The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-08 00:00:00

A TRAGEDY LN NORWAY.

A correspondent who wag present during the in-
quisition held relative to the tragedy which has taken
place in Kautokeino, in Finmarb, caused by the religious
fanaticism which is daily spreading among the Finns and
Laplanders, has favoured us with the following account :
_Ellen Asleh's daughter Sunby, a young Finnish woman
Ablest 28 Jean of age, of come personal beauty,. and looked
up to as a saint by the people of her race, was, together
with her husband, sentenced last year to imprisonment in
die house of correction in Christiania for two years, butsuc-
seeded in making her escape and keeping herself concealed
although repeated endeavours were made to discover her.
The tribe of mountain Finns to which she belonged had
bound tl•emselves to defend her at the risk of their own
lives, and to kill every one who attempted to capture her.
However, not content to remain on the defensive, they
determined, on Monday, Bth November, to make an attack
upon the authorities in teen. neighbourhood. At 8 o'clock
in the morning the tribe, numbering about 30 men and
women, armed with clubs and rods, arrived at the house of a
merchant, by name Ruth, where the Leasmand, or gover-
nor was residing, quite determined to set fire to the church,
the parsonage, and Ruth's house, and to slay every one who
refused to pan them and accept what they call the only true
and saving faith. On their arrival they sent in some chil-
dren to induce the Lesasmand to come out to them, and on
his so doing they instantly felled him to the ground, beat-
ing him with their clubs and rods, and stabbing him with
knives. On hearing the Lmeemend calling for help, Mr.
Ruth, a young and vigorous man, rushed out to his assist-
ance, and having succeeded in wrenching a club from one
of the savages, laid about him with it for some time. Ulti-
mately, however, he also succumbed; but, although both
their victims were n
ew
extended on the earth apparently
lifeless, the people continued to ill-treat them in
the most inhuman manner. Mrs. Rath, who had
some out of the house to implore them to spare her hus-
band, was at once struck to the ground by a blow on the
head, and a servant-girl who had followed her mistress was
whipped with rods; after which the wild horde rushed
into the house, which they commenced pillaging. In the
meanwhile the servant-girl sad Mrs. Ruth, who had
recovered from her swoon, fled to the neighbouring
pumas*, and related the dreadful tale to the
pester and his wife, who had not the least
inspielees of what was taking place so near them.
The peeller at once determined to go forth and
emilsomared to appease the infuriated wretches, but no
Immo ill ho mike his appearance among them than the
muss de Opsa him with savage yells, and he was forced
le maintain a anded struggle for ids life. While the
sitieges were igrid wish tie pastor—who, though much
Waved, ultiemeft Mado Ids maps into the parsonage, the
dowse which were then well secured—Om Less mead who
bad recovered from hie sesta of insensibility, enseseded in
dregglag himself into the home, and locking himself up in
use a 1 the mess, nod threw* himself um a bed. He
was, however, ma abseil ; the hem was searched, amid
the moot ea ye and howling ; the deer of the room
fa which he t refuge was famed open, and the
leader of the , one Ail& Hotta, rushing in,
attempted at once to despatch him with his knife,
bat on finding that the " knife would not bite,"
as he expressed it, be and his younger brother repeatedly I
placed the knife against the unfortunate Leinsmand'i
breast. and drove it in with a club, which they used as a
hammier ; end the rest of the wretches following their ex-
ample, hammered away at the unhappy victim as long as
any alga of life was remaining. Mr. Ruth's housekeeper,
who la her fright had sought refuge la the same room,
5 with a severe whipping. In the mean-
er : ems of the female furies who had remained
, pereeiviag that Mr. Ruth was moving one
of his embed ea kelt bar, placed it under the
out, and then battered the latter with a club until
'be onesseded in ereallag it she then proceeded to do the
same with his other arm, sad esatinued the inhuman pro-1
ewe until every appanage of life was extinct. When
loth's house had been rempletely pillaged, it was set on
see, and the savages the* proeeeded to the parsonage,
where they were emetles Miler scenes, when the Finns,
who have given up their amide life, and are settled in
=crime to the rescue, led on by a man who had been
by the assailents on their way to the scene of eat.
auk awl who, suspecting their intention, had gone in
effigellemes. A wallet now commenced in w
Same Fla we wonted. Seeing that there wait
hop of
be with their booty, Aslak Haas cii=4
OBS ele should thrown into the .
easel a pet was the resistance offered by them knees%
Illise bemire toesegne the men, it became necessary to fell
MA Mee tO Ilse ground with a blow, and then to
Mel MOM& sad foot. In this way the whole tribi;i4.
trempieb .. .i dodge. to Bosekop, and lodged is the
there. They have since openly confessed that it wee thels
intention to slay everyone who refused to accept the tens •
idth. The x say that they have reed that the apostle
landiemeaCX the same, and declare that they do not repent
of wine they have done, for that the day of wrath has come,
est they are only instruments in the hands of the Lord, for
the glorification of the faith, and they even express regret
at hot having been more successful. It is supposed, how-
ever, that there is a good deal of bravado in all this, as they
all look considerably crestfallen. Then are signs of the
epidemic having spread among the Finns in other localities'
also, and it is hoped that the punishment awarded to the
present delinquents may be sufficiently severe to act as a
check upon the other fanatics. •

