The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-05 00:00:00

ATTEMPT AT MURDER.

On Saturday last we set before our readers the prin-
cipal facts of a statement made by Benjamin M‘Don-
nal, of the 50th Regiment, at present in the citadel, and
feeling convinced of the accuracy of the report, we could
not withhold it from the public, but enable them to put
their own construction on the matter, and judge whether
we were justified in the course we then pursued. From
inquiries we have since made, the "confession," as it is
termed, of 'l\l'Donnal, as given in our columns, was
truthfully related, but the depth of the snow, and another
circumstance we shall presently name, have prevented
the escort from proceeding to Roborough Down, to make
a search for the murdered body of Theresa Rundle, and
for a few weeks nothing will be done. The prisoner was
confined in the military prison at Devonport, awaiting a
court-martial for deserting his regiment at Plymouth,
and in the course of the ordinary discipline enforced in
the prison, the soldiers are-drilled and exercised as usual.
On Friday afternoon the prisoners were thus engaged,
and it appears that either before or after the drill
Nl`Donnal secured a large knife, and secreted it in his
clothes, for what murderous purpose the sequel will show.
At seven o'clock he rang his bell, and one of the warders
named Sparrow, entered the cell, upon which 111‘Donnal
fiercely sprang at him, and, felling him to the floor, drew
the knife, with which he inflicted several severe and deep
wounds in various parts of the body, and otherwise in-
jured the unfortunate man. Writhing in agony, he im-
portuned for mercy, and begged for life, but the wretched
maniac for a time continued to prosecute his murderous
intentions, until overcome by the cries of the warder,
when he desisted, but only on the ground that he would
state it was his (11I'Donnars) intention to murder him.
Sparrow said he would say so, he would do anything for
the safety of his life, and accordingly he was permitted
to escape. A court of inquiry was held on the next
(Saturday) afternoon, at three o'clock ; and with the
laudable desire to drive out his reported madness, or
with the other desire, to fasten it in him, the culprit
was sentenced to receive fifty lashes on his bare back,
aid to undergo six months' imprisonment. At four
o'clock, an hour after the deliberations of the court, the
corporal punishment was inflicted by the drummers of
the 50th, and, judging from the manner in which they
dealt out their favours, they regarded the disgrace
brought upon the regiment with every feeling of indig-
nation. The fellow, however, hardened as he appears to
be in crime, did not possess a very hardened skin, for as
lash after lash fell on his luckless back, his shrieks and
cries led the soldiers who looked on to designate him as
a " coward." M`Donnal is now in hospital, and when
he is sufficiently recovered, an escort will proceed to
Roborough Down to make the search now so much de-
sired to set the mystery at rest. After he had been
flogged on Saturday, Mr. Gifford, the superintendent
of the Devonport police, again proceeded to the pri•
son, and stated to M'Donnal the various • circumstances
attending his case. The prisoner again repeated his for-
mer assertions, and stated that at a small place near
Bolton, in Lancashire, he made his escape, when three
others, not soldiers—for he was not then enlisted—were
transported for twenty-one years each, for a desperate
robbery committed by them. While he was at Preston
and in hospital, he conducted himself in a singular man-
ner, by jumping out of bed, and placed utensils on his
head, with which he walked about the rooms, and on
one occasion he threw one of them at the surgeon's head.
This is the kind of man--nay, this is the man—who has
confessed to a murder, committed on Roborough Down ;
and he alleges that he did it at a time when no human
eye could watch his hand or mark the countenance of
“Is this statement true ?"
the murderer. Many ask,
We reply, what possible reason can there be alleged to
doubt its accuracy ? The man appears to care for no-
thing, not even for the result of the investigation, should
it bear against him. And, in connection with the above,
we may add another fact. Mr. Gifford has already
the girl Rundle, and the other
made inquiries respecting
females who followed the 50th to this town fully corro-
borate that part of the statement which refers to her
absence in October last, since which time they have
heard nothing of her. Everything which was up to this
moment transpired relating to the alleged tragic occur-
rence we have detailed above, and as soon as M‘Donnal
can proceed to the Down we promise our readers the
say that the 50th Regiment
result. We need scarcely
feel much disgraced by the disclosure, be it true or false,
and every soldier as anxiously awaits the result as do the
public at large.—Plymouth

" SIGNS" OF THE TlMES.—Events occur every now
and then which lead us to doubt whether the nineteenth
century is entitled to all the credit which is claimed
for it. A countryman went the other day to the shop
of a bookseller in Preston for a Moore's Almanack
for next year, and, on one being handed to him, he
lamented the degeneracy of old Moore, as there are
now no " signs" in it. He wondered why " Mr.
Moore had given up putting the signs in the almanack ;
it had been a bad job for him leaving them out fir some
year: back. The vendor of literature, who had sold
some thousands of old Moore in his day, but had never
thought the " legs," " arms," breasts," " feet," &c.,
which used to be placed down one side of the columns,
really meant anything, inquired how this had hap-
pened. " Why, you see, the rustic believer in signs
replied, " we used to wean calves and colts by the signs,
and, as there were no signs in Moore last year we weaned
a colt withoutknowing what the sign at the time was, and
it died of a disease of the heart. We found out after-
wards that the sign at the time was in the heart, so, if
we had known, you see, we should have saved the colt."
The schoolmaster may be " abroad ;" but he has evi-
dently a deal of work to do.—Preston Chronicle.