The Express.
London, England, 1848-01-24 00:00:00

SPECIAL COMMISSION.

piece of bees' wax rag. Dooley said there was some in his
haversack bag. The next time I saw the prisoner he was
standing at a table In the middle of the room, and he ap-
peared to me to be doing something at his musket. About a
minute afterwards my wife came up to me and asked me what
o'clock it was. I took out my watch and told her. Showell
laughing and joking with me, and I bad scarcely got the
watch into my pocket when I heard the report of the mus-
ket. I was standing with my back to the tire, and she was
standing on my left. As soon as I heard the report I turned
and saw the musket drop from the prisoner's hand upon the
door. I saw my wife stagger backwards, and she exclaimed,
" Lord have mercy upon us—what have you done ?" I ran
up to the prisoner, and said, " You scoundrel, what
have you done ? Have you shot my wife ? " I
thought at first my wife was fainting, owing to
the report of the musket. I sail to the prisoner, in
my excitement, " I'll load my piece and shoot you."
He said, " Load it ;" and my wife, who was lying upon her
back, culled to me for assistance, and I went and lifted her
up. There were two or three more men in the room, who
took the prisoner into custody. I placed my wife on a form,
and she begged to be carried to bed. I carried her to bed
and found a wound is her belly, from which she bled a great
deal. Mr. Jackson, surgeon, was in attendance immediately,
' but my wife died about half. past eight o'clock. No conver-
sation bad taken place that evening, before this happened, be-
tween tho prisoner and me or between him and my wife. I
do not think my wife had been out of my tight for three
minutes during two hours before this happened. I don't '
think she was five minutes out of my sight from half-
past twelve at noon to seven in the evening. The pri-
soner had been in the room, but I do not think I had
spoken to him during the time, nor do I think my wife
had. There had been no quarrel with the prisoner oa thats
day. I do not know that my wife ever quarrelled with
him, or said anything to him except telling him
that he was more nice than any other man was. It is
not the custom in the barracks to keep the muskets
loaded except when on duty or on escort. It is against
, toe general rule of the army. Stokes was at the parade in
I the morning. The nieces are all examined during parade.
I can F.::: uo explanation of this occurrence. I do not
recollect my wife ever saying an ii 477 word to the Ina.er.!
—W. Mustard, sergeant_in the new vs-- ---
tiaTc_ iiposrvott..!con
Sedtoalites..t:abo.ur twobar m.-ken;:t.h.".-' ".."'"
'
and
Iha.ve known
qiuru-t'oom when the prisoner was brought inw on Thurs•
till night. lie was given into the charge of a sergeant
of the 57th, who had charge of the guard. A man
named Jones asked him if he was sorry for what he
had done ? lie replied " No." Jones asked him if it
was his intention to shoot the woman ? He said, " Yes,
it was his intention to shoot her two months ago, but he was
prevented, and he took • second thought." I then asked
him if he had ally spite against the sergeant in the room.
Ile said "No." The man then wised him if he had any
spi,* against the woman, or any falling out with her ? Ile
said ".No, but that she had said some words to him which no
one should ever know except the priest." Jones asked him
if he knew the women was dead ? lie said " No, but that
he thought he heard them talking about it." He inked if
she was dead, and Jones told him that she died about half-
past eight. He then said, " I can now be happy; I could
not hare died happy if she had lived." 1 then asked
him if he had any animosity against any one in the com-
pany. He said, " Yes; there is one man off on furlough,
and if he had bean at home I would have shot him too."
I asked him when he loaded the piece ? He said,
" He had had it in hie mind at two o'clock to shoot the
il woman, but he could not get a chance, and he thought it
was about five o'clock when he loaded his piece." He said
he loaded it with ball cartridge. Jones asked him if it was
actually 1=1:4; ~,,,.1 ':s.iut it into the arm rack? He said
.. .
he loaded ii and put it into the race. _"_^ 44 he ma not gei
a chance until about seven o'clock, when he ran over, took
out the musket, and shot the woman. Jones asked him, in
• joking way, if he would tell the secret. He said, "No, I
will not ; I will go and lie down, and no one on earth shall
know it except the priest." By " the secret" was meant his
reason for doing the act. This ended the conversation, and
the prisoner lay down on the guard bed. Tlie jury returned
a verdict of " Wilful murder" against Michael Stokes, who
was committed for trial at the nextassises.

