The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-11-28 00:00:00

THE SUPPOSED ASSASSINATION OF

CAPTAIN KING.

A correspondent ii he Dublin Ere Mail, writing from
Sligo, says:—
The general excitement has prevented reliable in-
formation being gleaned as to the circumstances of the
death of Captain King, but from what I was able to
barn within ten minutes of the occurrence it appears
that he and his nephew, Captain Webber, accom-
panied by Captain Joues, Harper Campbell, Esq.,
amlanothsr gentleman, were proceeding, a few minutes
befi 're eight o'clock nut., nj .laibstreet to the court-
house, when they were met by a violent mob in the
into, ost of Capt,in Flanagan, at the corner of Castle-
s. meet, and C,ptain King and his nephew were
knocked down ; Captain Jones and Mr. Campbell,
who were in advance, getting off with nothing worse
than the blows of a few sticks On the bead. In the •
course ,d the struggle Captain King managed to gain his
feet, Captain Weld., being still on the ground, when
the rejs,rt of a pistol shot was heard, and Captain
Kirog fell dead into the arms of a stranger in the crowd,
shot through the heart. It is asserted by the friends
‘if Captain Flanagan that either Captain King or
Captain Webber had a revolver which was presented
at their assailants, which was struck up by one of
them, when it went off ; ‘m the other hand, I
regret to say that a Vast number believe that the shot
was not the result of the accident. The deceased,
though a very prominent supporter of Major Knox,
and an earnest politician, was a gentleman universally
esteemed, lie was a nephew of the late Lord Lorton,
was himself a gentleman of considerable property, and
I regret to say, leaves a widow—his second wife—and
fourteen children surviving.

At the inquest on the body of Captain King,
evidence was given tending to show that he was not
shot accidentally by his own pistol, but by one of the
mob, a person unknown. No verdict was then re-
turned.

In the evening a meeting of the members of the
Holborn braneh of the Reform League was held at the
"Nags Head," Leather-ltme, tin take inti , consideration
the proentedinge of the Hyde Park meeting ; Mr.
Truscott occupied the chatr. Mr. Osborne said they
had met that night to take into serious consideration
the proceedings of Mr. Firden in Hyde Park. The The Dundee Adrertinn says :It has been remarked
branch had sent out a circular statiitg that Mr. Fin en that Mr. Bright, in his best oratorical efforts, draws
had no connexion with any brunch of the Reform deep draughts of inspiration from the Sacred NVritings, ,
League. They were quite justified in repudiating the u-mg not only Scripture imagery—but often, XS at
demonstrating), as Finleu was repudiated by Irishmen. Edinburgh recently—the exact words of the Bible.
He would read the followiog, taken from the Irish- 'I his sis not to be wondered at in his Case, for, although
such language might be misapplied, or employed in a
man newspaper : very injunlcious manner, the great tribune of the
London, November M. logs. At a meeting of Represents- tveople has never soiglit to introduce it in sash a way.
tive In isbinen, mid last night, It was re,lvi il, that to pre-
vent c.mcert, countenance, or support is ilig given, taken, or e cannot tell whether the example set by the
implied to the demonAration : 1111 l minced by James Finlen for meyalwr for Birmingham has directed attention to
unneiay next, Mr Patrick Hennessy be requested to recall his the Bible as a source from which to obtain materials
announced mass meeting. Ameed to heartily. It was also for el ctioneering purposes, but it deserves to be noted
resolved that MY. Hennessy he requested to desire James that on Thursday the 0.,1y " squb" we have seen in
Finlen to refrain froin dalinaging the caused Mali liberty tut
reference to the return inf Mr. M•Conabie, of Tillyfour, 1
his self-assumed championship, which all honest ItiSnMen
must heartily repudiate and detest. I join cordially in this as the representative of West Aberdeenshire was one ,
request, and will head iv: procession or take part is 'my which nduiply contained an extract from S atipture— 1
demonstration on Sunday next.— Signed) PatriA Hen- not, however, from any of the canonical books. The
nessy. quotation was as follows :
Mr. Osborne went on to .y that the meeting ia How can lie get wisdom that holdeth the plough, and that
Hyde Park was a mere caricature. The proceedi A.O giorieth in the good; that driveth oxen, and is occupied in
of Finley, he contended, were calculated tin do a : t'y their labours, and whose talk is of bullocks? He giveth his I
with the right of public meeting, and he wished it to mind to make furrows, and is diligent to give the tine '
be known that the Reform League utterly detested fodder.
Finlen and Ids proceenlintTs. He shall not he sought for in public counsel, nor sit high in
the erniglegation ; lie shall Ind it on the jud c',. seat, nor
Mr. Jnnlinsinn asketi if anythim; hal leten done with understand the sentmwe of ji dg ent ;he c U iMot dedare i
a petition praying for a remission of the sentences on [sauce and judgment, and slidl'„„Tbe found where parables ,
political prisoners. arc spoken.—Erdesis.tist,:, xxxviii., 25-33 i
Mr. Osborne said he thought it would he better to I 'rho placard containing this quotation was speedily I
wait till the meeting of the new Parliament. In the answered by a handbill bearing the following passages
present state of political feeling it would be unwise to "not from the APwrypha f'— '
anyitate the subject. A member said he could not &est thou a man ififigent hi his business? he shall stand
sympathise with murderers, before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.—
After a short discussion it was decided to defer the Pros. ass.. is.
question of the Hyde Park meeting till next Sunday. Blessed shall he the fruit of thy cattle. The Lord shall
. cause thine enemies that arise up against thee to be smitten
, before thy face : they shall come out again6t the one way,
i MURPHY A " MAN OF ORDER." and shall flee before thee even ways.—Dreit., xxviii., 7.

