The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-26 00:00:00

ALLEGED POISONING.

A protracted inquiry into the cause of the death
of an infant has just been closed in the pretty and
romantic town of Ten by, Pembrokeshire, and a ver-
dict of wilful murder has been returned against Ann
Thomas, 70 years of age, and her daughter Jane, of
22 years. They lived together, with an old and
deerepid man—the husband of the one, father of
the other—named William Thomas, alias Canton,
in a couple of uncomfortable rooms in a four-
roomed house in a locality called Chim-
ney Park. They occupied the second floor,
the upper 'portion of the dwelling being
rented by a woman named Hannah John, alias
Davies, alias Diddle'em, and her family. The place
is horribly filthy—scarcely any conveniences there.
Two beds are huddled into one small, unventilated
room at the back; attached to the house is a pigsty.
The approaches to it are in a shocking sanitary
condition. The child alleged to have been mur-
dered was the illegitimate offspring of Jane
Thomas, who was delivered of it some two or
three months ago. The child became unwell, and
it was attended by Mr. Choler, surgeon. On the
Ist of November it expired under circumstances
which called for a judicial investigation. The
contents of the child's stomach were mat
to Dr. Herapath, of Bristol, for analysis, and
he had given evidence that death had been caused
by strychnine. The coroner's jury, after heiring
his evidence, returned a verdict of wilful murder
against the two women, and they were removed
to Haverfordwest to await their trial. Additional
interest and importance were attached to the in-
quiry in consequence of the suspicious circum-
stances attending the death of three or four chil-
dren born of daughters of the Thomases during
past years. The whole family has lived immorally,
and it is feared that the parents have subsisted for
a quarter of a century on the profligacy of their
daughters. Two of the sons, are, however, re-
spectable working men.

A ROMAN OATHOLTO PRIES 7 CHARGED

TVII.II aISSAULI.

At the Ballinrobe Petty Sessions on the 16th in-
stant the Rev. Patrick Lavelle, Roman Catholic
clergyman of the parish of Partry, was charged
with assaulting John Horan, a parishioner, in his
own house at Derreenmore, on the 6th December.
There was also a cross summons, the defendant
having made a counter charge of assault against
the complainant.

According to the opening statement of Mr. Grif-
fin, the agent for the complainant, defendant had
on the morning of the day in question celebrated
mass at complainant's house, complainant making
confession and receiving the Sacrament, and being
on the best terms with the defendant. The rev.
gentleman, after the fatigue of his sacred duties in
the morning, regaled himself as he ought to do, by
taking breakfast after a long fast. He left, the
poor man's house, leaving his benediction to ar_.-ni
all—but again returned in a few minutes
charged this man with writing a lette:r t '!fiter and
to his land-
lord, Sir Robert Blosse. He sal , " You have writ-
ten a letter to Sir Robert B.:osse, and have intro-
duced my name." I wrote no letter said the man.
" You did," said his, reverence. The defendant
then struck him r.in the head, and struck him a se-
cond time, and he would have fallen only for the
bed the, 'was near him. Complainant's brother
said, "Do not let him strike you again." The com-
plainant, having been so assailed by the Rev. Mr.
Lavelle, took up the tongs to protect himself, and
the Rev. Mr. Lavelle, regaining his prudence, left
the house at the solicitation of the Rev. Mr.
Geraghty. The assault was not so serious in point
of injury to the man's health ; but it was a serious
injury to a man of this kind in his humble class in
life to be so degraded,end it was a breach of the law
which should be checked. The offence was farther
aggravated by the defendant's conduct on the follow-
ing Sunday. On that day,in the house ofGod,he caused
his subordinate clergyman, after the mass was
finished, then and there to name this man ; and then
and there this clergyman, acting under the orders
of his superior, called out this poor humble man
from the altar—this clergyman denounced him, and
invoked the curse of God on him, and likewise in-
voked the interposition of the holy angels and saints
towards its attainment. Mr. Griffin was here in-
terrupted, but proceeded—Look at the auditory the
defendant was in the habit of addressing. He said
to them that this poor humble man had attempted
to assassinate him the previous day. He cursed the
complainant, and called on the saints and angels to
invoke the curse of God on him. This was a nice
exhortation from the altar of God. Here Mr.
Griffin was again interrupted ; and it was ruled that
this matter was irrelevant to the case, which
then proceeded.

Complainant and his brothers gave evidence cor-
roboratory of the above statement.

