The Express.
London, England, 1861-09-17 00:00:00

In a private letter from • comrade of the prisoner the
following statement 111 made as to the offence for which he
was sentenced to imprisonment :
" M'Cefferay has been up before the colonel two or three
times lately for very trivial things, and baa been occasionally
confined to barracks. A short time ago they gave him seven
days in cells, end all the hair was cut off holland. Yeeter•
thy he was on picket, that is, on duty io the barracks, to
keep people away from the officers'quarters. During the af ter-
noou some children belonging to soldiers of the battalion to
which he belongs were playing Dear the officers' mess, when the
adjutant cams up and asked him 'why he allowed the children
to play there? la reply, he @sidle had no orders against
their being allowed to do so. The odjutaot then ordered
him to get the names of the parents of the children. The
youngsters, however, ran away, and be mould only get the
name of one of them. As soon as he told the adjutant that
he could only obtain one name, the adjutant had him placed
in the guard-room. There be was kept all night, and this
morning he was brought before the colonel, who gave him
fourteen days' confinement to barracks. This seems to have
exasperated him to such an extent that he determined on
taking revenge fur being confined for so simple an affair."

At 11 o'clock this (Monday) morning the prisoner was
brought before Dr. Broughton, in the governor's office.
Captain Elgee, the chief constable ; Colonel Martin, the
governor of the gaol ; Mr. Myres, the coroner ; and Major
Colls, were in attendance. The prisoner, who presented a
youthful appearance, is of fair complexion and short in
stature. He conducted himself with great coolness, and
replied to the questions addressed to him by the magistrate
in a firm voice, though while Major Cells was giving evi-
dence he displayed some alight emotion.
Mnjor Robert Meaty Culls mid—On Saturday morning
last, about half-past 11 o'clock, I was writing in my room
at Fulwood Barracks, when I heard the report of a rifle
outside. I.felt that there was something wrong, and I
jumped up and ran to the window, which looks out upon
the trrack-ipuare. I saw the late Colonel Crofton sod
Captain Hanham standing in the centre of the square.
Just as I looked out Colonel Crofton threw up both hands,
and exclaimed, "Oh ! I am shot." I immediately ran
down to him, and on coming up I saw Captain Hanham
bleeding from the left side, and leaning upon an officer. I
ran up to the colonel, and placed my left arm round his
waist. He put his right arm round my neck. With soother
officer, I assisted hint to his quarters,. He said to me, "1
am done for ; I ant shot through the lungs." He also asked
who had dope it. Upon reaching his quarters I placed him
on an easy chair, and stripped him, when I found a bullet
hole in the lower part of the chest. That is all I have
to say.
Dr. Broughton (to the prisoner)—Have you any question
that you wish to ask Major Colls
Prisoner—No, sir.

Robert Green said—l am superintendent of the county
police. t/n Saturday last, from information I received, I
went in company with the constable, Captain Elgee,
to Fulwood Barracks, and after having been informed that
Colonel Crofton and Captain Hanharu had been shot I went
to the lock-up attached to the guardroom and there met
the prisoner. I asked him hie name, end he told me it was
Sl`Catfemy. I then told him I should tako him into custody
for shooting at Colonel Hugh Dennis Crofton and Captain
John Hanhani, with intent to murder. He said, "1 did
not intend to murder them." I then, in company with two
constables, brought him to the House of Correction here,
when he stated that he did not intend to shoot the
colonel, but the captain. He was remanded, and I after-
wards went beck to the barracks, and the place was pointed
out to me where the captain and colonel were walking, and
there I found a quantity of blood. 1 subsequently measured
the spot from the place were the prisoner was seen to kneel
down, and I found it was 60 yards.
Dr. Drongbtan Ito the prhamerP—Have you any question
to ask either Major Cells or Mr. Green'?
Prisoner—No, sir.
Dr. Broughton—Have you any remark to make why you
should rot be remanded
Prisoner—No.
The prisoner was then remanded until Wednesday Leak
The inquest was to be opened late this evening.

Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh ThIlleUIS Crofton had seen con-
siderable service. He took pert in the various engagements
which occurred in the Crimea in 1g54.55. At the battle of
the Alma he commanded the 20th Regiment, and at the
battle of Inkermanu, where he was severely wounded,
sod had a horse shot under him, he commanded a wing.
For these services he bus been honourably mentioned in
the despatches of the Commanders-in-Thief ; sod in addition
to amedal and three clam*, has been decorated with the French
order of the Legion of Honour, and by the Sultan with the
fifth cross of the Mejhlie. He was highly respected in his
profession as an able and accomplished ofilosr, and his death
has cast a gloom over the whole town. We are sorry to add
that he has left a wife and family to lament hie loss.
Adjutant andQaptainiHanhemhad also seen active ser-
vice. He took part in the fintlej campaign of 18t45-46, was
wounded at the battle of Moodkse, and was also present at
the battle of Feroseshah and Robeson. For these services
he had received a medal and cleans.

MURDER OP A MISSIONARY AND HIS WIFE
BY SAVAGES.
By telegram 'from Sydney (says the Melbourne
Ape) we have intelligence of the brutal murder of the Rev.
Mr. and les. Gordon, of the Nova Scotia Mission, by the
natives, at Erromange—the um. island in which, it will
be remembered, John William. wee killed in 1830. The
intelligence war conveyed to the Rev. Mr. Cuthbertsou,
at Sydney, by letters from Life. The particulars are
as follow : —lt appears that in consequence of the
measles which had been raging among the island•
with fearful mortality, the natives of F'..rrornauga de-
tertnined to kill all the white people on that island, looking
on them as the cause of the disease. Gordon was aware
that the natives intended taking life, but thought that a
little time would change their purpose. About noon on the
20th May, niuo Bunkill natives, of whom the chief Lova
was the leader, called at the mission-house, and inquired
for Gordon. They were informed that he wait working st a
house which he was building as a winter residence. They
then went towards the oleos. Eight of the men con-
cealed themselves, while the ninth went further down, to
inveigle Mr. Gordon into the trap thus laid for his de-
struction. He had unfortunately sent ell the boys away to
gather grass for the roof of the new house, and was
unattended, when Nanthu Led walked up to him and
asked fur some calico fur himself and other. of the party,
who, he said, were waiting at the miesioothouse. Mr.
Gordon took up a piece of hoard, and wrote with charcoal,
"(live these Men a yard of cotton each." This he gave
to the savage, soil told him to take it to AIN. Gordon,
who would give him what he wanted. The savage then in-
duced Gordon to go with him, awl he started up the hill,
followed by the native. On arriving at the ambush, Nnruba
Lest buried his tomahawk in Mr. 's spine. He im-
mediately fell, uttering a loud cry. Mamba Lest then gave
another stroke on the right sided the peck, which almost
severed the heed from the body, sod others, rushing from
their concealment, quickly cut the pour victim to pieces.
While this tragedy was being enacted another native ran
towards the mission-house, and Mrs. Gordon, who
had been alarmed by the fiendish yells and laughter of the
savages, ran out, and sanding near the outhouse she naked
Milieu what all the noise was about? He laughed and wild,
"Nothing ; it is only boys amusing themselves." She
said, " here are the boys !" and turned. ()alien, who
had his tomahawk concealed behind his bark, then struck
her a blow below the shoulder-blade. She fell on the grass,
and he then nearly cut her head oH, and otherwise !anti-
latutl her body. Both bodies were recovered and buried.

MARRIAGE IN ADORIGINAL LIFE.—An interest-
log
ceremony, witnessed by a large congregation took
plane at the Church of !intent' Schoolroom, Ararat, on
'Tuesday last—the molter, of two aboriginals, Charles
Gambier and Fanny Rowel, by the Rev. P. Homan. Both
have hem members of the Church of England for years.
The bridegroom, a fine-looking aboriginal, ass a native of
Mount Gambier, and hos been brought up in civilised life
from his childhood. The bride has received some education,
is very intelligent, and has been a teacher in a Sunday
school, and from childhood has been a trustworthy and
efficient servant in the family of a ueigbouriog squatter—
proof of how much might be done for this neglected race.—
Ararat Adrerfiaer, July 12.
OUTRAGEOUS ASSAULT ON A GLEANKR.—YeStATT•
day, at the Shire.h*U, ltedfonl, Mr. Wm. Norman, a farm
bailiff, was sentenced to three mouths' hard labour for a
ferocious smash which he had committed on a poor married
woman named Itewett, whom he had caught gleaning in his
barley field. The outrage was committed on the 23rd ult.,
but so ill had the complainant since been that it had bees
thought advisable to have her depositions taken lest the
case should terminate fatally. The poor woman was still
suffering severely. The prisoner appeared astounded when
the decision of the bench was announced to him.