THE MURDER IN DEAN FOREIT.—DETBROOK
THURSDAY.—The inquest on the body of William Peake,
who, as already reported in this paper, was found dead in
the road near this place, with a stab in the face through
the eye to the brats, has, after two adjournments before
Joseph Lovegrove, Esq., coroner, been at length concluded.
It will be recollected that a man, named James Greenbelt
.had been taken into custody on suspicion of being concerned
in the murder, he having been seen last in his company,
and having been known to have accompanied the deceased
a Dart of the way home.—The jury found a verdict of
" wilful murder " a.iainst James Greenhill; who was ea-
cordiogly committed to Gloucester for trial at the next
assizes.
Tut WEnTurt.—THE CEOPS.—With the excep-
tion of yesterday, which was a beautifully line, genial day,
the weather has continued very stormy and wet, and com-
plaints are made, by our correspondents in several parts of
Down and Antrim, of the very backward state of all art •
cultural operations. From Banbridge, our correspondent
writes :—" The weather continues very stormy and wet, so
much so that any kind of fi. Id labour practicable at Ilya
season cannot be proceeded with. The wheat crop, which
would have been extensively cultivated this year, is entirely
prevented by unfavourable weather fur the last two months,
and the crop will be very limited, except for what may be
sown in spnog."—Northern lVhig.

ITV:ENING. JANUARY 8, 1853.

IRELAND

Dosing. .7a.s. 7.
ARRIVAL OF THE EARL OF ST. OERMANS.

_ ------.—.
After a somewhat rough passage of nearly See
hours, the steamer conveying his Excellency the
Earl of St. Germans from England arrived at
Kingstown about half-past eleven o'clock this day.
There were in waiting to receive his Excellency
the Right Hon. Judge Keating and the Right
Hon. Sir Thomas Esmonde, as Privy Councillors ;
Captain Cust, and other aides-de-camp ; Mr. Brews-
ter; Mr. George Roe, and Mr. Magee, Directors of
the Kingstown Railway. As soon as the steamer
was made fast at the jetty, the gentlemen in attend-
ance went on board, and when the usual prelimi-
nary introductions to his Excellency had taken
place, the noble earl lunched, and proceeded to the
railway terminus, where the royal carriage and an
express engine were in alendanee, and in about
ten minutes conveyed his Excellency to Westland-
row terminus, where he entered into a private car-
riage in waiting, and proceeded to the Castle to be
sworn in.

At 1 o'clock his Excellency proceeded from the
private apartments in the Castle to the Council-room,
attended by the principal officers of state. At the
council table were seated—His Grace the Archbishop
of Dublin and the Hight Hon. Lieutenant-General
Sir Edward Blakency, K.C., C. 8., Lords Justices,
who remained covered, whilst the other privy coun-
cillors, as well as the Lord-Lieutenant, were un-
covered. The Privy Councillors present were—The
Lord Chief Justice of the Queen's -Bench in his state
robes, the Bishop of Meath, Baron Green, Judge
Ball, the ex-Lord Chancellor Blackburnc, Judge
Keating, Sir Thomas Esmond°, Bart., the present
Lord Chancellor Brady, the Chief Baron of the Court
of Exchequer, Judge Perrin, Mr. Itatchell, Mr. Na-
pier M.P., ex-Attorney-General, and Mr. Alexander
`'Donnell. There were also present, Judge Moore,
Mr. Brewster, Mr. William Keogh, Solicitor-Gene-
rid, Mr. Corry Connellan, Capt. Bernard, Sir W.
Betham, and several other persons of distinction.
The oaths having been administered by Mr. Mar-
mion Savage and subscribed by the Lord Lieutenant,
the ex-Chancellor Blackburue read the Queen's Letter

appointing the noble earl to the office of Viceroy.
The Archbishop of Dublin delivered the Sword of
State; Sir Win. Bedlam invested him with the
_ _

Collo: and Chain of the order of St. Patrick, and