The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-13 00:00:00

ATROCIOUS MURDER.

LIVERPOOL, Nov. 11.—In the little village of Clare-
morris, county Mayo, Ireland, lived a young man, of
thrifty habits, named Maurice Prendergast, about 23
years of age. His father and uncle, who were both
dead, had occupied the position of collector of tolls and
Customs in the village, the duties of which office had
devolved upon him. His uncle had also a son, some
years the elder of Maurice, small, like him, in stature,
but of wild disposition and unsteady habits. When a
youth, James lEneas Prendergast in a drunken freak
mounted an unbroken horse, which threw him with great
violence, causing an injury to his right leg, which left it
bending under him as if in a kneeling position, rendering it
necessary that he should have a wooden leg. The cousins
occupied separate cabins, but they remained on appa-
rently good terms with each other. There continued,
however, to be a marked difference in their modes of
life, Maurice being sober and saving, while his cousin
was reckless, violent, and dissolute. For some time
past it was known that Maurice was saving money with
the intention of emigrating to America for the purpose
of joining a relative who had gone out, and who was do-
ing well in the country of his adoption. When, there-
fore, about a month ago the Prendergasts suddenly dis-
appeared from the village no surprise was created, the
belief being that they bad gone cut together. This be-
lief had assumed all the force of conviction until a fort-
night ago, when a sack, containing the trunk of a human
body, the head and legs having been severed from it, was
found floating in a pond or " a short distance from
the prisoner's house. The sack contained several
heavy stones, which had no doubt kept the horrible
witness under water. The discovery naturally created
great excitement in the village, increased to a greater
pitch when the pond was dragged and another bag
containing the ghastly head of the deceased, with
the skull crushed as if by the blow of a hatchet,
was brought to the surface. A further search re-
sulted in the discovery of the legs, which had been
thrown in without being wrapped up. The prisoner's
house, the door of which had been left locked, was
broken open, and undoubted evidences of the fear-
ful tragedy were discovered. The wall against the
fireplace was freely sprinkled with blood, leading the
police to the supposition that the fatal blow had been
dealt from behind, as the deceased was sitting by the
fire, in all probability smoking his pipe. The floor was
stained with blood, and marks of blood were traced from
the cottage to the pond. Two other strong circumstan-
tial evidences, amounting almost to conclusive proof of
guilt against the deceased's cousin, were also discovered.
In the cottage was found a joint of the vertebrae of a
human neck, which, on being compared with the muti-
lated remains of the deceased, was found to correspond ;
while in a neighbouring cottage was founds hatchet
marked with clotted hair and blood, which had been left
there by the prisoner, who had been known to purchase it
a few days before the deceased disappeared. A warrant
was immediately obtained against the deceased's cousin,
and the inquiries of the police elicited the fact that he
had left the neighbourhood about a fortnight previously,
accompanied by a single woman, named Mary Connor,
whose parents live at Westport, and that their probable
destination was Liverpool, whence they intended to
emigrate to America. Police-constable Atkinson, who
had been for some years stationed at Claremorris, and
was therefore well acquainted with the person of Pren-
dergast, came to Liverpool, and after a close inquiry, in
which he was assisted by Head.constahle M`Hale, con-
nected with the Irish constabulary force, he discovered that
persons answering the description of the murderer an his
paramour had been staying at the lodging-house of Mrs.
Horne, Sawney Pape-street, and afterwards at another
lodging-house in the same street, passing as man and
wife. Further inquiries furnished them with the infor-
mation that they had taken berths on board the William
Tapscott, which will take her departure hence to-mor-
row (Sunday) for New York ; that Prendergast, being
a cripple, was afraid that he would not be allowed to
land in the United States ; and that he had therefore been
smuggled on board in a large box, as the luggage of Mary
Connor. Armed with this intelligence, M'Hale and Atkin-
son this morning went on board the William Tapscott,
lying in the river, outward bound, where they ascer-
tained that the man of whom they were in
but a short time previously made his appearalcoe
theon
quest had
deck, being unable longer to remain shut up in
box, the precaution not having been taken to
andke
air-holes. He had been seized as a " stow-away"
lyeft the
sent ashore in the steam-tug which bad
the young woman Conner, who.oow
ship. In going through the Atkinson
uingbitterly
in deck, being under the imp
compelled to sail alone.
rowed to the tug, on
boat was manned, and theydwe_
Prendergast, whom they
At the
ra request of the officers a
board of which they founn
chargei with the murder.. e maintained the greatest
coolness, asserted that knew nothing of the horrible
event, and has since maintained the utmost indifference.
nhecustody, and both she and the
sent as early as possible to
The
Suspected forwarded to Castlebar, where the
in order to be
Ireland,
• tion will take place.
examine
wommauurdierearlswoill be

ROTA OF THE JUDGES AT THE CENT.RAL
CRIMINAL COURT.

The Judges of the several Courts of Queen's Bench,
Common Pleas, and Exchequer have selected and ar.
ranged their rota, in which they will respectively attend
at the several sessions at the Central Criminal Court.
The following are the arrangements made, viz. :-
1854.—N0v. 27.—The Lord Chief Justice of the
Common Pleas, Sir John Jervis, Mr. Baron Alderson,
and Mr. Justice Coleridge.
Dec. 18.—The Lord Chief Baron, Sir Frederick Pol-
lock, Mr. Justice Cresswell, and Mr. Justice Crompton.
1855.—Jan. I.—The Lord Chief Justice of the
Queen's Bench, Lord Campbell, Mr. Justice Wightman,
And Mr. Justice Williams.
Feb. 26.--The Judges appointed to proceed on the
Norfolk and North Wales Spring Circuits—
Baron
Aprilg.—gat.
.—Mr. Justice Maule, Mr. Justice Erle, and
Mr.
May 7.
j—uTsthiceeLcorredssClsl,lelieif. Baron,rt.oJupartoicceeeCdoloenridtgbee,
and l
Mr.
July 2.—The Judges appointed
Norfolk and South Wales Summer Circuits—
Aug.o
Crompton,
Mr.
ie,
and Mr. Justice Crowder.
Justice 2 .—The
andL Lord dMCI
Sept. 17.---Loid Campbell, Mr. Justice r
I.lißefaJrounstpiciea,ttSfr John Jervis ;
Oct.
Ar. Baron2l.—Ai ma
r. B;rtrt•in.
onAlderson,_.Mr. Justice Williams,
an

The Dean of Waterford and Miss Hoare have arrived
in Dublin, after an absence of iogie Weeks is England?
en route to Waterford.