The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-10 00:00:00

711 E NAVY•

The utmost exertions are employed at Woolwich
for completinehe armour-Plated-Plated
ship Caledonia, so
as to keep faith with the public in launching her
on the 24th of October, as announced. The num-
ber of shipwrights engaged thereon has been in-
creased to upwards of 300 hands, and, as the work
is already
well advanced, there is little chance of
the launch being deferred beyond the time stated.
The deck is partially laid over with iron plates five
eighths and a quarter of an inch in thickness, and
the first of the iron sides will be applied in a few
days. A bargeload of slabs 43-in. thick, Bft. long,
and 4ft. broad, and a number of deck plates sin.
thick, termed stringers, was yesterday landed from
the Thames Ironworks for the Caledonia, in addi-
tion to about 500 tons already received from Shef-
field. The Caledonia was yesterday visited by
nearly 1,000 persons, a large number of whom were
foreigners, and the whole of whom were permitted
to inspect the interior.
It was stated at Chatham yesterday that the iron
screw steamer Defence, 18, Capt. R. A. Powell,
C. fl , is to be sent to that dockyard, or Sheerness,
to repair the injuries she has sustained in the Baltic.
It is hardly probable, however, that such will be
the case, as the only dock now empty at Chatham
which is capable of receiving the Defence will be
occupied in a few days by the iron-plated frigate
Royal Oak, while at the Sheerness yard there is no
dock of sufficient capacity to take her. The nearest,
and, in fact, only place, therefore, at which the
Defence can be repaired is at Portsmouth, where
all the available dock accommodation is already
occupied.
Orders have been received at Chatham for the
Trafalgar, 86, 500-horse power to be taken into
dock at Sheerness, about the middle of this month,
for the purpose of being examined and having
defects made good.
Several hundred shipwrights and mechanics were
employed until late yesterday in completing the
preparations for the launch of the mail-clad steam-
ship Royal Oak, 50, 1,000-horse power, which
takes place this afternoon at Chatham dockyard,
and. the work will be resumed this morning, at 5
o'clock, in order that everything may be in readi-
ness for floating the huge vessel off by the time
ordered. Arrangements have been made for the
accommodation of several thousand persons, the
whole space on each side of the vessel having been
cleared away, while at the bows a gallery extend-
ing the whole width of the ship has been raised
in which accommodation is provided for at least
1,000 persons, and to which admission will be ex-
clusively by ticket. The dockyard gates will be
thrown open to the public at half-past 12, and the
launch is intended to take place as near a quarter
to 2 as the state of the tide will permit.
The Resistance 18, screw iron frigate, Captain
Chamberlain, was placed in dock yesterday at Ports-
mouth, and her bottom found to be in an extraordi-
nary state for a ship on:the home station, bearing
more the appearance of having gone through a com-
mission on the coast of Africa. The entire bottom
of the ship was covered with weeds and long grass
of every known kind and colour, with huge patches
of muscles here and there on the port side, together
with a good sprinkling of barnacles. On the star-
board side, however, the barnacles extended from
stem to stern, with an immense quantity of weeds
and long grass, the latter in some places, as under
the quarter, full three feet in length. The muscles,
too, extended fore and aft, with bunches hanging
in places as large as a child's head. From the stem
to abreast the fore chains on this side, about 3 feet
below the water line, a belt of muscles adhered to

the ship's bow of from two to five inches in thick-
ness and from one to two feet broad. The whole of

the composition which had been laid on to protect
the iron on this side appears to have been destroyed
and patches of rust, more particularly under the
quarter, have eaten their way through. The ship's
bottom was originally coated on each side with dif-
ferent protective compositions; but if the waters of
the Medway thus foul the bottoms of our iron ships,
despite the protective coverings given them, it is
decidedly no place for the construction of docks and
basins for their special reception, as any docks built
there would be kept fully employed in keeping clean
the bottoms of vessels lying in the river, and. would
t h ereforc be o thcririze aut available for the general
requirements of the service.
The Prussian screw corvette Gazelle, Capt. Heldt,
sailed from Spithead at a late hour on Monday
evening for the Downs, to embark his Royal High-
ncss Prince Adalbert for Dantsic.
Th© Victoria Shoreham, taken by the War De-

partment, was yesterday towed down to Woolwich,
to embark powder and ammunition ; and the
Thomas of Goole commenced shipping a 12-pounder
battery, 5,000 stand of small arms, and other war
stores.
The following appointments were made yesterday

at the Admiralty :—G. W. Pickthorn, paymaster,
to the Royal Adelaide; W. D. Walker and John
H. Browne have been nominated to naval cadetship.