LIMERICK, FRIDAY, Jaw. 21.
Citation OF MURDlR.—Michael Howard, a young man
about 30 years of age, was placed at the bar, charged with
the wilful murder of Johanna Houragan, at Bally=nun, en
the 6th of April, 1847, by inflicting a gun-shot wound on
the side ; it was also charged that the fatal shot was fired by
some person unknown, the prisoner and others having been
present, aiding and assisting in the murder.
The Attorney-General detailed the facts of the case.
Houragan, the husband of the murdered woman, and the
father of the boy put to death, had prosecuted some per-
sons who had attacked him, and beat him so severely as
to put his life in danger ; and that circumstance was the
only motive that could bo attributed for the commission of
the murder. After the prosecution police were placed in
Houragan'a house for protection, but, unfortunately, they
only remained mere at night, leaving the house in the morn-
ing, and returning again in the evening. This fact being
known to the perpetrators of the murder, they watched the
house until they saw the police leave it, on the mornieg of
the 6th of April last, when they entered, and shot the mother
and son. For this offesce one man, another Michael
Howard, had been convicted at the last assizes and executed;
the prisoner was now arraigned for it, and the jury would
have to say whether he was not ohe of those guilty of this
dreadful crime. The third of the party, a man named
Route, and who wan one of the persons prosecuted by Hou-
ratan, had not yet been made amenable to the law.
Houragan, the husband and father, and Catherine
Collins*, a married daughter of Philip Houragan, were ex.
Attained, and proved the facts as set forth by the prosecution.
The latter said: I was sitting at the fire with my mother
when the party came in. One of them stood before her and
shot her. He afterwards struck her down on the head with
the gun. Two of them went into the room where toy
brother was, and said something to him, but I did not hear
what. I attempted to go Oct of the house, but there sou a
man at the door who turned me back. My mother fell acmes
the fire, and was burning when I tOolt her up. She was not
dead then, but died shortly after. I heard two shots in the
room where my brother was killed. The two men who
came in were Mick Howard and Mick Roerke, but I did not
know the third man, the one who stood at the door. I did
not see his face; I only raw his trousers, as I had to hold
down my head. That Mick Howard hes been hanged. The
three men went away tort,. • "^. "••••• killed niy
,
molter they &seen tor my hither.
Other evidence having been adduced tending to prove the
prisoner to have been an accessory,
Mr. O'Hea addressed the jury for the defence, and the So-
licitor-General replied.
The chief Baron charged the jury, and, among other
matters, called their attention to the fact, that the prisoner
had not a mask on his face, though one of the witnesses
swore that he had,
The jury then retired, and came out in a few minutes to
ask the court for some explanation relative to the different
aunts in the indictment. Having obtained the required in-
emulation, they went back to their room, and at once found
the prisoner guilty on the third count, which' charged
him with having aided and assisted in the murder. The
prisoner was then removed. He heard the announcement'
of the verdict with a great deal of firmness.
HARBOURING A FE/MR.—John and Thomas FraWell were
placed at the bar charged with having harboured William
Ryan (Puck), knowing him to have been accused of a felony.
It will be recollected that William Frewen, the prisoners'
elder brother, and who was said to be the owner of the
house in which Ryan was arrested, has been already con-
victed and sentenced to transportation for life. The prisoners
pleaded not guilty when tint arraigned; but Mr, Blackball,
their Attorney now applki or per mrs!,:•.e. for them to with-
draw that plea, and plead guilty. He stated that one of
the prisoners had not been in the house for three weeks be-
fore the arrest of Ryan, and that the other, a younger brother,
had no control over the house, and could not prevent any
person stopping in it.
Chief Justice : Are you about to produce an affidavit of
three facts ?—Mr. Blackball I will, my lord, if it be neces-
sary.—The Attorney-General stated that as the elder brother
had been sentenced to transportation, he would not press fur
severe punishment upon the prisoners—certainly not to
have them transported. But as he was not aware of the
facts, he should like to see an affidavit setting them forth.—
Chief Justice Well, let the case stand until to-morrow,
and let the affidavit be furnished to the Attorney-General.—
The prison, rs were then removed. They are both quite
young men.

