that he considered his time and his talents mte-tpphed in writing ft sir ole narapranh directed to any other purpose . Mr
Duffy , however , was too * earnest' abont the Nation and ' nmriberone . * He would nofclet Mitchell budge , and the latter seeing noprosnect of bringingDuffy into his views , resigned all connexion with the Mtion ; and , it is said , intends to establish a paper of his own just now , through which } he will not' fear tospeak of ' 08 , ' or call upon tho Celt to sally out , pike ia hand , and butcher the Saxon to his heart ' s content I TJie last number of the Nation contains letters from both gentlemen relative to the fracas—and a more 6 xtraor dinary pair of documents it has not been my luck to see for many a day . I will probabl y return more fully to this subject in » ay next communication
We are much amused , here , also at the panic in which you , beyond the 'herring-brook , ' find yourselves about that horrible French invasion which is to ' come off '—when ? nobody knows ! but that it U coming . ' everybody now feels as certain as they do of the existence of ' The Man in the Moon ! ' The stunted corporal , ' too , has been dreaming about Gallic steamers and French Cuirassiers ! All fudge ! my dear old fellow . There is no danger yet It is , to use an Irishism , ' but a consate before death , ' my lord Duke , —perhaps thia very fantasy is to be ' the end of you V for as old Chaucer says : — 'Men may die of imagination , So deep may impression be take . ' The Millere ' s Tale , v . 8 , 812 .
At all events , we , over , in this part of the British dominions , feel little anxiety about the matter . Were we treated as subjects of England should be treated , it is little she need , dread the idea of invasion by France or any other nation of the globe . Tho brave fellows who now lie rotting in their graves from famine J" > d ^ sstiicace wou ld - Isai- -Britain never another man at her command—bo sufficient to drive the squadrons of France into the ocean . Secure in Irish loyalty and Irish valour , she might shake her trident with rampant exultation , and laugh to scorn the war-steamers of De Joinville , and crush , like cobwebs , the entire of tbe ironclad chivalry of Gaul . But , to confess the truth , I think there is nothing to apprehend on the score of French invasion . As poor Thomas Hood says : France may
be———— * a powder magazine , A sort of foreign infernal machine , A barrel of brimstone , of odour nmbrosian , Apparently brewed for a « triple X' —plosion . ' She may be all this , and may very much wish to plant her hoof on the neck of England , but I have a kind of presentiment that , just now , to ' cry havoc ' is the least of her notion , and that , at least , until thatold'dust' Leuis-Philippe shall * slip his hold , ' there is no danger of France' letting slip the dogs of war upon England .
Tho ' special commission' goes bravely on in Lw merick . Conviction follows conviction , as wave follows wave on the Shannon , and the Orange landlords and Orange press of Ireland are shouting for joy over the victims of the ' outraged laws of the country . ' Several capital convictions have been effected , and more than one unfortunate wretch will 'swing , ' to gratify the bloody hankerings of the tyrannical exterminators of Munster . At the same time , though there have been but few murders perpetrated latterly ,
tnenumberof minor crimes hare not been le & sened , and whilst the judges are sitting in Limerick , the y \&\ v county , as tfsfcU ' uag goven \ tftviv \ t at defiance , is one scene of outrage , insubordination , and excitement . Attacks on the person , burglaries , and robbery of arms , are the order of the day , and liko the fairy stable of romance , no sooner will the gaol of Limerick be emptied of its present tenants , than its cells will again be occupied by those who care little about the terrors of coercion or vice-regal proclamations .
There is no local tiswa of importance stirring in Dublin this week . Times are getting worse every day , and tha unemployed artisans and labourers are suffering all the evils of poverty at this dreary and inclement season . There is littl * doing in any branch of business ; the pawnbroker , the auctioneer , and the bailiff alone ply a lucrative vocation in Dublin . Sir Nicholas Fitzumon has been appointed Inspector-General of Prisons in Ireland , vice Captain Cottingham , deceased ; George Wyse , Esq ., brother to the well-known Mr 'Ihomas Wyse , succeeds Sir Nicholas as one of our divisional police magistrates , and takes his seat at the Ucad Office , Exchange-court . Both these gentlemen are Roman Catholics , and their appointment gives general satisfaction—at leabt , to the' Old Ireland' party .
