The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-08 00:00:00

IMPROVED RIFLE MUSKET.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,--I have seen a letter in your paper of the 2d of
September, signed by " A Contributor to the Quarterly
Review," in referenoe to my letter published in the
Times of the 28th of August, by which it appears I
have been criticising an article in the Review of which
he is the writer. I had no intention of criticising
any one, but, because I happen to differ from him
while stating facts and experiments, the contributor
say, " that I do not understand what I have
been writing about." It is possible that some
of your readers may think differently as to my capabi-
lities and ignorance, and as to his assertion "that the
Minie rifle will certainly not keep its ground in the
end, and that it is bad, both as a musket and rifle."
He accuses me of impugning the accuracy of his
statement, as it " carried conviction to the minds of
the highest military authorities." Surely this is hardly
fair, because, having a decided opinion of my own, I
stated in your paper the results, by impartial experi-
ments, of the comparative powers of the improved
rifle musket and the old musket. However, I mast
comfort myself in my ignorance by the Duke of Wel-
lington having given an order since the article of the
contributor was published in the Quarterly Review to
issue to each British regiment 100 stand " of the Minie
rifle, which will not keep its ground in the end, and
which is bad both as a ,musket and rifle!" My only
object in giving information regarding the improved rifle
musket was to benefit the British service, and to arm
our brave fellows with a firelock better than the pre-
sent one; and for their sake I will surrender to the
contributor his assertion, " that the MiniS rifle has no
point blank range whatever," such assertion being
either a matter o opinion, or a discussion regarding
technical phrases. But, while I say this, he will
pardon me for using in my favour what he
meant as the contrary ;—I mean the statement
"of one of the most accomplished and scientific
officers of the British army," to supply the de-
fects of the supposed want of point blank range of the
Minie rifle, which statement shows how the rifle musket
can be made quite as efficacious at short distances as if it
had or had not a blank point range. This officer, in
his statement to the contributor, says that the Minis
rifle at 100 yards was correct as to its line of fire. I
believe the same cannot be said of the old musket. He
further states, that at 100 yards the ball generally hit
SWO feet four inches above the point aimed at. If an
enemy's line is within 200 yards, advancing quickly
against another line, there is not much time on either
aide for taking aim through sights.
In good regiments the order has always been to level
low, or at the lower part of the knees; and, if this old
regulation order with regard to Brown Bess be continued
with the rifle musket, the heads and chests of the attack-
ing party would be hit, or the heads of the horses, and
thighs and bodies of the cavalry.
An intelligent soldier soon knows the faults of his fire-
lock, and how to remedy them, and this is why a soldier
before the enemy prefers to fire with his own firelock to
that of another.
I have seen nothing in the letter of the 2d of Septem-
beri
which has altered the opinion expressed n my letter
of the 3d of January, 1852, " That this new firearm and
ammunition would make a complete change in the system
of warfare."
That great improvements in the destructive powers of
firearms will take place is certain, and he who shows,
that by these improvements war is not to be child's
play" my opinion, the best preserver of peace, and
is, in
consequent friend of humanity.
Sept. 4.

CHARLES SHAW.