111 E ARMY.

Detachments of the Coldstream and Scots Fusi-
lier Guards, numbering 250 men and 8 officers,
under the command of Capt. Wigram, arrived at
Eastbourne on Saturday, for a course of ball prac-
tice at the long range: Detachments will continue
to be sent during the fine weather, Eastbourne being
now the principal practice ground for the Guards.
Admiralty orders have been received by Col. Le-
mon, C. 8., commanding the Chatham division of
Royal Marine Light Infantry, directing volunteer-
ing to be opened from the companies at headquar-
ters for detachments to proceed to Bermuda. The
number of men required is at least 100, the qualifi-
cations required from volunteers being that they
shall possess a knowledge of some common trade, as
smiths, carpenters, &c., in order that they may be
employed in the royal dockyard, where, it is under- I
stood, convict labour will shortly be abolished.
Each of the men volunteering will receive during
the time be is employed at Bermuda ls.3d. in addi-
tion to his daily pay.
Major-Gen. Stransham, Inspector-General of the
Royal Marines, yesterday attended in the long rifle
range at Woolwich, and witnessed the annual corn- I
petitive firing of the division under the superinten-
dence of Capt. Mince, rifle instructor to the batta-
hon. The ranges were 600 and 900 yards. At the
close of the firing the general said he was happy in
being able to tell them that their progress in the
use of the rifle was very satisfactory, and he should
report favourably of the entire division.
The Royal Marine Artillery stationed at Fort
Cumberland, near Portsmouth, were yesterday pa-
raded in heavy marching order tio.B hear the sentence
read on private John Lloyd,
Edward Jones,
who was tried a short time since byT
Tate,
general court-
tthe com-
mandant on a charge of striking
Cooccasion
of the corps, with his fist,
on h
of being brought up before the colonel one
a charge
of being abeent from the barracks withoutleave
had
d a
en the 17th of August last, for which Col. Tote
ordered the prisoner to be confined to barracks.
The sentence of the Court, confirmed, was read
at the head of the corps, and awarded to the pri-
soner 14 years' penal servitude. Not the slightest
sympathy is felt for the offender by the men of the
corps, by whom their commandant is held in the
greatest respect and esteem.

A second trial bus been made of the automaton
Eornaphoro target, invented by Mr. G. W. Hart, of
the 2d Hants Artillery Volunteer Corps, at the
practice range of the sth Hants Rifles, near Ports-
jr-,-)utli, in the presence of Major-Gen. Lord W.
j'aulet, C. 8., commanding the South-West District
and Portsmouth Garrison, accompanied by his Staff
and a number of officers belonging to the force
quartered in the district, among whom were Col.
Tl, a chwell, D6puty-Assistant-Adjutant-General ;
Capt. Milli an, Aide-de-Camp ; Capt. Johnstone,
Instrueor of Musketry for the District ;
Colonel R.E. ; Colonel English, 53d Foot ;
capt. Ri3wlands, Musketry Instructor, 55th Foot ;
Capt. H. Ford, sth ;
2d
H.A.V., and other officers. T Liaut. Lockie,
he results of the
firing were on this, as on the previous trial, of a
most satisfactory character, the result of each being
instantly and correctly telegraphed to the firing
party, pe:feetly distinct at the longest range, and
entirely free from any possible chance of error.

Lord Paulet and the officers present expressed, on
leaving the ground, their admiration of the work-
ing of the target and its system of signa

THE LATE 211URDE.ROUS AFI. BAY IN

SUSSEX.