The Special Commission. On Wednesday Wee...
THE SPECIAL COMMISSION . On Wednesday week the court was occupied , at Limerick , the greater part of the day , with the trial of a man named William Ryan , alias Puck , one of the most notorious and ill-looking ruffians that ever disgraced this or any other cousiry . He stood charged with the murder of a man named John Kelly , in the month of September last . under circumstances of peculiar atrocity . The prisoner is about 25 years of age , of middle stature and spare make , but has the reputation of great strength and activity . His head is remarkably small , his hair black and short , the eyes very dark , and though the expression is intelligent , tbe overhanging brow and extremely thick lips render the countenance as repulsive as might be expected in auch a desperate character .
The court was crowded to the utmost possible extent , the culprit being knov ^ n through the whole of the country as one of the worst desperadoes it ev < y produced . Tho AironNRy-GjENEnAL stated the facts of the case . The prisoner and his " * uitr held land at Knosksantry , on the confines of this county , partly in Limerick anA partly in Tipperary , in partnership with a poison named Mjchael-Kel ! y-,--as tenants to-a-Mr Bjfig 8 * ..-i ? CDufc twelve months since Mr Biggs thought it right to dispossess the Ryans , and wished Kelly , who was an industrious man , and punctual in the payment of his rent , to take the entire farm , as the Ryans , who held only some three or four acre ? , were not so punctual in their rent . Accordingly Mr Biggs dispossessed the Ryana , and immediately a
hostile feeling sprang up between them and Kelly . A complete separation , a ' coo . , ' took place between them , and they passed without speaking to each other . On the 17 th of September last Michael Kellywas shot at and wounded , but not killed . A few days afterwards , the 22 nd , John Kelly , the man who was murdered , and brother to Michael Kelly , the cotenant of tho Ryans , was sitting at nightfall in his own house . There was & good fire in the kitchen , and i he inmates of the house on that occasion were John Kelly , his wife , his nephew , a boy about fourteen or fifteen years ofage , his niece , and a servant boy , also named Michael Kellv . About half an hour before tho murder the prisoner and another man , a stranger , were seen going in the direction of Kelly * d house by a woman who knew tho prisoner well . The
prisoner was not armed , but the stranger carried a blunderbuss . When they first saw her they separated , but after she had passed thoy joined again and went towards Kelly ' s bouse . The persons in the house heard footsteps approaching , the dog outside began toMrk , and they heard a man whistling as if to quiet him . It was then abaut seven in the evening , and almost immodialely afterwards the door was opened , Ihe prisoner came in , and , without opening his lips , levelled his piece at John Kelly and shot him dead on the spot . ^ Ot the identity of the murderer there could be no doubt , for by the light of the fire he was recognised by every person . then in the house . Immediately alter the murder the prisoner ? decamped Warrants were issued for his apprehension , but it u- » b not until the 17 th of October he was captured . Upon
The Special Commission. On Wednesday Wee...
^ W day , the police befn * engaged on some other businessVand suspecting that something J ^ ffi in the house of a person named Frewin , w P ™ . ff ™ to search it , and having occas on to look onthe tj of the bed they found "therera ' quantity * of tow ,, and concealedbeaeath itm jto . P " , [; , ? wtene that time armed with a blunderbuss , ft * tokened to shootany of the police who approaphed him . ue did not . however , carry his threat into execution , andwl ^ immediately s / cured . There was , one ( jr . cumstance worth mentioning in relation to . this murder Only one shot was fired . The murdered man ISinstanS and on examination of his body it was Sd to have been perforated by eleven bul ! etB , one or him Tbe blunderbuss which tbe prisoner bad at the time of his apprehension was loaded with prec . sely Same numberof bullet * and of the same description and in his pocket were found eleven more , probably intended for s second charge . - , . .. , 0 ther
i- ^ mS ^ XwS = SSBxL : ^ B ° Tularrea d "S poin ^ box The question was % M ™; X then said the prisoner was Ryan Puek , but alterwards hesitated between the two . , The Chisp Jostiob said , he could not understand What s ^ hesUatbn m ^ t . jVwa 8 ^ TS- ^ ffl ffcf the man he had fin * Stated ent wai a brotherofr . be prisoner . The boy ' s manner excited a slight laugh in the court , and the » lannoi . with the Kteatest coolness , joined in it .
