The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-26 00:00:00

informed the police that he would not mind serving
them the same as he had the boy, and that the
blokes" (meaning the magistrates) might have
gone on with the examination at once, as the case
was clear enough.

As the assizes for the county are now on, the
prisoner will be brought up on Monday, to b© for-
mally remanded until a future day.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, JULY 25.

Yesterday morning the Clonmel Court-house was
densely crowded by people who went to hear sen-
tence of death pronounced upon Richard Burke,
found guilty on the previous day of the murder of
his wife by poison. When asked by the Clerk of
the Crown whether he had anything to say why
sentence of death should not be pronounced against
him, he repliect as follows, amid breathless silence,
and in a manner which betrayed the agony of his
mind

"My lord—(a pause)—it would very ill become
me to contradict the verdict of the jury in this case.
I believe, my lord, from the evidence, that there
can be no doubt that my poor wife met her death
by the administration of that deadly poison strych-
nine. But, my lord, that I had any participation
in procuring that, or sending that, I distinctly dis-
avow. I had nothing whatever, my lord, to do
with it. I believe, my lord, it was the result of
mistake, and I sincerely hope that mistake will yet
be ascertained. I have now, my lord, to ask your
lordship to consider—mercifully--the recommenda-
tion of the jury on my behalf."
Baron Deasy, who appeared deeply moved, after
a long pause, addressed the prisoner in most im-
pressive terms. In the course of his address he said
that nis duty was rendered more painful by the
protestation of innocence he had just heard. But
such protestations were of no avail after conviction.
They could not weigh a feather in the scale against
the verdict of twelve men on their oaths, pro-
nounced after a careful and patient investigation of
the case. He was bound to say that the jury in
this case could not, consistently with the evidence
and with their oaths, come to any other conclusion
than the verdict they had given. He had been
convicted of murder—murder in the most aggra-
vated form—murder by poison—a crime re-
garded in all countries with detestation and horror
—the murder of his wife, whom he had sworn
at the altar to protect. He trusted his fate
would be a warning to others who might be tempted
to commit the same crime. He implored the pri-
soner to put away all hope of pardon or commuta-
tion. " You have," said his lordship, " done a deed
which precludes the possibility of mercy upon
earth. You must seek mercy from Him who has
created you, and before whom you must soon
appear. It is my *duty to tell you that I think it is
impossible the Executive Government can attend to
the recommendation of the jury." His lordship
then put on the black cap, and pronounced sentence
of death, to be executed on Monday, the 25th of
August. The prisoner was completely unmanned
by the sentence, and had to be borne from the dock
by two of the gaolers.

The trial of William Herdman, for the murder of
Mr. John Herdman, commenced yesterday morning
at Belfast. The court was crowded, a large portion
of the audience being ladies. The prisoner is a man
about fifty years of age, with a careworn expression
of countenance.

The Attorney-General, Sir Thomas Staples, Q.C.,
and Messrs. Lowry, Q.C., Shegog, and Percy Fitz-
gerald, instructed by Mr. Hamilton, Crown Solici-
tor, appeared for the prosecution; and Messrs. Joy,
Q.C., and Hamill, instructed by Mr. M'Lean, for
the defence.