In defence, and in support of the cross case, the
Rev. Mr. Geraghty, R. C. C. Partry, and the de-
fendant were called, and their account of the matter
was that they had been engaged in reconciling a
quarrel at complainant's house, and for that pur-
pose each party was stating his own case. The
Rev. Mr. Geraghty said—ln doing this John Horan,
the complainant, became boisterous, and on one or
two occasions he went over as if to assault another
man, Michael Horan. Father Lavelle at this time
went over and separated them. He also separated
the wives of these parties. After this, John (com-
plainant) became more boisterous and violent.
" We are not deaf," says Father Lavelle, but John
Horan continued to speak in such a way that some
of the other parties could not be heard; then Father
Lavelle went over and gave the man a slap. He
retired from Father Lavelle, and then he became a
good deal more boisterous and more violent. He
said at this time, "You do well to beat me in my
own house." Father Lavelle went over to him again
—I cannot say whether he struck him or not.
Horan stooped down for a weapon—it was the tongs.
He said he would not allow Father Lavelle to' strike
him. I said to Father Lavelle, " Come away, that
man is mad, leave him there." James, his brother,
and Thomas, a cousin of his, stood up. I asked them
were they going to allow this man to strike the
priest. They stood by him. They showed a dis-
position to strike the priest. We went out. Thomas,
John, and James followed us. They continued to
speak in this violent manner. I called on them to
take John away. I knew he would strike the
priest.
The Rev. Mr. Lavelle, when asked if he had de-
nounced complainant from the altar, said he had
prayed to God to pardon him afterwards.
The decision of the magistratew is then announced
—viz., dismissing the cross case with 2s. 6d. costs,
and in the other case fining Mr. Lavelle 10s. and
costs. The fines were paid.

SIR GEORGE AND 7HE DRAGON.

(From Punch.)
Our patron saint in days of yore

Did maul a monster grim,
For which his mem'ry we adore,
May'at thou resemble him.

Thou, who instead of spear dolt wield
A pen with facile force,
With hanks of red tape for thy shield,
And such a hobby horse J

Unflinching, clip his felon claws,
And resolutely bind
The wretch that laughs at human laws,
And strikes at human kind.
TJink not to melt by tender beef,
His heart of Portland stone,
Nor that regard as wholesome grief
Which weeps at sight of bone.

Vain will thy sweetest moreeau be,
Thy anodynes and balms,
For one of his voracity
Whose conscience has no qualms.
If he for delicacies sigh,
When in thy stringent grip,
Stand not on trifles, but apply
With skilfulness the whip.
Some deem that spices have a charm
To soothe the savage beast;
'Tis certain curries do no harm
When tanners give the feast.
Consult his moral appetite,
Feed him on thoughts like Pascal's ;
But let none ou thy 'scutcheon write
Grey—kattonor of Rascals.

2HE DEFENCES Or 2HE ISLE OF
WlOll7.

