The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-21 00:00:00

On the arrival of the prisoner at the station-house
in Gardner's-lane, Colonel Rowan and Mr. Mayne,
the Chief Commissioners of Police, were immediately
sent for, and, those who saw the shot fired being also
in attendance, the following additional particulars
were gleaned :—The name of the prisoner is John
Hamilton. He is a native of Ireland, and follows
the occupation of a bricklayer's labourer. He has
been resident in this country for five years, but states
that he was born at Adare, in the county of Lime
rick, and his accent and general appearance clearly
prove him to be of Hibernian origin. For some time ,
past he has resided principally at No. 3, Eccleston-
place, Pimlico, in the house of a bricklayer, for whom
he at one time worked. Of late, however, it appears
that the employment given to him by his landlord had
ceased, and that he had been almost if not entirely out
of work. There was no pretence, however, for saying
that he was in want. His landlord lodged him gratui-
tously, and the other necessaries of life were provided
by the kindnes of the labourers who were inmates of
the same house. He was therefore living free of cost,
and although he had been in debt some time ago for
lodgings to the amount of 41. 10s., he had recently re-
duced it to 21. 10s. On Saturday morning his land-
lady, in arranging some things in the room where
Hamilton was sitting, turned out a small pocket-
pistol, with an old flint lock, which her husband had
had in his possession for more than seven years, and
which was used by her children as a plaything. He
asked her to lend it to him, as it wanted cleaning.
Seeing no objection to this the woman consented, mad
thereupon the prisoner sent out a little child of hers
to buy a halfpennyworth of powder. Having got
this, he went into the yard behind the house, and
satisfied himself that the pistol would go off. HE
then put it into his pocket, and disappearing, is next
seen within the railings of the park at the lower end
of Constitution-hill shortly before six o'clock. There
he went up to a woman, and asked what she was
waiting for ? Just as she was about to explain, he
said, "Oh, for the Queen. Has she passed yet ?" She
replied, "No, she has not come yet; but if you wait
a little you will see her," or words to that effect. She
had hardly finished the sentence when the outriders
of the Royal cortege appeared in sight, and she ex-
claimed, " Here she comes." The prisoner answered
" All right," and immediately pulled from his
breast a small pistol, which he levelled and fired
at the carriage in which her Majesty and the Royal
children were seated. his aim is supposed to have
been taken in a slanting direction, the carriage being
rather past him when the discharge took place.
Every effort has been made by the police to discover
whether the pistol was loaded with a missile of any
kind, but their search has been fruitless, and there is
no mark on the carriage or elsewhere to indicate its
course. Had the weapon been charged with lead or
any substitute, the whistle of it past the earring(
would have at once been noticed, and the report of
fire-arms properly loaded is quite different from the
discharge of gunpowder only. General Wemyss gavt
decisive evidence on this point. One witness, who
was standine, outside the railing close to the prisoner,
states that his face was scorched by the discharge,
and he exhibits a slight mark on his check to make
good the assertion. The weapon gave a loud report,
a circumstance not to be wcdered at, as it is ascer-
tained that he used the bowl of a tobacco-pipe
as his powder-measure in charging it. There were
crowds of people collected along the drive, and or,
the sound of fire-arms being heard, an instantaneous
rush was made to the spot whence it proceeded. One
of the parkkeepers claims the merit of having arrested
the prisoner, but General Wemyss, who was one
of the Equerries in Waiting, and who acted with
great judgment in the emergency, declares that
Hamilton was first seized by a person dressed
in a brown cloth coat. This person did not
present himself at the station amuse in Gardner's lane.
The prisoner offered no resistance, nor did be even
attempt to escape, and so bunglingly did he manage,
that in returning the pistol to the pocket in his flan-
nel jacket the handle of it stuck fast. The park
keeper and constables who took him in charge had
some difficulty in rescuing him from the vengeance
of the excited crowd which soon formed around him.
On his way to the station-house, whither he was
conveyed in a cab, he is said to have stated that he
was driven to the commission of the act by poverty,
and that he had no accomplices. The exact evidence
given at the station-house by the witnesses who were
examined has been kept a secret, the representatives
of the press having been excluded. The preceding
statement, however, may be relied on as an accurate
summary of the facts educed. , The prisoner is rather
under than above the middle height, is stoutly built,
and presents no appearance of emaciation. His ex-
pression of face and general manner indicate a sullen,
sulky disposition, and it was with great reluctance
that he gave his name, address, and origin. Ile wore
a dirty flannel jacket, old corduroy trousers, and had
on his head a greasy cap. In his pockets were found
the bowl of a pipe, a small quantity of powder, and
a few halfpence. There was nothing about him to
indicate insanity, and he seemed to have the perfect
use of his faculties, such as they were. The charge
against him was entered by General Wemyss, who
was in attendance. He remained on Saturday night
locked up in the station-house.
While these events were taking place in the neigh-
bourhood of the Palace the heads of her Majesty's
Ministry were entertaining select parties of friends
in honour of the Royal birthday. Suddenly they re-
ceived the startling information of what had occurred.
Sir G. Grey and Lord J. Russell proceeded to inquire
for her Majesty's health, and to take such steps as
prudence might under the circumstances, suggest. It
was accordingly determined that a court should be
held yesterday at the Home-office for the purpose of
having the evidence already taken brought under the
consideration of the Attorney- General, and with the
view of specially determining whether the prisoner
ought to be proceeded against for high treason, or
under the less formidable but not less stringent Act
introduced by Sir Robert Peel to meet cases of which
the attempts of Oxford and Bean were examples,
and which there are the strongest grounds forßthink-
ing will apply to the present instance ttls_o.whatetfooroe
however, proceeding to state the result.ht of
f
to take some
place at the conference, it is nig
notice of the enthusiasm which the knowledge of
such an outrage created throughout the
od o
evasotpopf ire
great of the metropolis. In theneighbe Q
ueen" were
clubs cries of " Long live the
repeatedly raised, and more
hethanentehe gaferratnwdams made
to to get up the National Anthem
St. James s-park. all the theatres it was called
for and receivel l‘ '
ll° cclamation. The nobility in
great numbers has.tietrileadandto
atithoegether the routine of a
royal birthday Palace to inquire for
her Majesty's health,
receiveda
sympathy.
vast and visible stimulus
from the impulse of public
Yesterday, at two o'clock, Sir G. Grey, the Attor-
ney-
General, Mr. Hall, the Bow-street magistrate,
and the Commissioners of Police assembled at the
Horne-office for the pimpese already stated. The wit-
nesses who had been examined on the previous day
were in attendance, but only a few of them
were examined. The Attorney-General conducted
the examination in the presence of the prisoner,
who betrayed the same sulky, sullen tem-
per, as on the previous day, and preserved
throughout the proceedings an obstinate silence.
The depositions taken on Saturday were
also read, and the Court proceeded to consider which
of the two courses open to the Crown should be
adopted. The result was that the prisoner, being
unable to enter into recognizances, was committed to
Newgate for a misdemeanour, under the sth and 6th
of Victoria, c. 51, for " firing at her Majesty, with
intent to alarm," &c., and will be tried at the Old
Bailey sessions in June. This ciccision yfoi founded. _