MYSTERIOUS MURDER OF A FARMER.—But littlo
more than a month has elapsed since we published the par-
ticulars of a murder which occurred at Backwell, Somerset,
the details showing a coolness and indifference on the part of
the perpetrators which was astounding. Thia week vie have
to record another case of murder, perpetrated in the same
county, and within five miles' distance of the former scene of
erime. The victim is a respectable farmer, residing at
Dundry, Mr. Walsingham Hazel!, aged 63, a man greatly
esteemed in the village as a most kind-hearted and inoffen-
sive person, and well known in Bristol as a frequenter of
the bay market. The deceased was last seen in the farm
yere'. adjacent to hie dwellire-pone, on Monday after-
noon, since which time, up to Thateciiy, be bad been miss-
ing, and his mysterious absence had naturally eacll:fir! the
mist intense interest amongst his kindred, friends, and neigh-
bours. It was not until Thursday morning, as will be de-
tailed in the following evidence, that • clue was given for
the discovery of the crime, which, although for the present
shrouded in mystery, has, nevertheless, evidently been com-
mitted. Two individuals, residing at Dundry, and who
have for many years borne characters of undoubted respecta-
bility, dreamed on the same evening that the body of the
missing man was concealed in a well. Upson stating their
dream further search was instituted, and eventually the
body of the murdered man was discovered at the bottom of
an old empty well, long since disused. Suspicion having
been attached to two young men, nephews of the deceased,
they were given into custody. An inquest was held on Fri-
day at Dundry. The body of deceased bore traces
of violent injury, the front of the head be-
ing beaten in, evidently with some heavy weapon,
whilst the back also presented evidence of several blows
having been inflicted. The corpse was apparently that of a
most powerful individual, being upwards of six feet two
inches in height.—Thomas Capell deposed that he was a
farm labourer, and was employed by the deceased and his
sister, who held Upton Farm ; the farm was managed by
the deceased. The last time that he, witness, saw deceased
alive, was on Monday last, the 17th inst. The deceased was
a man of very regular habits, and consequently much sur-
prise and alarm was felt at his being miming on Monday
evening. At about holf-past 3 o'clock on that day, witness
and another farm servant wcro in the barn thrashing,
having been thus employed for the whole day. Whilst look-
ing over tee hatch of the born, he saw the deceased
standing outside the Colts' house, talking in • Diendly
manner with his two nephews, Benjamin and John
Hazell, who resided on the farm. He never saw him
alive afterwards. Upon deceased being missed, active
search was made for him, but without avail until Thursday
morning, when, in consequence of something which was
said, he was induced to go with another man to search
an old dry disused well in the yard, near the stables : upon
removing the stone which was placed upon the cover, and
lilting the cover, he (witness) laid down on his face and
looked into the well. He could not, at first, discern any-
thing, but at length he NSW something at the bottom of the
well, and having procured a eandje, be got some well hooks
and let them down with a rope, and they hitched in some-
thing. On lowering the candle they saw blood on the side
wall of the well, and having procured further aseietauce they
proceeded to drag up what was at the bottom of the well,
which proved to be the body of the deceased, Mr. "hull.
Atter the body had been removed from the well, it was con-
veyed into the house and upon searching the le ekem he
I found therein • silver 6d., • penny piece, a key, a knife,' pocket-
handkerchief, two or three straps, and • short piece of rope
which he used to carry hay with to the sheep. The prisoners
Benjamin and James Hazell were about the house at the time
I found the body; they resided with their aunt and uncle.—
Joseph Stokes deposed that he is a farm-labourer, and resides
at Dundry; he was well acquainted with the deceased, farmer
Hazen, and saw him almost every day; knew that he was
missing. First heard of it on Tuesday morning, and bad
assisted in searching for him ever since until the body was
band. Yesterday morning witness was miming along the
read by the farm, and hearing a man thrashing in the
barn, witness went to him and asked " Have you yet
found the farmer," alluding to the deceased. The man re-
plied that farmer Hazell was not yet found. Witness then
asked if they had searched the well just by. He meant the
old dry 1•111 in the same yard as the barn, and adjoining the
barn door. He replied that they had not. Witness then said,
