The Express.
London, England, 1862-03-04 00:00:00

WESTERN CIRCIIIT.—WisCHIPTIR, ilasen 3.
(Before Yr. Justice Blackburn.)
TIM ATTRETTID IIVIDEZ AT ALDERSHOT!.
/CM NkAties, age/ SS, a peivate of the 3rd battalion of
the Military Train, wee indicted for feloniously sod mali-
ciously shooting at Henry Leslie Kennedy, with intent to
kill and murder him at Alderahott, on the 7th of Novem-
ber last. The primmer was a dark-featured and determined
!whin man, but of intellectual appearance.
Mr. H. T. Cole, with Mr. Mammy, jun., appeared for the
prosecution ; the prisoner was undefended by counsel.
The evidence, which was of some length, was to the fol-
low effect :—ln the month of October last the men of the
hettshos got up amongst themselves an amateur dramatic
essisey, they having • building there known as a camp
i thenlen. Troop. Sergeant -Major Henry Leslie Kennedy, the
Irlin tholudictment, was the manager of the thee-
nd bad the 'election of the nee to perform the cha-
thlnwhild Otherwise the general management of the affair.
ill•grOmmeg Nicholas was a private soldier m the game batta-
=the month of October be became • member of the
Society, at Kennedy's request,and was soon after-
wiser east for the character of Benjamin Buzzard, in •
piles entitled WAire Safe at Greenwich. This character had
mignally bees given oat to Sergeant Ward, of the rune
cop• and it waf afterwards taken away from the prisoner
and. given to ward again, the prisoner not objecti#Zsi
be undone:ad that Ward would play in his ( s)
name, whisk bed been pristed in the handbills. Ina the
perforwithee came off at the theatre the prisoner was di-
rected top into the gallery and endeavour to preserve order
daring the evening, acorpeeel, named John Downey, neesiv-
antrio
lag lostradiens to perform Mails. deny is the pit. Doring
• "illi art" Oetwean
tie w
1 tb2hil=t io mbesquanca eif the
Leber fildas am the railing sad refusing
.t.triaV esismiagai us :rebels
trnuoottia:
Kennedy,
amei mar • -of wet* 1...78 !newest :he defiance
Pillise• Idtannnely. the Primmer bring apporestly the
most embed, the megsant-major told him that if he could
ad behave bbsesS as other men he bad better go home,
end the mhos* ad Uwe have the theatre. When the
eveniees melanomas win over, and the place cleared, Ser-
geant-Se,* Kennedy, Serpsaat Ward, Sergeant Salter,
and Omporel Pastes all went bones together to the
WA In lib& the sormeant-major was artend. When
Vgot inside the but, Kennedy got a match
Ift • candle, and sat down in a chair for
the garpese of Oak* off his boots. Whilst so I
trged,ii knock came at the door, and the sergeant-major
NA "Come in." The whinier at that moment entered the
het, and be had a cloak hanging loosely from his shoulders ;
he said (according to the witnesses) " What accusation
have you got to make spinet me, Sergeant Kenoedyr At
til• tinethsteet the raised a short carbine up from
between hie legs shut the sergeathmajor through the
body before be bad made thy reply to the prisoner's ques-
tion. The vitamins mid the prioaer held the carbine hori-
mislay in front of hima at the thigh. At the moment of
the discharge of the *ea the wounded man threw out his
arms, knocked over the candle, and rising from his chair
ran to the further end of the but, sod said, " lam shot, go
and fetch • doctor." Whilst one ran to do so Sergeants
Salter and Ward sprang upon sod seized the *awes. Pri-
soner cried out, "Don t twist my arm, Sergeant Ward, I'm
in for you, and you will have it next." They took his car.
bine from him ; it was warm, and an exploded cap was on
the nipple. When the prisoner wee being taken off in cus-
tody he said be should not have shot the sergeant if he had
not ordered him out of the theatre. He was appre-
hended by • police-constable, and to him the prisoner said,
" All my trouble is now over ;" and oo the way to the
station be further said, " I shall be hung for this, and it
serves me right." The policeman also said the prisoner
uked if be did not think he was • good shit' Ho told the
constable also that he was so aggravated with the sergeant-
major that he should have killed him on the spot, at the
theatre, if be had had a weapon with him.
When the prisoner was ogled upon for his defence he
mid he had bees drinking all day, and he then went and got
more, and his excitement was increased by hearing chaff and
complaints about his being tossed out after paying towards
the society. He was , and went home determined
to know the rights of the affair, as he conceived a plan had
been tensed to exclude him. He loaded a carbine, but left it
full cocked in kis hurry. He went to the hut, and what be
said wait, "What accusation have they brought against me,
serjeant-major" and he produced the carbine to say what
ha would do to his injuren, " when by some mans the
cloak hitchedin the hammer of the nipple, and the piece
exploded while the butt end was still on the ground. He
bad DO intention of injuring Kennedy, and indeed he was
the only man who had taken his part during the evening."
After it was done he said he bad got into trouble and must
suffer for it ; as to saying he was a marksman, it was to the
effect that it was • tine marksman who went close to • man
to shoot him.
The judge carefully summed up the evidence, and the
jury, atter • few moments' considention, toned the pri-
soner Guilty of shooting with incept to murder, and he was
sentenced to penal servitude for life.