Mr HEAnn , sub-inspector of police ,. saidL that from the 17 th of September , when Michael Kelly was fired at , he and his men had been in search of the prisoner- who was charged with that offence , but did notmeet with him until the 22 nd . Towards dusk on that day , having , occasion to gft to the hou e of Frewin . he remained on horst back at the door whilst font ot his men went ia to search . Freshly helward aery of'Puck !' and jumping from his horse ran into the house . He then saw the muzzle of a blunderbuss over a bed in the room he first en *
tered . It was pointed at Phillips , the head -constable , but the Briwmee odledout 'Mr Phillips , I will not injure you . ' Phillips said , * Give me the blunderbuss ^ ' ' No , ' said the prisoner , I'll have a shot . ' Mr Heard directly exclaimed , 'At him , boys , ' and jumped on the bed , grasped the mozzle of the blunderbuss which was then close to his breast , and presenting a pistol at tho prisoner , swore be would Wow bis brains out unless he surrendered . The prisoner three tiros called out « Will I lire V Fortunately for Hoard he did not do so . The head-constable seized the blunderbuss , pushed it up , and the prisoner was 1
secured . . # > On the wifneBstuming round to identify the prisoner , the latter laughingly said , ' How do you do , Mr Heard ?' Mr O'Hba having addressed the jury in defence , and tbe Chief Justice bavingsummed up , The jury , after ? few minutes' consultation , and without retiring from the box , gave in their verdict of Guilty . The prisoner heard it pronounced without the slightest evident emotion . On the f ollowing morning , the prisoner was placed in the dock to receive sentence , ?
The greatest excitement prevailed in the town , and , except amongst his own connexions , there appears to be a general feeling of satisfaction at the convictionofthis wretched man . After he was removed he fainted , but on being brought forward the next morning he had recovered his self-possession , and stood in the front of the deck as baldly as on his trial . It is rumoured here , and with every appearance of truth , that he has been th « principal actor in no less than nine murders in this and the neighbouring counties within the present year .
He stood indicted , under the commission to be held in Clare , for the murder of Mr Watson and another person , and it is said , that bad , he been acquitted here , he would have pleaded guilty to the former charge . He . bad made up hie mind to tile , but bis regret is said to be that the surviving Kellya should have tbe satisfaction of having been the cause of his conviction . On being asked whether he had anything to Bay why sentence of death and execution should not be passed npon hira , be said he had always got hie living honestly , whilst those who had been his prosecutors were stealing sheep and geese ; that he had never eaten stolen bread ; that he had never handled a gun in his life ; that he bad never been arrested before , and was now prosecuted for nothing at all . If he was to die , tho only request he had to make was , that he might be buried with bis parents .
The learned judges then put on their black caps , and . . The Chief Barox ( who was much affected ) addressed the prisoner a « follows : —If anything could increase ihe horror of . the dreadful scene which , as far as you are now regarded , is coming towards a close , it is tbe hearing of those words which you have just suffered to fall from your lips , after an investigation as full , as patient , and as complete , as was ever presented to the consideration of a court of justice . You have , upon evidence of the clearest character , by a jury impressed with conviction , unclouded by doubt , been found guilty of the dreadful crime with which you have been charged . That you are guilty of the crimenot b . human being who
, heard the trial can entertain a particle of doubt—one moment of hesitation as . to the propriety and truth oftho verdict ; and now , wheayou stand convicted of that crime—that crime which , from the period wheu the son of our . first parents had put upon hira the mark of a brother ' s blood , to the hour that lam now addressing you , the human heart hasrecoiled from with horror , it is lamentable to think that , after a night ' s reflection , you should openly in this court of justice deny your guilt . Proved it has been , beyond the possibility of doubt ; and what is the crime ? Dreadful it is in the abstract , but it has been in your case surrounded by circumstances such as have seldom been presented to the horror and execrations of mankind . A man in your own class of