The Attorney-General stated the case. He said
—" May it please your lordship and gentlemen of
the jury,—you have heard the indictment read, and
you have learnt from the indictment that the pri-
soner is charged with the murder of John Herd-
man. Not far from this place in which we are all
assembled, in one of the loveliest outlets of this
noble town, on the 15th of May last, a murder was
committed without example in this town or in the
province of Ulster in its terrible circumstances and its
great audacity. The victim was a man known, per-
haps, to many of you—certainly known to the majo-
rity of those who are now listening to me. He was a
man I knew myself. He was a schoolfellow and
co-mate of mine in other days. His lot of life was
cast in this great community, where for every man
who is capable and honest there is a career where
industry is sure of its reward. In that community
he fought the battle of life faithfully and well. He
took a foremost rank among those of bis profession,
and he !was enjoying the fruits of his prosperous
labour, not in worn old age, but in a ripe and vigo-
rous manhood, when all at :once he was taken to
his great account, the children around him were
made orphans, and desolation fell upon his happy
home. It is my painful duty to charge the prisoner
at the bar as the author of all that crime and misery.
He was a relative of John Herdman, himself of a
highly respectable family, I believe well reared and
well educated, and an able, intelligent man. It
appears that, however it occurred, he had sunk
to a state of deep embarrassment. He was depen-
dent upon a lady—a rich and benevolent lady—
who was his cousin. She had given him support
from time to time. At last, for reasons to which I
am not at liberty to allude, she shut him out from
her bounty and her home; and the conduct of John
Herdman in relation to that matter, which I have
no reason to believe was not that of a most bene-
volent and kindly man, displeased the prisoner, as
I think it will appear to you upon the evidence in
this case, and generated in his mind feelings of
bitterness, of disappointment, and malignity, which
issued in the dismal tragedy, the circumstances of
which it is my duty to develope before you."
He then narrated the facts as they appear in the
evidence. Mrs. Thompson, who was in company
with Mr. Herdman, taking a walk near his house
in the afternoon at the time of the murder, de-
posed that the prisoner, whom she knew, came up
to Mr. Herdman, and said, " Can I speak to you ?"
that he repeated the question, when Mr. Herdman
answered, " Not at present ;" that immediately
after she heard a shot fired, and, turning round,
saw prisoner's arm extended and a pistol in his
hand; that they both ran, that a second shot was
fired, and Mr. Herdman fell, saying, "I am killed,
I am killed ! Call my wife." Anne Dolan, a beggar-
woman, who saw the shots fired, identified the pri-
soner. Sarah Jane M'Cracken heard the shots
fired, saw the smoke, and then saw the prisoner
coming from the spot. Adam Nelson, Wm. Hoxley,
and James Gerrard gave corroborative evidence,
but nothing additional of importance. Mr. Henry
Russell, solicitor, was then examined, and stated
that he had been employed by Mr. and Miss Herd-
man to arrange to pay the prisoner £BO or £lOO a-
year quarterly if he emigrated, which he agreed to
do, but did not. He blamed Mr. Herdman for pre-
venting Miss Herdman giving him a large sum of
motley. Several other witnesses having been exa-
mined to prove formal matters, Mr. Joy, Q,C.,
stated the case for the prisoner. Eight witnesses
were examined for the defence, which was chiefly
grounded on insanity. The case was adjourned till
this day. ,

At the Longford assizes yesterday, two men,
father and son, were tried on the charge of solicit-
ing to commit murder. The person solicited was
the principal witness. His name is Bryan Young,
a travelling shoemaker. He swore that the pri-
soners, William Clarke, aged 62, and Pat Clarke,
23, hired him for £l, and gave him pistols to shoot
a man named Fegan. He made several attempts,
but did not do the job, but he told old Clarke he
did, when the latter prayed that God might speed
him. When under cross-examination he produced
a sensation in court by asserting that he took the
name of ltoss, who, he said was a murderer, in
order that he might receive kind treatment and
friendship from the people, and also by stating that
many very decent people in the couuty were fond
of murderers. Young was corroborated to a consi-
derable extent by Fegan and other witnesses. The
prisoners, however, received a high character, and
the jury acquitted them.
The grand jury of Longtiord adopted resolutions
in favour of changes in the arming and discipline
of the constabulary, so that they might be better
prepared for police duties, and might be more sub-

ject to the authority of the local magistrates, from
whom, they allege, all power has been gradually
withdrawn and centred in the police-offices.
The funeral of the Primate, it has been finally
arranged, will not take place till Wednesday next.
L
The remains will be removed to Armagh on Mon-
day. The funeral will be public, and will be at-
tended by the Lord Lieutenant. The Ulster King-
at-Arms has been consulted about the order of the
ceremonial.

SHOCKING DEATH OF A LADY FROM
STARVATION.