" Pray do, for Henry Clover dreamt lest night that the body
of Mr. Buell was in the well, and Benjamin Paynton
also dreamt the same." Witness knew this because Henry
Dover told him he had so dreamt, and that Benjamin
Paynton had also dreamt the same. Thomas Capel, after
expressing his surprise, then came out of the barn door, and
they went together to the well. On looking at it Capel said,
" Why, the stone looks te me to be in the same place as it
always used to be." He meant • heavy flume which was
placed on the cover of the well to prevent accidents. lie
then moved the stone off, and after raising the cover they
both looked into the well. They could see something at the
bottom, but could not distinguish what it was. Whams
asked Capel if be had any well knippers, and he Went and
PROVINCIAL. got them, and they let them down and got hold of some-
YORKSHIRE. thing. They then got a clothes line and let a candle down
THE MURDER AT THE LEEDS BARRACKS.—The in- into the well, and they saw marks of blood on the side of the
quest on the body of Margaret (Jarred, the soldier's wife, well. Before they attempted to remeve the body, when the
who was shot by a private in the 57rh Reich, at the Leeds candle was lirt down, a body could be plainly seen in the
barracks, was held on Saturday. The primmer, Michael well. The marks of blood were on the aide farthest from
Stokes, who is 20 years of age, was brought into the room, the barn door. The blbod was about two feet below tie
where he remained during the proceedings.—Mr. Price, our- suttee* of the well, and in that was, if anything had been
gene, sated: I examined the body of the deceased. On brought out from the stable and throws into the well it
exposing the Lody it was observed to be much blanched, and would taut probably have struck on that side. Further as-
a fault circular wound that would admit the point of the 'immix wss then procured, and the body was drawn up
fire finger was seen about two-and-a-half inches from the out of the well, when it proved to be that of Mr. Hazel—
navel on the right side. Another wound appeared on the John Hall lam a labourer. I live at Dundry. I helped
back, immediately below the last rib and near to the to carry the body of Mr. Mizell into the house, and, alter
spine. A quantity of blood had issued from both this was done, I got a hayfork and searched the muck heap
these wounds. The body was then opened, and the by the pig-sties, but found nothing there. I then searched
whole of the wall of the integuments was turned back, and the dung mixtn which is drawn from the feeble, and I found
I traced the progress of the wilted. I found the substance the peak hitch in something which ought not to be there. I
had passed through the right kidney, breaking up ha di I not know what it was, but I removed the straw from
strumre entirely, and that it nail pasted through the muscles above it, and took out a large ash stick, about two feet and
id the back and out at the opening I have described. The a half long, and as big Si. my arm. (The snot was here
other viscera were injured. It had pained between the large produced, and was a moat formidable wee "
intestine and the liver, and both these were uninjured. as any man's upper arm.) On the e
There was no disease in the parts. I should suppose that blood and some long grey hairs. TI
the wound had been occasioned by some round hard sub- Thee are still attached to the stick.
stance, or ball. It could not have been produced by • sword to Hr. John Shorland. I there met
or basoeet. It had all the appearance of a gun shot eked him if be knew the stick,
wound, and the wour.d was suf&ient to produce death. is the tine with which we prop
The I:hemorrhage ooza,ioned try the wound hail caused the wheels. Yourig Hazel' himself
death.—W. (lured, husband of the deceased, said : I am the stick so found for that purpose.
a private in the Fr its Regiment. Michael Stakes is • pri- the umbrella, which the deceased
in the same 'regiment. The deceased was 211 years and ho was missed, on a wall adjoin%
4 month: old. I did not know the prisoner until about four 1 zetphews were in custody upon
mouths ago, w'oeo I and my wife came to the Leeds bar- murder, and were attended by Mr.
racks. Stoke.* was is the regiment before, bat I had oaf, tol. me severe] croseexamined
known him hefore then, as I belonged to another company.. he gave most evasive answers. At fir
Since we tiave been in Leeds, Stokes MU slept in the same public-house from 12 to Son Mind
room wit's me and my wife. About seven ,-clock on milted that he was absent from the ..
Thursdrsy evening theprisoner wax in the room with us. ''He was, after the inquiry, taken into custody upon suspicion
I The piercer cane up to Michael Dooley, and asked for aI of being an accessory. The jousts' was ....,,wfiourned.