RYE, TUESDAY.
This morning, Robt. Lynch, labourer, late of Dept-
ford, was placed in the dock before Mr. R. E. Pom-
fret and a bench of magistrates, charged with cut-
ting and wounding Henry Spiers, with a bagging
or swopping hook, during an affray which took
place on Wednesday last between a number of Irish
reapers and hop-pickers.
The circumstances causing the above charge ori-
ginated in a quarrel which ensued between ten or
twelve men, beside women and children, on the
hop-pickers' side, and three men, three women, and
some children on the side of the reapers. The hop-
pickers had been brought in a waggon. After
many words the reapers went back for their swop-
hooks, and returned striking at any one they came
to with those instruments. The prisoner ran up to
Spiers, the prosecutor, who had charge of the
horses, and chopped at him. He made a second
blow at him, but it fell on the chains and frightened
the horses, which alarm was fully increased by an-
other Irishman rattling the chains, thereby causing
them to start off with some of the pickers in the
waggon, who were unwilling to engage in the fight
after the swopping hooks were produced. Just
previous to the horses starting off one of the Irish-
women struck the fore horse on the head with a
stone and held on by the rein. She was, however,
thrown off and knocked down, and the wheels of
the waggon passed over her head miming instant
death. An inquest was held on the body, when it
was considered, that, in addition to the rattling of
the chains, the screaming of the women and
children added to the fright of the horses, and,
thereupon a verdict of accidental death was re-
turned. Some of the county constabulary went in
search of the reapers, and succeeded in apprehend-
ing the prisoner, who was identified as having
committed bodily injury upon Spiers, the driver of
the waggon.
Henry Spiers, the injured man, deposed that on
Wednesday last he went to Heathfield with his
master's waggons, to fetch some hop-pickers.
When they got to„ the Broad Oak, Brede, he
saw some Irish reapers, who had their
swop, or reaping hooks with them. They were
quarrelling, and wanted to fight, and one of them
struck a man named Robins across the legs and face
with a stick. The blows were returned, and they
all got fighting amongst themselves, till the Irish
found they were getting the worst of it, and began
to use their swop-hooks, and the English ran away.
A woman (since dead) had hold of the fore-horse's
head, and he (witness) told her to leave it alone.
She kept knocking the horse about on the head
with a bat, and while he (witness) kept talking to
her the prisoner struck at him with a swop-hook.
Witness stooped his head, but the hook stru k him
on the shoulder, and cut right through all his
clothes, inflicting a deep wound, and the blood
soaked all through his clothes. He tried to duck
under the tracing-chains between the fore and
second horse, when the prisoner hit at him again,
bat only struck the chains, and the horses started
off, and the woman was knocked down and run
over.

In reply to the Mag istrates the witness repeat-
edly denied that he ever struck any one of the Irish
party with his whip.
David Robins, the man referred to by the last
witness, confirmed his evidence, and so did other
witnesses, who were all examined at great length,
with a view of ascertaining whether an assault was
not in the first instance committed on the Irish
party by the hop-pickers, who were much the most
numerous. The non -participation of the complain-
ant in the row was, however, agreed in by all ex-
cept one of the Irish women, whose volubility and
cross-statements prevented anything like a con-
nected narrative being obtained from her. After
a hearing of three hours the chairman, Mr. Pom-
fret, said that in the opinion of the bench there
had been so much confusion and fighting amongst
the parties that it was difficult to say which was
the truth of the affray. He feared the Irish
had met with much provocation, not that
it justified their conduct, but it mitigated the
punishment that ought to be inflicted. Seeing
that the wound was not of so serious a character as
had been anticipated, the bench would treat it as a
common assault, and inflict a fine of 40s. and costs,
or in default one month's imprisonment.
The prisoner was then removed, and in the course
of the day the fine was paid by subscription amongst
the Irish reapers of his party.
The case created a vast amount of feeling and.
excitement in the district.

SHOCKING CASE OF ATTEMPTED
212W7? 7M-77?_

George Robert Kilsby, 40, a clerk ; Edward
Kilsby, 37, painter; and Sarah Kilsby, 32, mar-
ried, were placed in the dock before Mr. Ingham,
at the Wandsworth Police-court, yesterday, charged
with wilfully shooting Henry Cook with a pistol,
with intent to murder.