The old fort in Sandown Bay, Isle of Wight,which
was chiefly distinguished for its local traditions and
the miserably isolated aspect it bore in the eyes of
the majority of visitors to that fashionable watering
place, is now all but razed to the ground, and its
place supplied by a new fort, springing up about 150
yards further eastward on the line of beach, of a
very different character, both in its offensive and de-
fensive powers. The old foie was a mere crumbling
ruin for years and years, having a few light guns,
which it would be unsafe to discharge, on rotten old
wooden carriages, and standing on a terrepletne that
would probably have fallen to a level with the beach
nad it been possible to fire the few guns in the fort at
one and the same time. As this old work was all
but level with the ground from decay, old age, and
neglect, the authorities have excluded it altogether
from the general plan for the defence of the bay,
and are erecting another work to supply its place,
and which from its strength and position will be
the key of the line of defences which extend from
the Barrack battery, west of Sandown, to Redcliff
battery, situate on the verge of the overhanging
sand cliff at the junction of the coloured cliffs with
the chalk cliffs of Culver or Bembridge Down. The
new Sandown fort is a most formidable work. Its
right and. left front faces have each a length of 156
feet, with right and left faces of 116 feet each, and
right and left flanks of 160 feet each. The gorge,
240 feet in length, is closed by quarters for officers,
&c., and the whole surrounded by a wide and deep
ditch, having stout revetments. The front and right
and left faces are faced with 9ft. thickness of Pen-
rhyn granite, banded with iron hooping. The plans,
of the work provide for covering this granite fleet
with 10in, of iron plating,and with iron embrasures
on the Thornycroft system, having each a width of
2tt, 6in., and giving the guns in the casemates a
training of 35 deg. The final decision as to the
iron 10-inch plating and embrasures will have to
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The casemates for the guns of the new fort
12 on the front faces and three on ite right and
left
faces, will be capable of mount;.ng guns of extra-
ordinary weight and calibre. The work will have
good command on either flank over the low ground
on which it stands, while the top of the work will
be well traversed for rifle fire. The roomy case-
mates in rear of the guns contain ample accommode,
Lion for 100 men. Underneath bombproof arches
in the centre of the parade ground has been con-
structed a tank, fitted with filtering apparatus, ea-
pable of holding 10,000 gallons of water for the use
of the garrison. The water will be collected from
what falls within tb
of the officers' area of the fort, from the roof
quarters and the terre-pleine of the
work. Tlie main magazine has brick walls 4 feet in
thio;mess, laid in cement, the outer layer of
.oricks having glazed surfaces, to prevent
damp by contact with the earth covering. It has
hollow ventilating openings round the wall, &e.,
and will contain 2,000 eases of powder. The
cost of the work, without the iron plating
or embrasures, is about £30,000. The con-
struction has been attended with an unusual amount
of labour, all the heaviest of the materials, includ-
ing the blocks of granite, which weigh from 1,1 to
6 tons each, having to be landed in Beading har-
bour, and thence conveyed overland, via Bembridge
Down, to where the fort is being built. Right and
left of the new fort of Sandown the line of cliffs
on the sea-beach rise to a considerable height above
high-water mark, culminating the bold head-
land of Dunnose, at the western extremity of the
bay, and in the Culver Cliffs, at the eastern end.
On the highest part of the sandstone cliff westward
of Sandown is the western point of the defensive
position—the Barrack battery. The work is of a
triangular form, having three guns on its left face
and two en cavalier on its right face, the base of the
triangle being closed by a loopholed wall with a
building for quarters connected with the entrance
gateway, and a dry ditch surrounding the whole.
Situated on the top of a high cliff, this fort is in-
accessible from the beach, which it sweeps with its
guns, and covers by those on its left face the left
flank and front of the chief work in the hollow of
the bay ; while the guns on the cavalier bastions
command the beach to the right, and the waters of
the bay in front of Shanklin and Luccambe. The
next supporting work to the new work is Yaver-
lane, occupying a commanding position on the
cliffs eastward. It is an earthwork, having a front
at an obtuse angle,mounting six guns firing through
embrasures, and two guns on cavalier bastions. In
support to the chief work, the stone-fronted fort in
the hollow below, is of a similar nature to that
afforded by the Barrack battery to the west-
ward, commanding the sea to the front, and
sweeping the line of beach on the front and
left flank of the fort. Its gorge is close lby
a building for officers' and men's quarters on the
left, and a high loopholed wall on the right
connected by the entrance gateway, which =saes a
deep and wide ditch, the cuttings of which, as at
the Barrack battery and Redchff, end on the cliff
overhanging the sea beach. The last of the
works erected along the line of cliffs eastward is
Redcliff, which stands on a somewhat higher eleva-
tion than Yaverland, and at the junction of the red
and brown sandstone with the chalk of the Culvers
and Bembridge Down. It is a strong earthern work
of irregular form, mounting three guns, firing
through embrasures, and one gun on a cavalier bas-
tion. its gorge is closed by a loopholed wall, with
entrance gateway, &c., and, like Yaverland and the
Barrack batteries, is perfectly inaccessible from the
beach, although untenable, as the whole line of
works would be, if the higher lands east and west
of the line werein possession ofan enemy. The situa-
tion of the Redcliff battery is much objected to,
owing to its being placed on the verge of an over-
hanging cliff of a peculiarly friable sandy nature. It
is said that if the weight of the work itself does not
cause the overhanging part of the cliff to detach
itself, and tumble the whole on to the beach some
hundred feet below, such a catastrophe is certain to
occur the first time its guns are fired, as the cliff
could never support the great weight of the work
under the concussion which would be caused by the
firing.
The weakness of the Sandown line of defences, it
will be seen, are the high lands which dominate
them at either extremity, but particularly at Beni-
bridge Down, the holder of which, friend or enemy,
command the whole of the works described, the ap-
proaches to Sandown Bay from the sea, from Brad-
ing harbour, and part of the eastern entrance to
Spithead. To render the whole design as complete
as possible, the construction of a citadel has been
commenced on the topmost orest of the down, the
central part of the excavations being where the
monument stood that was erected to the memory of
Lord Yarborough,
many years Commodore of the
Royal Yacht squadron. Nothing has yet been done
to this work beyond the excavations, the chalk from
which, deposited on the side of the lofty down, is
visible for miles on either aide, by land and by sea.
It is intended to make this work perfectly impreg-
nableEystemof attack which could be brought
to bear uapon it, giving it the same prominence in
eheg ony
general eral plan of defence of the island at its east-
ern extremity as is held by the work on Golden-
hill at its western end.

-
THE CRIMINALS UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH.—
The winter assize has been very heavy especially in murder
cases, and there are no less than five executions pending,
the wretched man Cox having already paid the fearful
penalty of his crime. The foreigner, Ferdinand Petreana,
who was convicted at Winchester of the murder of the mate
of the Winthrop, a British ship, on the Sth of October last,
on the high seas, will be executed on Tuesday, the 30th
inst., unless the learned judge who heard the case should
reserve a legal point rased at the trial for the court for the
consideration of Crown cases reserved. Wm. Ockold, an
old man of 70 years, who was convicted at Worcester of
the murder of his wife, aged 74, at Oldbury, on the Bth of
November, will be hanged at Worcester on the 2d Janu-
ary. Thomas Edwards, who was convicted at Liverpool of
the murder of Isabella Tongue, an abandoned woman, with
whom the murderer cohabited, will be executed at Kirk-
dale on the 3d of January, unless the recommendation to
mercy which accompanied the verdict of the jur) should
induce the Home Secretary to respite the sentence. The
day for the execution of Robert Morgan, who is under sen-
tence of death for the police murder at Bristol on Sept.
25th, has not been fixed, but it is more than probable that
Saturday, the 3d of January,
will be the appointed time.