SCOTLAND.
EDINBUIION, Jut. 21.
The northern metropolis is just now in a state of
excitement about its impending municipal regenera-
tion ; but were the suffrages of the community ascer-
tained by the white and black bean process which
Archbishop \Vhately states, in his Hampden letter,
was adopted by him to quell the parochial agitation
in his Suffolk charge, it would be found that not one
man in a thousand knows what the agitation is about,
nor cares in any way how it is to be settled. A few
active men on 'both sides make up the organisation
of the whole movement, both claiming to be the
"city," the "inhabitants," the " public, &c. Look-
ing et the whole question impap (tally, and regarding
it as a local question, involving
general principles, we
are disposed to say that there is much ado about
nothing. Giving ample credit to both parties for
good motives, we deferentially submit that neither
the new municipal nor the new sanitary bills grapple
with the real difficulties of Edinburgh. Let us take
the case of a dissenter living in a given street. He
has to pay for the upholding of the established church,
whilst his churchman neighbour, living on the oppo-
site aide, pays not one farthing; he pays more for the
poor than said neighbour; he has a toll-bar set down
before his dwelling, and pays in toll dues triple more
than those on the other side pay for road taxes: he
has a turgid stream Bending its noxious exhalations
into the air, whenever he opens his window ; he has a
heaving grave-yard in front, the very walls of which
are blackened with the oozings of corruption ; and,
not to enlarge the catalogue, what do the new bills do
for him ? The annuity tax for religion remains un-
touched; the poor-law tax remains untouched ; the
toll tax remains untouched, till the debts on miles of .
county road are paid off; the churchyard nuisance
remains untouched ; and the water of Leith is to be
stagnant six days in the week, and liquescent for one.
Truly the suburbans have got well off. The corporation
mind is very much like the human eye—a mote
irritates, but the point of the finger can be drawn
across the ball with impunity. Touch bodies cor-
porate ever so lightly they are roused—lay hold of
them firmly, and they do not make more noise. The
"southern districts" of Edinburgh would not have
been a whit more valiant had differential usages and
imposts been swept away at one stroke ; and as local
bills can only be undertaken four or five times in a
century, it had been well if questions that must
eventually come to be considered had been boldly
looked in the face at once, and one agitation sufficed
for all. In thus generally speaking of this matter,
we by no means wish to overlook specialities in the
case of liberal and public-spirited men, but holding
with Pope that
All partial evil ip maenad Rood,
we must be excused for first considering what is
imperatively done for the "common good." If Lon-
don and Edinburgh escape sanitary improvemeat, the
cause is lost ;—and this should induce some caution.
The town council of Glasgow has agreed by a ma-
jority of 25 to 9 to petition against the Bank Act.
The minority were not in favour of the measure, but
voted against petitioning on the pound that the sub-
ject had already been referred to a committee of the
House of Commons.
To-day and yesterday a committee of the Ayrshire
Iron Company were engaged in paying off their lia-
bilities on the terms formerly stated—viz., a cash
payment to account of 10s. per pound, and bills for
the remaining moiety at six and twelve months. The
commercial casualties in Edinburgh have not yet sub-
sided—two other failures being on their way to the
Gazette.