Mr. Superintendent Batt, of the V division, was
present to watch the case on behalf of the police.
John Sole, a locksmith, living at No. 3, Chapel-
place, York-road, Battersea, said—On Monday
night I was sitting outside the Prince of Wales, in
Battersea-fields, from halt-past nine o'clock till ten,
and during the time I saw the prisoners walking
to and fro. About ten o'clock the master of a
grocer's shop—his name is Cook—came out to put
up his shutters. The prisoner George Kilsby fired
off a pistol at his side while engaged in putting up
the shutters. The prisoner was about three yards
off when he fired. He walked towards him.
Mr. Ingham—What was the effect of the dis-
charge of the pistol ?
Witness—lt made a wound in his side. He
walked a little way, when he became exhausted,
and he was taken in doors. He did not say any-
thing. I saw blood come from his side through his
shirt. When the prisoner George walked towards
Cook the other prisoners stood back. I did not
hear them say anything. After the man was shot
I saw the prisoner George go into the Prince of
Wales. I did not notice what became of the others.
Cock's house is next door to the Prince of Wales.
Mr. Ingham (to the prisoner George)—Have you
any questions to ask the witness ?
Prisoner—l shot the rat.

The prisoner appeared in a very melancholy
state. Ho stood with his back leaning against the
wall, with his eyes cast on the floor, and his right
hand on his breast. The other male prisoner was
about to make a statement, when his worship re
quested him to defer it until he had heard the case.
Mr. William Austin—l keep the Prince of
Wales. I know nothing particular of the case.
All I know is, that the prisoner George Kilsby
came into our place on Monday niht about ten
as
o'clock. He came the same e.had many times
before. He took a pistol out of e side of his coat
and showed it to me. He said it was what he shot
the rats with, or what he poisoned them with. I
do not know what he said exactly. I had just come
gliedotwolnd.mel
he
eehnatd out of
Idoaosrsi
downstairs, I beard the report of a pistol as I was
coming
anti
Cook,
hmiernt
into
o
surgeon. I saw his side examined. I did
his shop, and upstairs, and sent for Mr. Kemp-
other two prisoners.
nBtoeotr'sneaebtehineg further questioned as to the observa..
tiers of thethat
when George, the witness said
wed the pistol he observed, "'This is
saide next
that
he had done e h
for of the kind.
Mr. William wweh e kill il he thes showed
him, o
rats wi t h—r
somethingl shot h i m."
live
lI e i
payee—l am a
prisonersbakerwalking up,
and l
doer to Mr. Cook. i saw the
and down in front of. the shops up to past ten
o'clock. The prisoner George asked me if Cook
was at home. That was before ten o'clock. I told
him that I had seen him go out about eleven o'clock
in the morning, and I had not seen him since. After
that I heard a shot fired. I went out, and saw Cook
was shot. I saw the two male prisoners go into the
public-house together afterwards. The prisoner
wishing to see
George did not give any reason for
i Cook,
i Police constable Wright 2. 94 V, said—A little
after ten o'clock Monday
-
night I was on duty in
on
Batter -
sed-fields when the witness Sole came to me
and told ran that' - I went to
a man had been shot.
the Prince of wales, lour I saw
akes, and in the bar-par
all the prisoners sitting down. I asked if the man
who had shot
azather man was there, The prisoner
George got up
man." The priscricsraiid, "It is me; 1 have shot the
ward said, " Yes," and gave
me a pistol_ 1 t
- -ook tithe tody, and on the Nva..,
to the
George into ells •
what a beautiful '''
night it Wastlle station I remarked
as they would be able to see to
the harvest people,
remarked, "We won't work Itoo,W.ork all night. He
the prisoner, and found upon hn,lght." I searched
"II file percussion
caps.
The pistol w9s produced, and the officer observed
that the discharged cap was still
upon
offirer further stated that he forind aotn°a it The
tea oon ,
the prisoner George wrspned in one of
Mr. Cook's
labels.
Police constable Stirling, 259 V--In consequ ,
of ;information I received I went to Mr. -"
house and found him lying on a bed. Mr. Kemp_ Cook's
ster was attending upon him. I went to the sta-
tion and found the prisoner Edward and the female
there. I detaiead them. The prisoner Edward
said he had h,en fetched to see his brother, who
was ill. His brother toid him that he was going
to fight Cook, and he endeavoured to persuade him
not to do so, ;but he persisted in ' going. He also