life— -a farmer , resting from the labours of the day , aits in his cottage , surrounded by his family upon his hearth . Some of them are seated near him . His nephew , a boy , at one side , his niece , a girl of early age , at the other . His children in the room ; his who , their m > ther , occupied in a little office of motherly attention , washing the feet of one of those infants preparatory to putting them to bed : Whilst the man was sitting in his chair in that scene of peace , you entered his dwelling , with a blunderbuss chared wit'i eleven ballp , You approached him , placed tbe piece within a few incVej of his back , and , in the presence of his wife and family , you shot him dead . You see beforeyou the boy—the child , I may sayand he saw you and identified you . That boy was in
the direction in which you were firing , and you incurred the risk of a double murder , and nearly perpetrated two , for some of the balls that perforated the body of your victim , reached that boy and wounded him . It is impossible to conceive an assemblage of circumstances uniting in themselves so much ^ thc character of that homr which belongs to the crime of murder , hs those which were in fact proved in the details of the tragedy exhibited in yesterday ' s trial . The learned judge , after adverting to other cireum . stances connected with the case , said : Nothing can better indicate the truo character of the outrages that are now disgracing this country—nothing can better show they aro not solely—perhaps I may say , in the result , not chiefly—against those who possess
that rank and wealth which did not belong to John Kelly as an individual of that class of which be was a member ; and if these crimes do proceed and are notcl o ; ked by tl e vigorous ,, prompt , and effec ; ive administration of the law . I think there ia something in what lias ocjurred , in the exhibition which has been made in the course 0 f your trial , to show that so i . irmcr of the country—the class to which your victim belonged—can say his dwelling , his hearth , hia family , his property , or . ifels life is not liable to tha risk of outtages eaoh as that of which you have been found guilty . The duty now devolves upon me to . pronounce upon you the awful sentence of the law . \ ou sent Kf-lly without delay or warning to his last account . The law will be more merciful to you . He has been summoned by your act to the presence if
his Maker without preparation . You shall have ample time to prepare . for submitting your immortal soul to the investigation of your offended God . Entertain not for one moment the least hope that your sentence will be averted or mitigated . As surely as the sun shall vise « pon the day I am about to Game , so surely will you upon that day die . Reflect ua « n it , I conjure you Turn to your God . Reflect upon your crimes . Take advantage of the time that will bs allowed you-it will be short , but long enouah for 3 ou to repent- L The prisoner ... ! hope your Lordship mil give me a Ions day . ] -to ask that pardon which you cannot set on earth , but which vou have only i j j t . rora lIeav « n . and yeu will obtain it . lie coneluded by pronouncing sentence of death on tho 6 th
.. prisoner appeared to be perfectly unmoved by the dreadful sentence , and walked from the dock with tho greatest ccwlness .. After he had been removed , it was remarked . by the Attorney-General that the 6 th of February would fall on a Sunday , and the attention of the judges having been called to that circumstance , the prisoner was . again placed in the dock , and The Chikf Barox , address i ng hia , said , I find it necessary to appoint a different d ? y from that which I named for your execution . It shall be a later day , the 7 th day of February ; and the learned Judge then repronsunced tho sentence , with the variation of the day .
The Court . tben proceeded to the trial of a man named William Frewin , a small , and hitherfo considered respectable , farmer , in the neighbourhood of the spot where the murder was committed by Ryan for sheltering , harbouring , and endeavouring to defeat the ends of justice by screening Ryan , knowing him to have been guilty of the murder .
The Special Commission. On Wednesday Wee...
Ths cenernl circumataDceB of the case were stated . on Ryan ' s trial ; and the principal . evidenc | by which the charge was supported vraa that of head-eoutabte PhiSSd inspector Heard , by whons he wcap . HI The former said that when he found Ryan r Puck ) was in the house , and concealed upon the bed , $ m $ jumped on t * ij . Atthatmoment Ryan ' s wanlerbus s was at hie torthead-hw own sword SS to Ryan ' s belly . «/» b sworn he would blow SuSbrains if he stirred , bnfc he exclaimed , « Yoa 15 I for once , Bill , " my ««*; V * which Ryan , hearinft his voice , said , ' . Is it you , Mr Phi ids . who J t me ; I'll not b « r you , but 111 have a St 'Mr Heard then came in , and Ryan wa 8 ^ ^ , The cenernl circumstances of the case were stated .