On Sunday night Mr. Murphy was announced to
preach in a dilapidated music-hall, at Blackburn, the
scene of his former appsarance in that town. A
charge of one penny was uiade for admission. There
was a large audience, consisting mainly of young men
and women, with a sprinkling of unruly youths, who
were evidently bent on mischief. A hymn was given
out, and then Mr. Murphy rose to deliver his sermon.
He gave out the iih chapter of Acts, and had read
part of the first verse, when he suddenly stopped short,
in conseqiience of the feigned coughing which went on
in one of the galleries. After a pause for a few
minutes, during which he gazed gravely around, he
I said. " I ant a num of order; yOU'i 11 Vit "
•

This announcement called forth numerous appeals
to proceed. One man rose in the body of the hall and
trusted Mr. Nturphy would not condemn the whole
assembly because of a few lads. These remarks met
with general approval.
Mr. Murphy said he appreciated the remarks which
had been made, bat his train f thoogl.t had been in,
terrupted, and he would not speak; all of them might
have thiir money back. ((dries of "Yes, do.")
Mr. Murphy : No I cannot. If it AVM a week-day
night I would do it, but I cannot now. I want to
leave Blackburn as I came into it—a man of 0-der and
a man of peace. I don't speak to-night. These are
my principles. lam sorry you should be ilimappointed
but I cannot he p it. No man under Heaven has
gone through more than I have since the Reforma-
tion. I have fought, and I will fight, mita death:
but the Sabbath. I will not desecrate for any UM.
Several persons appealed to Mr. Murphy to "gusts ;"
one man saying he wanted justice to be done to the
town. Mr. Murphy resumed: I have given uty
decision.
The man who had previnuely spoken suggested that
as Mr. Murphy was said to be a Puseyite, he should
reply to the charge ; they knew that Mr. Murphy wee
persecuted wherever he went, but he did not want it
to get into the papers that he had refused to preach
because there WWI a hubbub, "same as a theatre,"
people would say Mr. Murphy was drunk.
Mr. Murphy peremptorily told the speaker not to
go on any further. The sooner Popery and Puseyiem
, were crushed the better, lint he would not speak to
them that. (Clio* of "Oh, go on fur once," !` Do,