.

szlirpnlerb.oem:tfhelinewtau:Telinbiowtdowomainlhod:pronflUictev.ityeier was theint
s.
rarl
airs. They are there new.
e stick. I carried - N..l'
stick, and he
uod had with hun •!:.
,n‘ng the steble. SI". ,ws th!
i stupid ,n of commitnnt4...
Mr. Harmer, soli. ~
stained by Mr. aerneoLlifthe.g:-‘
At first he said he wee sr vii ,
-N :...,..../
Monday, and afterwerda s'
et the house fir some tin's.

DRURY-LANE OPERA.—" The Marriage of Figaro"
is announced fur Thurday next, in tho Engllth version, by
Mr. Moulds, published in the " Standard Lyrical Drama."

AND CLERICAL.

OXFORD, JAN. 22.—The members of the various colleges
and hallo meet for Lent Tenn es follows:—This day, Queens'
College and St. Edmond Hall; Jan. 28, St. Mary Hall,
Jan. 29, University, Rallied, Merton, Exeter, Oriel, Lincoln,
Brasenose, Christ Church, Trinity, St. John's, Jesus, Pem-
broke, New Inn Hall, and St. Alban Hall; Feb. 2, Mag-
dalen College ; Feb. 4, Corpus Christi; Feb. 6, New Col-
lege, Wedham, Worcester, and Magdalen Hall.
CANORIDOR.—The prise for the beat dissertation on" The
principles of historical evidence applied to discriminate be-
tween the authority of the Christian scriptures and of the
religious books of the Hindus," has been adjudged to the
Rev. R. Williams, M.A., Fellow of King's College. This
is the first adjudication of this prize, the value of which is
not named.
CoLizon.—J. C. Wright, Scholar, has been
elected a fellow of this society.
QVERNS' Cotteoz.—R. Watson, 8.A., has been elected
a fellow of this society.

PREFERMENT/I.—Rev. C. It. Clifton, to North Aston V.,
co. and dio. Oxford ; 1991.: pat., Col. 13ewles.—Rev. J. G.
Foy, to a chaplaincy in north of India : pat., the Bishop of
Calcutta.—Rev. Lewis, to Christchurch R. Southwark,
dio. Winchester; 3301. pats., trubtees of dr. Marshall's
Charities, vice Rev. J. H. Mapleton, resigned.—Rev. W.
Sperling, to St. Clement C., Norwich : pat., Rev. R. Ring.
—Rev. 0. Wray, R. of Leven, Yorkshire, to the Prebend of
Dunnington, in the cathedral church of York.
VACANCIES.—BuckIand R., co. and dio. Gloucester;
2221.: pat., SirT. Phillippa, Bert. ; Rev. T. &often, dec.—
Edwardston V., Suffolk, dio. Norwich ; 2031. with residence:
pat., C. Dawson, Esq. ; Rev. G. A. Damon dec.—Southery
; 7001. with residence: pat., G. Hall, Esq. ; Ryston P.
C., to. Roxham P.C.; 611.: pats., the D. and C. of Norwich ;
and West Denham alt in the co. Norfolk and dio. Nor-
wich, and 'recent by the death of the Rev. C. Mann.—Stan-
ton-on-the-Wolds R., Notts, dio. Lincoln; 1001. with resi-
dence: pat., Sir R. H. Bromley; Rey. W. Pntsey, dec.—
Chaplaincy of the Royal Military Asylum, Chelsea, and to
the Duke of Cambridge ; Rev. G. Clarke, dec.,