The prisoner was ably defended by Mr O'Hea , but the jury , after a very luminous summing up by the Chief Justice , without any hesitation , returned a verdict of Guilty , and tho prisoner was immediately sentenced by theCour . " to transportation for life . ABDUCTior .-Fiv-a ilWooking young ruffians . named Mich ael Lffrney . Jeremiah Gavin , Michael Madigan , Daniel Lomey , Patrick Gleeaon , all of whom appeared to be about twenty years of age were tbea placed at the bar , charged with having appeared in arms on the Hth of November last , but the ^ offence for which they were actually in custody was that oa that night they attacked the house of a respectable farmer , named Moloiiy . and by force carried hia daughter away . There was a geparate indictment for the abduction , but the former charge was the only one now proceeded with .
The circumstances of this atrocious case , instances of which are happily xowrare in lrehno , appeared very fully from tho evidence of the daughter , Catherine Molony , who was carried away . The witness , a pretty-looking girl , about nineteen years ofage , and whose appearance and manner indicated that the position of her family was very respectable , stated , that on the night of Sunday , the Hth of November last , about ten o ' clock , after sh © had retired io bed , she beard some steps at the door . A window was broken , and she then got up , and throwing some clothes over her shoulder ? , came out of her room to the top of the stairs . She there saw two or three men coming up stairs , and immediately ran into another room and got into her sister ' s bed .
Some of the men followed her , and one of them pnfc bis arm round her and asked her her name . There was a light in another room , by which she was able to recognise one or two of the prisoners . Three or fouT of them then pulled her ont of feed—one of tfieBS taking her by the hair of the head . She caught hold of the bed , and was dragged with it to the door . She then let go ; and , on the stairs , seized and held four of the balnsters , until they gave way . They then forced her down stairs to the door , where a man , no * in custody , was standing with an umbrella open and a gun in hia hand . Two of them then put their hands under her arms and took her away . She had nothing on her but a frock , thrown loosely over her shoulders , no shoes or stockings . They dragged her
along a field to a bog . and then she recognised and called some of them by their names . ( The witness here pointed out some of the prisoners , who politely bowed their heads in acknowledgement of the distinction . ) They were all armed . She was crying violently , but tbey carried her fo the house of a maa named Farrell , to get her ' a drink' of water . She had known the prisoners before , as they all lived ia the neighbourhood of her father ' s , and worked for hir a . They afterwards took her to the house of a Mr Creagh , a farmer , who was represented to be wishing to marry her , and on her imploring him to take her home he did bo . She was out until halfpast eight tbe following morning . The country was at the time disturbed . Her father ' s house had been attacked before .
The brother of the last witness said , that he and his father belmving the party had come to murder them , immediately went into an upper part of the house as the only place where tbey could make anything like ai effective resistance . The father said his house had been attacked four times before . On the first the party demanded arms , but ' without success : on the second their demand was the same ; on the third , they insisted on ' powther money' ; and on the fourth , they beat his hoy . The manner in which tho witness described the attacks oauccd & good « l «» al of lanahiw v ? « w-t- . -
AU the prisoners ( with the exception of Michael Looney , recommended to mercy and sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment ) were sentenced to be transpoi ted for fourteen years . Lorney was recommended to mercy for having shown Eome kindness to tbe girl , when the others were . brutally dragging her through the country . Murdkr . —Andrew Dec was placed in the dock to be tried for killing Edmund Murphy , and the Court was ' occupied during the early part of the day in hearing the sickening details of this most coldblooded murder . The prisoner is about 19 years of age , but looks considerably younger . He is of small stature , with fine features and an intelligent and pleasing countenance . He stood in front of the dock , and throughout the trial evinced hot the slightest emotion . He was defended by Mr CHea ,
From the statement of the ArxoE . vBr-GE . VEiULwho opened the case , it appeared that the prisoner's father held some land in the county wider the Court of Chancery , but in the latter part of iMay , or early ia June last , he was put out of possession for nonpayment of rent . A man named Nornwi became the tenant of the land , and immediately there sprang upt as usual in such ca ? es , a feeling of extreme hostility on the part of the Dees towards Nornan and his family . On the 9 th of June , within ten days from the time of Neman ' s becoming tenant of the land , ho and the man who was murdered were walking together towards Galbally , and when within a mile of that town , in the open day , it being then three o ' clock in the afternoon , they were wavlaid by the prisoner and his brotha-, Patrick Dee . Until Nornan and Murphy approached they had concealed
