The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-26 00:00:00

C~

TIIE RUSSIAN PRISONERS IR PRANCE.

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The Courrier de l'Eure publishes the following
letter from the Isle d'Aix, giving details relative
to the Russian prisoners in France. It is dated
the 17th : . , , -
"I arrived here yesterday, being destined with others
to reinforce 'the garrison to guard the Russian pri-
soners. This detachment consists of 29 offiders; 969 pri-
vates, and :16 women, each of the:latter with two or
three young children. There areatnengst:the prisoners
many Finlanders, two or three line soldiers of the Im-
perial Guard, and some Cossacks of the Don and the
Dniester. The soldiers of the Imperial . Guard form
a striking contrast with the other Russian soldiers,
who are all of middle height, with -dark skins,-and are
exceedingly ugly. They .appear robust and accustomed
to fatigue ;' several have :sore eyes ;'lthey are inbre clean
in their persons than is generally supposed ; they':wear
mouStaches, like bur soldiers, and some have them turned
up with a certain coquetry. 'Several of fhe 'officers
speak good French, and have excellent manners. By
order of Marshal Baraviav d'Hilliers, they'sre allowed
to wear their swords. Their uniform is a blue frock,
with red collar and wrists, and a small blue cap with
red edging ; their epaulettes are silver, and vary accord.
ine to the rank of the wearer. I have conversed with
several of the officers, and, in particular, with en
old captain of French origin, who is my neigh Lour,
and all agree in speaking iliglily of the ardour and
tnalertußosmitperoofr ouri severetroi)s
I,:•';':niql.°fno'arr'::anticisi ;;a scio ImlauChe
Miseryby
town,hisand treated with obstinacy. TheWinchofficers eo
arens all
idcl
s welltio ar; tale
l o:lgt ed
in thee
privates
like our soldiers. Their uniform is of a gross de-
scription,.lodged a
rk eo n:irsetei
in!
cool':
with
hg
red' l lightish
ftaiscnghibsr,o brown
blue
trou-
sers, and a Small dark flat cap. Most of them are
well pleased to be in France,: and Jhey are delighted
with their rations, which are precisely •the same as
those of our men. They evidently enjoy their meals,
and utter cries of 4 Bono Franceis'as• they eat ; they
, would not certainly wish to return to Russia. Hitherto
they have been allowed to remain unoccupied, but they
willy soon
wili btuernemopultoygeododonNvothrkemfeonrt;ifitchaeytionasr.e
vlertyhink
the re-
spectful towards their superiors and the French
them. officers. It is easy to see that a severe discipline has
They
been
y e
y ,usedsmoke
which
towardshc
n silence ihthey were
their a IMlloonawg pipes;-noydo to the
n bring prisoners
8 ownier fith them.have
and drink large
quantities of brandy.' Last evening some of them
indulged so much that the commandant has been obliged
to take measures to prevent a recurrence of the past.
The women are very plain, but clean, although very
simply dressed. All wear a silk handkerchief wound
round the head. One of them excites interest from
having lost her husband during the passage, and being
now left alone with her three children ; .and another
from being, by mistake, separated from her husband,
who has been taken to England. An hospital has been
established to receive such prisoners as may be ill,
and a military surgeon and attendants are attached to
it. Now that the first establishment of the prisoners is
terminated I imagine that our service will be light.
The isle of Aix is rather a stupid place, having about 80
houses. I intend turning my time to account by con-
versing with the Russians, and studying them in a mili,
tary point of view. • I have already had some long con-
versations with'the colonel of engineers, who was charged
with the works of defence at Bomarsund, and he ac-
knowledges that what completely embarrassed him was
the precision w,ith which the Chasseurs of Vincennes hit
the artillerymen in the embrasures of the fortifications.
He is enthusiastic, also, about the long range of their
rifles, and about the firing of the cannon on board the
vessels."

IRELAND.

THE LATE RAILWAY OUTRAGE.

A public meeting of the inhabitants of Derry was held
pursuant to requisition, on Friday, the Mayor in the
chair, to take steps towards the discovery of the perpe-
trators of the late diabolical outrage, arid to give expres-
sion to the general feeling of horror at that atrocious
attempt on human life. Among the principal speakers
were— Sir Robert Ferguson, M.P., Sir Robert Bateson,
Major Scott, the Rev. James Crawford, the Rev.
Robert Higginbotham, &c. The resolutions were as
follows

"That this meeting of the inhabitants of the city and
vicinity of Derry express their indignant horror at the late
atrocious attempt to destroy, on the railway between this
city and Enniskillen, the lives of the many hundred per-
sons, orderly and respectable visitors from the latter town
to our city, on the 15th of September, 1854.
" That we desire, on our part, and on the part of others,
to return thanks, with all reverence, to Almighty God for
His special and providential ctrre over the lives of so many
unsuspecting persons, appointed as sheep for the slaughter.
" That we consider it of tho utmostimportance that a
most liberal subscription should be commenced as a reward
for the purpose of bringing the criminals to justice, and
we beg to remind the public that in-cases of great atrocity
these means were found ultimately successful.
" That a committee, consisting of the movers and se-
conders of the resolutions, together with Messrs. J. Cors-
caden, J. W. Gregg, R. 111`Vic':n, J. Keys, J. D. Cherry,
J. Colhoun, J. Cairns, with power to add to their num-
ber, be appointed to collect subscriptions for the relief of
the sufferers—five to be a quorum. The Mayor treasurer,
J. Colhoun, convener and secretary."

