The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-31 00:00:00

Awful Tragedy,

On Tuesday night last an outrage of almost un•
exampled atrocity was perpetrated at the village o
Fiskerton, about six miles south-west of Newark
in'the county of Nottingham, the victims being a
respectable cottager named Samuel Parker, 60
years of age, and his wife Elizabeth, who is in her
76th years. The facts are briefly as follows :—The
aged couple have a son named Richard Thomas,
about 30 years of age, a married man, who has for
some time been separated from his wife, and has
therefore lived at home with his parents, carrying
on a small butcher's business on his own account.
On Monday last he went by special train to Shef-
field, promising to return the same night, as his
father wished him to assist in drilling some corn. It
appears he did return to Newark on Monday night,
and remained there until the half-past 4 train to
Fiskerton on Tuesday afternoon. He had then
been drinking hard at the cricket-field, and, it is
stated, was refused a ticket by the clerk, but an-
other person obtained one for him. On reaching
home his father found fault with him for not re-
turning according to promise, and high words en-
sued, which soon led the son to threaten his father
with blows, and a sort of chase took place round
the house. The father took refuge in the stable,
and the mother, seeing Richard take a loaded
double-barrel gun from the shelf, ran out of the
house and called in alarm to the old gentleman to
keep out of the way, as Tom had the gun. The
same instant Richard deliberately levelled the gun
at his mother's head, firing through a pane of
glass in the window as he stood in the room. The
poo: creature fell frightfully wounded, and the father
ventved to the stable door to 6.0.3 what was the mat-
ter. The inhuman son then took aim at him, and
lodged the greater part of tho coutcut..q of the second
barrel in his face and chest. The second shot passed
through the adjoining pane of glass. Assist 'ince be-
ing at hand, the unfortunate couple were takt.'n into
the house and a surgeon was sent for. It was the light
that Mrs. Parker could not survive many hours, n d
some of the shots in Mr. Parker's head were in suca.‘"
dangerous positions that it was very doubtful what
might be the result in a few hours, although his
wounds were less dangerous than those sustained by
his wife. Richard ran out of the house without his hat
towards the river Trent, which was only a few yards
distant, leaving the gun reared up in a corner.
About half an hour afterwards he was apprehended
by police constable Barksby, leaning over a gate
near the river side. On being charged with shoot-
ing his father and mother, he said ho had done it,
but it was an accident. He at first resisted very
violently, but was compelled to yield to superior
force. On the way to Southwell he repeatedly
asked whether he should be hung, and said if he
were he should die on the scaffold like a dog. At
half-past one o'clock yesterday both victims were
alive, but there was scarcely the shadow of a hope
that Mrs. Parker could recover,
.and Parker's
condition was exceedingly precarious. The greatest
excitement prevails throughout the locality, and it
is now reported that both are dead.

Tho Messrs. Stanford, of Charing-cross, have just
published a cheap plan of Duppel with its fortifications.
The scale, two inches to the English mile, renders it ex-
tremely clear, and therefore it will be useful for hasty
reference during the present struggle.
A Norfolk squire, Mr. John Middleton, of Hain-
ton, has been fined £5 for " indecent behaviour" in
his parish church. The rector is Mr. Keppel (a relative of
the Earl of Albemarle), whose sermons, it appears, were not
to the taste of the squire, who lately adopted the plan of leav-
ing the church just before the rector ascended the pulpit.
On Sunday week, on entering and leaving the church, he
turned round and " looked" towards a pew at the other end
in which were seated the rector's servants. This was the
alleged "indecent behaviour" which Mr. Keppel said
"vexed and disturbed" him. Mr. Middleton, on being
summoned, offered to make a written apology, but Mr.
Koppel—himself a magistrate—declined to accept it, and
brought the case before his brother magistrates, who in-
flicted the full t)ralt.7 of 45 and 103, eostf,.,—RicaNiWe
r4:l

. r.~

THE WWI IN DENMARK,

TIEL'!IER'S TELEGRAMS.

COPENHAGEN, num' 29.
The enemy h as left Horsens, marching south•
wards.

Yesterday the Xing arrived at Aarhus, and at
once proceeded to Randers,

The Danish loss yesterday was only 100 runs
whereas that of the Prussians was inconsiderable.
Twenty-seven Prussians were taken prisoners.

Foreign Mail Packet List.

MAILS DUE.
Australia and Mauritius, via Southampton .. April 18.
via Marseilles April 12.
iiraail and Cape Verde, by British packet. April 5.
Cape'of Good Hope, Ascension, and Sr. lielena Mar. 30.
China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton April 3.
via Marseilles April 12,

Falkland 'shads
Gibraltar, via Southampton kpril 3.
India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton.. April 3.
via Marseilles .... April 3.
India (Bombay), via Southampton April 12,
via Marseilles April 5,
Portugal....9pril 5,
Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton April 3
via Marseilles April 5.
Newfoundland
Oporto and Vigo
S. and British N. America, by Brit. packet.... April 7
by U.S. packet... ,
by Canadian nacket.April