An unusually painful inquiry was held at the
Three Cranes Tavern, Mare-street, Hackney, by Mr.
John Humphreys, one of the coroners for the county
of Middlesex, at a late hour on Thursday night,
respecting the death of Mrs. Emma Snellgrove,
aged 58, a lady who expired on Sunday last from
starvation under the following lamentable circum-
stances. The case created considerable interest
owing to the respectable position of the family, and
the dreadful nature of the sufferings endured.
Mr Stephen Snellgrove, 7, Church-yard, Hackney,
son of the deceased, tottered into the court, an dhis
emaciated appearance caused a marked sensation.
Having been accommodated with a seat, he said
that his mother was the widow of a gentleman in
the wine trade, who died some years since, leaving
witness and his brother William £lOO each. The
family then lived on the salary which witness and
his brother earned as clerks in the docks. Twelve
months ago witness, through illness, lost his situa-
tion, and his brother not being regularly employed,
they lived upon the remnant of witness's £lOO.
For a long time past they had been suffering great
privations, living on bread alone, and witness and
the deceased had been confined to bed from illness
and exhaustion. On the Friday morning before
deceased's death they had a little dry bread, and
from that time until her death, on Sunday, they
had no food whatever. On the Saturday evening
deceased became delirious, and continued raving
from hunger the whole night. He crawle I down
stairs on his hands and knees and found a few
grains of coffee, with which he made a drink, and
gave it to her. The next morning he noticed that
she had ceased to talk, and upon going to give i; er
another drink, he found her dead. He then wrote
a note to a friend, but did not know how to convey
it. After some hours, however he crawled down
to the door and gave it to some one to deliver. He
since learned that his brother William had on the
Tuesday before deceased's death received from that
friend a sovereign for the family, but he had not
given them any of it. On the contrary, on that
day he came to the house and ransacked it for every-
thing of value, and took away a looking-glass and
even witness's dressing-gown. (Sensation.) He came
on Friday and gave them a little bread to eat, and
they saw him no more. Witness and deceased re-
mained awake the whole of that night, expecting
his return, with dreadful anxiety, and on Saturday
night they gave up all hope and deceased became
delirious. William had frequently come to the
house previously to remcve things, and he would not
permit any person to call there. He used to abuse
witness and his mother brutally, and refused to get
witness removed to an hospital.
Mrs Selina Cook, Tyson-terrace, Dalston-lane, said
that on Sunday afternoon she received the following
note from the last witness :
" Sunday.—My dear Mrs. Cook,---My mother is dead.
My brother has left and we have had nothing to eat since
Friday. Do come. Yours sincerely, "S. SNELLGROVE."
Witness had known the family for several years, and
had frequently assisted them. On the Tuesday
spoken of she saw William Snellgrove, and said
that as his mother and brother were in a most de-
plorable state, and he would not even admit a per-
son she sent to clean up the place, she would stand
it no longer, and if he did not do something for them
she should apply to the authorities. He replied that
he was going to place his mother with a friend in
the Hackney-road. Witness said that his mother
would require necessaries for her removal, and she
gave him a sovereign for her. It appeared that the
poor woman had received none of it.
In reply to the Coroner,
Mr. S. Snellgrove stated that his mother was left
a provision by her husband, but that an individual
who was engaged to his sister got deceased to con-
vert her securities into cash, which, he said, he
could advantageously invest for her. When he got
the money he went away, and had not been since
heard of. Mr. W. Snellgrove was in occasional
employment.
Dr. W. H. Wright said that he was called in on
Sunday last, and found the house in an indescribably
dreadful state, it not having been cleaned for a
length of time, and there was hardly anything in
the place, which had the appearance of the most
abject poverty. Mr. S. Snellgrove was in such a
state of prostration that he was not able to tell, and
did not seem to know, in which room his mother lay.
Witness found her body in such a state of emaciation
that she was merely skin and bone, and he thought
she must have been at least 80 years of age. The post-
mortem examination showed the stomach and intes-
tines to be completely empty, and not only all trace
of fat but the muscular tissues had disappeared.
There was but little blood, which was pale and
watery. The immediate cause of death was disease
of the lungs, accelerated by want of food.
The Coroner, in summing up, said it was to be re-
gretted that in such an awful case of starvation Mr.
S. Snellgrove did not find strength to call a passer-
by for aid, and strongly censured the conduct of Mr.
Wfn. Snellgrove in the matter.
The jury returned a verdict of "Death from dis-
ease accelerated by destitution."
It was understood that Mr. S. Snellgrove would
be forthwith removed to the hospital, his state being
such as to cause serious apprehensions for his life.