Before the close of the proc?edings, which met with
toume interruption from a. gentleman named Mahon,
who insisted that the demonstration of Friday week
was a party demonstration,
Dr. Henry Stacy Skipton said, he had just received
a letter from a respedtable Roman Catholic, 1.12:ch, with
the chairman's permission, he would read to the meeting.
Ile fully reciprocated the sentiments it contained. It was
as follows : _ _ .

" Sir,—Exe rating, as I do with all my heart, the late
sanguinary and demoniacal attempt to destroy the lives of
o many of our fellow-beings, and approving cordially the
object of the meeting to be held to-day—namely, to offer
a reward for the discovery of the miscreant perpetrators of
this horrid deed of blood—have the kindness to put down
my name for whatever amount you may think right.
" Yours, &c., W. M`LOUGHLIN, M.D.
" Mr. H. S. Skipton, M.D."

Subscriptions to a large amount have been entered
into for the discovery of the criminals. The railway
company have offered 5001. as their share towards the
general fund.
The inquest on the remains of the engine-driver who
lost his life by the upsetting of the engines on the excur-
sion train from Londonderry to Enniskillen, has been
adjourned until the 11th of October. The county of
Tyrone, as well as Londonderry. is about to assemble,
to consider the steps proper to be adopted for the dis-
covery of the persons concerned in this atrocious outrage.
The Marquis of Abercora and Lord Claude Hamilton,
M.P., have signed the requisition in the former county.
The Government have offered a reward of 2001.

• SUSPECTED MURDER.
The Cork Reporter has the following account of a fright-
ful tragedy which has taken place near Cork, and which
still continues involved in mystery :
About 1 o'clock yesterday (Friday) the neighbour-
hood of the Mardyke was thrown into great excitement
by the announcement that one of the dyke watchmen,
named Michael Keating, bad been discovered in the
garden back of the lodge, at the eastern end of the Dyke,
with his throat cut. The deceased had been employed
for some time by the corporation as day watchman on
the Dyke, and while in that position had earned for
himself the goodwill, both of the residents of the
Dyke and of the citizens who frequented it, by the
uniform steadiness of his conduct and the civility
of this behaviour. In addition to his pay as watch-
man, Gs. a week, he received a pension of ls. 6d. a day,
having been formerly in the 61st regiment, in which
two sons of his are at present, so that he would have
been enabled to live comfortably and happily, but for
the bad conduct of his wife. It appears that she is a
woman of very intemperate habits, and has often, to
satisfy her craving for drink, taken and pledged her
husband's clothes and furniture. She was also a woman
of very violent temper, so much so that one of their
sons, a lad only about 14 years of age, had left deem
some time ago. The deceased was often obliged to
bring her before the magistrates, to whom she mile
solemn promises of reform, but always immediately 're-
lapsed again. The deceased was not seen sirme
Thursday morning, until 10 o'clock yesterday,
when the female servant of a house near the lodge,
went into the place where he was found, for
the purpose of spreading some clothes on a hedge,
to dry. While doing so, she happened to east
her eye near the spot, and saw the deceased,
who was partly concealed by some bushes. She
instantly raised an alarm, and in a few minutes a large
number of persons had collected near the place. The
deceased, when found, was lying on his back among
some bushes, his hands were raised so as partly to
cover his face, and were tiohtly clenched, and .stained
with blood and gravel. His head was nearly severed
from his body, the jugular vein being entirely divided*
and the gash extending almost to the
nape of the
neck. About half a yard from where be lay was a
large pool of blood, apparently that which had
flowed from his throat, as if he had been afterwards
moved. At first it was supposed that the unfortu-
nate man had destroyed his own life, but on Con-
stable Carey's arrival on the spot he found a razor,
which bore every appearance
of having been the
weapon used in committing the dreadful deed, wrapped
in a piece of newspaper by his side,.
that
circumstance at once induced a suspiciontebad
met his death by other hands, as iitwd sufficient strengthas counted almost
impossible that he could have retained
inflicting so
remaining part of
fearful a wound on
hisunpdeisnotncie lodge. The body was
the newspaper was found in
or consciousness to roll it up himTsehlef, after
to the Bridewell, for the
conveyed yesterday
having an inquest held on it. The deceased
and 60 years of wee stoutly built, ap-
parently of ''ahrobust constitution, and was said to be of
was between purpose
veryof
of having committed the act. Some of the chief
picion
temperate habits.. lldis wife is in custody on sae.
irceur
nces against her are that she had been heard
v
to threaten his life, and on Thursday
evening, when the other watchman asked her if he was
within, she refused to make any reply.
scen:lst'l times

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