The Express.
London, England, 1861-08-14 00:00:00

CONFESSION OF A TRIPLE MURDER AND

ROBBERY IN IRELAND.

The following appears in the Sligo Champion :
Matthew Pbibbs has, at length, given evidence that he
has awakened to a sense of the enormity of his crime. He
has justified the finding of the intelligent gentlemen who
were empanelled on the coroner's jury in Baliymote, in
January list—and the verdict of the jurors who tried his
cane at our recent assizes—by confessing that he was the
murderer of Mr. William Callaghan, his wife, Fanny
Callaghan, and their servant, Anne Mooney. We had
heard more than • fortnight since that Phibbe had ex-
pressed a wish to have au interview with Mr. Lindsay.
primitive Weeleyno preacher, and it is probable enough that
he would have made a confession to that gentleman had he
been permitted to see him; but such permission wu not
granted, and l'hibbs ultimately disburdened his mind to one
of the turnkeys, named Bell, to whom be admitted that it
was his hand that had deprived Mr. and Mrs. Callaghan and
their servant of life. fie also mentioned that be had
hidden some of the property he bad taken in • field belong-
ing to Captain Gethie, and which is about 300 yards distant
from lftllian's house. On the following morning, the
turnkey's term of duty having ceased for 24 bourn, Bell
availed himself of the opportunity to proceed to Ballymote,
and on searching Mr. Cletbin's turnip Amid he found in a
trench • case of pistols, a watch and chain, watch key, and
seal; end in • fieldadjoining,ofter strict march, be found two
huge silver tablespoons, six silver tesspoome, and two pewter
spoons, under a fist stone. Those articles Bell brought to the
authorities, and in consquence of Phibla having informed
him that be had also hidden 141. in money, which Bell could
not find on his first search, he had • conversation to that
effect with Phibbe, who stated that he thought he had
thrust it under a rock, and Bell again went to Ballymote,
searched the place mentioned by l'hibbs, but failed to find
the money. Bell then went to the house of Mr. Porde,
adjacent to the residence of the late Mr. Callaghan ; and
Fords, who is a very respectable man, told him that he and
more than twenty others had searched the same ground, but
only found • muslin handkerchief. On returning to the
gaol Bell acquainted Pliibbe wills his fruitless search, and
questioned him about the handkerchief, and de-
scribed the handkerchief craw-barred muslin—so an to
leave no doubt that it was the one referred to by kir.
Fords. Phibba's recollection was, that this handkerchief
was put by him in the same spot as the 141.

I FLOGGING nr THE lELSH AZIR.—The Trish Times
says :—" Last week
_a private soldier, named Sunderland,
belonging to the Std L 4 ht Dragoons, who was recently tried
by court-martial fordesertion, underwent the punishment of
50 lashes. He erase fine soldierly-looking fellow, and bore
the infliction of this brutal and degrading practice with con-
siderable sang freed, saying, as it terminated, 'lt is not
worse than six mouths' imprisonment.' The colonel of the
iregiment sod nearly all the men were present, and as the
blood streamed down the back of this probably brave though
erring soldier, it is not too much to say that many a com-
rade's heart in that gallant corps throbbed with indignation.
Before the flogging commenced the victim of this cruel
code was marched up to a piece of padded canvas, which
was secured to some woodwork, so that if he fell forward
he might not be hurt. His hands and feet were then secured,
and the sentence immediately after carried out, when the
poor fellow was taken to the hospital, where he now lies, in
all probability neither a wiser nor • better man, for in-
human treatment of this kind has only the effect of de-
grading the soldier."
ANOTHEN DEATH MON THE !ATE EXPLOSION Or
• PARAME Lana.—A lengthy inveetigatioa Was held on
Morday night, before Mr. U. S. Brent, the deputy coroner
for West ffiiiiilleeez. at the Bank of England Tavern, Pad-
dington, on the body of Mr. Montmorency Durant Stokes,
aged 61, late of 18, Desborough-place. Harrow-road, whose
death was commosed by endeavouring to Nippon' the
flames by which his wife was enveloped through the explo-
sion of a paraffin lamp. lost week an inquest was held on
the body of Mrs. Stokes, when it appeared that she acci-
dentally let fall a lighted Inciter match into the oil or
spirit, and an explosion was the immediate result. Herself
and husband were much burst, and they were both quickly
conveyed to St. Mary's Hospital, whore Mrs. Stokes
shortly afterwards expired. Mr. Stokes, the husband, also
subsoquently died from the effect of the burns in his
endeavour to save his wife. The inquiry was aAlouraed.