HORRIBLE CASE OF PIRACY AND
MURDER, AND BURNING OF A SHIP.

Yesterday the subjoined correspondence was re-
ceived at Lloyd's relative to a most atrocious case of
piracy and murder off the coast of Spain on the 9th

inst. :

" Office of Committee of Privy Council for Trade,
Marine Department, London, July 24, 1862.
" Sir,-1 am directed by the Lords of the Com-
mittee of Privy Council for Trade to transmit to you,
for the information of the committee for managing
the affairs of Lloyd's, the accompanying copy of a
despatch from her Britannic Majesty's consul at
Malaga, relative to an act of piracy on board the
American barque Reindeer, of New York, and of
her destruction by fire.—l am, Sir, &c.,
" J. H. FARREL
"To Capt. Halstead, R.N., Secretary, Lloyd's."
" British Consalate, Malaga, July 14, 1862.

- -
" Sir,—l have the honour to inform you that a
most atrocious act of piracy has been committed in
these waters.

" ' While the American barque Reindeer, S. W.
Hewett, master, of and for New York, with a cargo
of salt, from Cette, was purstiing her voyage on
Wednesday last, the 9th inst., at one a.m.,
being then about 30 miles to the south-east
of Malaga, two Spanish seamen of her crew
surprised and murdered the second mate, the car-
penter, the cook, and another seaman; wounded
the master, chief mate, and two others ; plundered
the ship of some 400 dols. in specie and a watch,
which were in the cabin, and stove one of the boats
and absconded with the other ono, having first, with
unexampled malignity, set fire to the Reindeer fore
and aft.

At 8 a.m. two passing vessels—the American
ship Minstrel, Capt. Clifford, and the English brig
Susannah, Capt. Grove—hove in sight, and, observ-
ing the Reindeer's signals of distress, proceeded to
her assistance. These two shipmasters, with part
of their respective crews, were engaged until nee/
four o'clock in the afternoon endeavouring to extin-
guish the fire; but finding their utmost efforts to
be ineffectual, Capt. Hewett and the surviving in-
dividuals of his crew were transhipped on board of
the Minstrel, which happened to be bound to this
port from Accra. At six p.m. they abandoned the
Reindeer, and very soon afterwards she was enve-
loped in flames. The Minstrel arrived here on
Saturday, the 12th inst., in the afternoon.
'6 I have since ascertained that two of the vic-
tims of this nefarious act of piracy were British sub-
jects, the second mate, John H. Hansom, a native
of Liverpool, and the seaman, Henry Frost Jones,
a native of Cardiff, both of whom were murdered in
their berths; the bodies were left on board, and
went down with the burning ship.
"'The boat in which the rates quitted the Rein-
deer has been found on the beach, a few miles to
the eastward of Malaga. The authorities aro using
all. the means at their disposal to procure the cap-
ture of the criminals ; and I have forwarded a
de-
scription of their persons to the governor of Gib a
l-
tar, in order that they may be apprehended there
in the event of their proceeding to that garrison.—
I have the honour to be, &c.,
cs c Wm. PENROSE MARK.
" The Secretary, Marine 1 )epartmen,t,,, Board
of Trade, Whitehall, London.

[ADVERTISEMENT.
—Holloway's Pills and Ointment.—
Preventives of Weakness.-1N henever circumstances pro-
duce impure blood or lessen the force of the circulation,
stagnation takes place in the lungs, and consumption or
other formidable symptoms discover themselves. Let Hol-
loway's remedies be tried on the first feelings of debility,
the first annoyance from a dry hacking cough. The
(0)r eintnment
should be well rubbed twice a day upon the chest
and between the shoulders, and the pills should be taken
alterative doses to purify the blood and cleanse the
system, without weakening it, by rousing or aggravating
existing nervous irritation. These observations carry ad-
ditional weight in summer, when decline and general weak-
ness, from heat and other mine are more_apt to prevail.