The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-25 00:00:00

The Murder of Major De Vere.

The coroner's inquest upon Major Francis De
Vere was held yesterday at the Sun in the Wood
Tavern, Chatham. The principal witness ex-
amined was Lieutenant George Durnford, who
stated that the deceased was captain in
the Royal Engineers and major in the British
army. He was thirty-six years of age. He was
standing near at the time and heard the shot, after
which he saw the major fall. A sapper named
Mason said the man who had fired the shot was in
the house. He went to an upstairs front room,
and there found Sapper John Currie of the Royal
Engineers standing in the room by himself. There
was a smell of burnt powder in the room. He said
to him " Did you do this ?" and he replied, " Yes,
sir." The other witnesses who were examined pre-
viously before the magistrates having given their
evidence, the jury returned a verdict of wilful mur-
der against John Currie.

REMOVAL OF THE BODY OF MAJOR DE VERE.
At a quarter past 12 o'clock yesterday the mortal remains
of Major Francis Horatio Do Vera were removed from
Brompton Barracks to London, en route for Ireland, where
tho body will be buried.

It is, happily, but seldom that the last sad rites are paid
to an officer of high rank under such awful circumstances,
and the pomp and solemnity of a military funeral, such as
took place yesterday, made a deep impression on the im-
mense concourse of spectators who thronged the streets
through which the mournful procession passed. Shortly
before 12 o'clock the bugle sounded for the men to muster
who had been selected to take part in the procession, and
they were on parade as the clock struck the hour of noon.
The firing party of Sappers and Miners, 200 in number,
were drawn up opposite the side of the square facing the
house where the corpse lay. The splendid baud of the
Engineers was on the left-hand side, and beyond them a
large body of artillery and other soldiers. At least 150
officers were present from Chatham, Canterbury, Dover, &c.,
and the picturesqueness of the scene received a gratifying
addition when 120 blue jackets from the Wellesley and
other ships marched on to the ground to bear their testi-
mony of respect to one slaughtered with such bloodthirsty
coolness. A gun, drawn by six horses, formed the fune-
ral car, and the union jack covered that part of it where
the coffin was to rest, Quartermaster-Sergeant William
Draycott and Gunner Jones sitting on the gun-carriage.
Precisely at a quarter past 12, and while the jury wore de-
liberating upon their verdict, Col. Browne, C. 8., gave the
word of command for the men to fall in, and the body was
borne from the room where he had lived and died and placed
on the gun carriage, the staff officers acting as pall-bearers
being Major Kerr, Major (Dr.) Cockburn, Major Gervoise,
and Major Gossett, and the procession moved in the fol-
lowing order from the parade ground through the magni-
ficent Crimean arch erected by the survivors to the me-
mory of those who fell iu the late Russian war, the streets
of Brompton, and up the military road to the station of the
London,Chatham, and Dover Railway. The firing party,
about 200 in number, in open column of 24 file, with arms
reversed, the band playing the Dead March in Saul, the
Rev. Mr. Edgell and the Rev. Mr. Wetherall, military
chaplains—the gun carrying the body in a plain black
cloth hearse, with black nails, and a simple inscription on
the plate. The coffin was covered with a rich black velvet
pall, edged with whito silk, and the arms and accoutre-
ments of the deceased were placed thereon, his very nume-
rous glittering orders being disposed on a black velvet
cushion at the head of the coffin. The three brothers of
the deceased walked behind, and then came the horse of
the deceased draped in black velvet, with white silk and
crape, and led by two non-commissioned officers. Two
captains follo wed, and then the "blue jackets." The other
soldiers--the artillery—and then the officers in attend-
ance, completed the procession. Only one incident of special
note occurred during the passing of the impressive
carte ye, and that was the arrival of the orderly with the
information of the result of the inquest, at the very instant
the corpse of the murdered officer was passing the window
whence the fatal shot was fired. In passing through the
streets the greater number of the shops had their shutters
up, and the private houses their blinds drawn down—a
commendable mark of respect to the dead. On the ad-
vance guard of the firing party arriving at the station,
they fell back to each side of the way, and the corpse was
brought up to the side of the line, where Mr. Veal, the
courteous and business-like station-master, had caused due
preparations to be made, and the band playing Beethoven's
" Sleepers awake !" the coffin was placed in the carriage
prepared for its reception, and after a farewell glance at
the last earthly receptacle of their brother soldier,with his
glittering honours telling of noble deeds in his country's
cause, the word to march was given by Colonel Browne
The railway carriage was shunted from the gaze of the po-.
pulace and forwarded to London with its sad contents in the
course of the afternoon.

THE " MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR" AT WINDSOR.—The
owner of the clothes found under the railway arch at
Windsor has been discovered, and no circumstance of
suspicion is connected with either him or the garments.
ROMAN CATHOLICS AT OXFORD.—The following
Roman Catholics are at present on the books at Christ
Church, Ox ford .—Mr. Thomas Weld-Blundell and Mr.
Henry J. Stourton (gentlemen commoners), and Mr. H. G.
Shea, son of the judge, and Mr. Christopher Talbot Rod_
ington, son of the late Sir Thomas N. Redinglon (com-
inoners.)— Guardian.