themselves in a ditch . On Nornan and Murphy coming within six yards of them they ' stood np from their hiding place and presented a pistolat eaoh . The pistol of Patrick Dee , which was aimed at Nornan , hung Hre ; he snapped it again , and a » ain it missed , but the pistol of the prisoner was sure and fatal in its aim . A ball from it struck Murphy in the head ; he fell and was dead in a few moment ^ The two brothers instantly fled : Patrick was captured in a few days , and was tried at tbe last assizes and foand guilty ; but as it was proved that he had not fired the pistol by which Murphy was killed , his sentence wascommuted from death to transportation for life . The prisoner was pursued , bat it was not until the month of November the police could meet with him . In that month he was arrested at Liverpool under " an assumed i . ame , on board a vessel bound for
America . A little boy , who was examined , saw the prisoner running from the scene of the murder . He was told by the prisoner ' s friends directly after it occurred , that he would be examined on the inquest , but that he was not to say one word about what he had" seen . Mr O'Hea made a most able address on the prisoner's behalf , hut The Chief Baron having summed up , The jury without the least hesitation returned a verdict of Guiltv .
The prisoner heard the fearful announcement without moving a muscle or the slightest change of countenance . He was ordered to be brought up on Saturday to receive sentence , npon which occasion tho calmness and apparent unconcern so remarkably exhibited during the trial and after conviction characterised the demeanour of the unfortunate man throughout the still more trying and awful solemnity of passing sentence . The face was ranch flushed , but otherwise neither in feature nor voice was there the slightest trace of excitement observable . The clerk of the arraigns read the record of conviction , and then put the usual question if the prisoner
had anything to sny why sentence of death and execution should not be passed on him according to law—The prisoner , after a considerable delay , and a repetition of the question , replied , ' I ask mercy of your lordskips a / 1 , for my fstherand mother ' s sake . ' The judges then put on their black caps , and the Lord Chief Baron passed sentence of ¦ ueto ' u . ' and to b * hanged on Monday , 7 ch February . On Monday between twenty and thirty persona who had been convicted but not sentenced , were p laced in the dock , and tho Lord Chiit Justice havmg addressed them at ereat length , proceeded to pass sentences varying from imprisonment and hard l abour for nine months to fourteen years
transporf he court then preoaeded with tho trial of a man named John Renihan , for the murder of a respectable small farmor , named John M'Eniry , on the 3 rd October last , at Adamstown . In the middle of the Sunday nicht in question , when the murdered man and the different mambers of his family were in bed , and some of them asleep , the party commenced firing into the house . MEnirv had arms in his house , endeavoured to resist the attack , and fired eomesfcofs from thelwindow , but , seeiKg the number of men or .: « side , and that they were armed , he saw his danger , and having caased to fire , ho endeavoured to hide him-elf , and did , in fact , hide himself under his daughter ' s 1 'ed . The party at length broke into the kitchen . Tbe wife of M'Eniry came to the men , and from her they demanded tho arms and money of her
hu * bM \ . d . Sbc gtiv © tbvm a cvm , bni knowing that MEnirv had a pistol , they asked for that too . She sent for it , and , as she had given ibera some twentyfive shillings of money , Fhe thought they would then hav » left the house ; and they were iu the act of leaving when one of tho party asked where was her husband . She answered that he was not at home . They insisted that he was , and that thoy would not leave it until they had had his life . They then begahto search for the unfortunate man , and , havin » lighted a c . \ r . d ! e , fonnd bim in the place where he waa concealed . They dragged him from his hiding place to a yard before tne house , and there they , brutally murdered him . On examination he was found to have received two gun shoe wounds ) , his skull was fractured in two places , and his back broken .
Without retiring from the box , tho jury returned a veruictof jiuilty . The prisoner heard it vrith the greatest unliSerefico .
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Citation
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Northern Star (1837-1852), Jan. 15, 1848, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns2_15011848/page/6/
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