AN AMERICAN EXECUTION.
PHIZIADELPHIA, AUG. G.—This morning the exe-
cution of Matthias Skupinski, for the murder of the
lad Lehman, in January last, took place in Moyamen-
sing prison.
ai The number of persons present to wit-
ness the condemned man expiate his crimes on the
gallows, as prescribed by the Act of Assembly, was
limited. This arrangement having been announced in
the Ledger of Wednesday, had the desired effect in
preventing an immense crowd within and without the
prison walls. Those admitted besides the officiating
offioer was Deputy Sheriff John Miller, the Execution
Clerk, Stephen Kingston, nine other deputies con-
nected with the sheriff's office, the Deputy District
Attorney, William B. Mann; Recorder Lee, the
three interpreters. Henry Skawinski and Towsig, who
bad been with the condemned upon several occasions ;
Drs. Wall, Burden, and A. C. Boarnonvill, the inspec-
tors of the prison, one reporter for the press, and the
jury of twelve men, composed of Messrs. Daniel Deal,
Fred. Gaul Smith, Banner Thomas, Martin Van
Dusen, jun., Henry Delany, George K. Childs,
Charles Wartman, Peter Fisher, Albert Coffin, Alex-
ander Hazlett, and A. G. Duhammel. These per-
sons entered the prison at nine o'cclock, and soon
after the Sheriff visited Skupinski, with a view to
prepare him for the doom which awaited him. Mat-
thias was with the two Roman Catholic clergymen,
Rev. Messrs. Etthoffer and William, with whom he
had spent Thursday night in religious exercises. He
expressed himself willing to die, and as the Sseriff
was about to leave him he kanded him a paper, of
which the following is a copy :
" I, Matthias Skupinski, in the name of God, beg and
implore, as a last request, that when William Deal, Esq.,
High Sheriff, shall have executed the law upon my body,
and when I shall be so long hung by the neck that my
body shall be dead, then my body shall be committed to
the care of Rudolph Etthotfer and Celestin William,
the Roman Catholic clergymen who have been my con-
fessors when living, that they may see my body in-
terred. SKUPINSKI MATAISZ.
" Friday morning, eight o'clock, August 6, 1552."
The place of execution was then duly examined by
the proper authorities, and the rope placed round the
beau), which was ten feet from the ground.
Everything being in readiness there, some time
was allowed the condemned man before he was exe-
cuted. At ten minutes before eleven o'clock, Sheriff
Deal and his deputy, Mr. Miller, went to the
cell, and adjusted the cord about his arms, and at
eleven o'clock ha was conducted from that place of
confinement, dressed in a blue frock coat, black pants
and black silk vest. He walked down to the gallows
with a degree of firmness that surprised all who no-
ticed him, with nothing to disturb leis apparent deter-
mination to boldly suffer the penalty of the law, ex-
cept when he met the gaze of Mr. Skawinski, the
Pole who some weeks ago made an affidavit before
Mayor Gilpin. Then he seemed agitated, but for an
instant, and, passing Mr. Skawinski, proceeded calmly
to the place of execution, followed by the officers and
g
jury. Upon arriving at the stairway leading to the
platform be ascended in the same firm manner, accom-
panied by the sheriff and Catholic Rev. Mr. Etthoff: if he h
r asked Matthias
gy
attchliearsrepeatedly in
the Polish league,
which he replied,lNoth.
;"ng but, turning to the al anything to say, to
Rev. Mr. William, gave a nod of his head, and that
gentleman read from a paper as follows
u
46 The criminal who stands before
say, before he undergoes the extreme Tot-Ares me to
,penalty of the law,
that ho begsfiniaircdroinmoe
of
.allEwrhoza
his
curt he
haveh injured or
wronged by
the injuries they have done.. liefte.elitsd.orrgeiavdeys atloi
mankind
justice
submit to the EOVOIO sentence to which
dooms him. Ile bears no yew:lament or
to those who were instrumental in
phis s arrest
sentence be rue ntg-
in g him before the tribunal that
him. Already he 'aes made Is peace with God
end'
like the penitent Prophet, he has wept over his God,
in the bitterness of his 'soul. And before he is launched
into eternity—before ho appears before his God, and
your God—his Judge, and your Judge—he wishes to be
reconciled openly to his fellow- morta!s.
_lie begs me to
request your prayers for him, that when hisoul leaves
this prison of clay, the Almighty God may be merciful
unto him, and may admit him into the company of the
blessed."
The noose was then adjusted around the neck of the
criminal by Sheriff Deal. After the clergy and
officers had taken leave of him, and the two outside
props having been taken from under the drop the cord
attached to the centre prop, which was all that sup-
ported the drop, was pulled by the sheriff at precisely
nineteen minutes past eleven o'clock, and Matthias
Skupinski was launched into eternity. Thus he suffered
the requirements of the law, and after the lapse of two
minutes and a half life was extinct. There was not a
ingle motion of the body for several seconds after it
fell, and the only evidence of life was severe twitches of
the legs and arms. Nothing besides this was recog-
nised. The body was suspended 37 minutes, and was
then eat down
and delivered over to the clergy in accordance with
the request d
of the executed criminal. The back part
of the hea w
warm. The caarstrlluite warm, and the body was also
vertibrm was neiitillaege of the neck was broken, but the
facer broken nor dislocated.
A cast of the
A. C. Cournonville anw_as subsequently taken by Dr.
this
city.—Neu yoritdTbriibr;vilie-.annucci, an Italian, of

FORBIDDING THE BAlin ~
last, during divine service in r":?il Sunday morning
shortly after the Rev. R. Yerburgb On
of Sleaford, and
of marriage, a stout rosy-faced lase ms-,,P.ublished the banns
midst of the
congregation, acid forbade from further publication
,the one who
of marriage between herself and a certain Ztion the banns
Reet. It
seems the " ladye fair" had two admirers, bras
caused the publication of the banns not being e favourite,
she took the above extraordinary- mode oe In
own marriage.—Cambridge Chronicle. preventing her
BARNET CATTLE FAIR, SEPT. 7.—This three dr..
cattle and horse fair terminated yesterday, Bauch y
to he
satisfaction of a large class of breeders, salesmen,
dealers in cattle, who succeeded in disposing of nearly the
whole of their live stock. At the opening of the fair on
Saturday last high prices were asked for every description
of graving beast, and continued firm to the close of the fair
yesterday. Although at the commencement many graziers
were reluctant to give the prices asked, yet so great was the
demand 9103' were ultimately obliged to yield to the de-
mandsr the sellers, the result being, according to a fair
computation, upwards of 40,000 head of neat cattle were dis-
posed of during the three rang;ng from 11. tocc!,/,.ep, eir:,
days of its continuance—prices
Milch and in-calf
, s - L° 16/ of last year.
211. over the prices 1 y_e
to.
211. each Suffolks 141 , best Yorkshire beast, made 8/
was shoit-1,500 be the ' ditto. The supply of sheep
were Welch, the prices f outside. , b r most of them
number--most e
0 which for practical purposes is
g aalising
immaterial. Young horses ocean descriptions were extra-
ordinarily dear—the breeders
prices, and the dealers turningood remunerative
selling. considerable profit by re-
NORTH AND SOUTH-WESTERN J
WAY —This line, from Hounslow to BrantfordUNCTION RAIL-
WAY
end ready for opening,
and
wiltb, is now corn-
me London and North-Western and worked jointly by
Mils. °9lltll-Western Rail-
- /