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

not appear to entertain any
Majesty, that he had no
not communicated to any
do, and at e stol wa
not loaded certainly t
are the
two i
circum-
stances which furnish some ground for suspecting
this conclusion. The first of these is the evidence of
a constable of the B division, who stated his confidant
belief that the prisoner was in the habit of attending
a low Chartist club in Pimlico. The second is an
observation dropped by the prisoner himself to the in-
spector who was in charge of him yesterday morning.
It was to the effect that he had been confined in
Paris, for having taken part in the insurrection of
June, and that the cells there were not nearly so
clean as that in which he then was. Evidence was
also adduced to show that he had worked on the Bel-
gium and Nantes Railway, and that he went over to
Prance at the time of Prince Louis Napoleon's escape
from Ham. This statement, if correct, and combined
with the preceding facts, would certainly go a certain
way to support the suspicion that his motives for the
deed which he committed were political rather than
personal. Such, however, has not been the decision
of those best able to judge, and their chief concern is,
therefore, directed to check in the bud, and by the
most effectual means, the baneful influence of such
disgusting acts, which, operating upon the thirst for
notoriety, or the desire for a comfortable retirement
on State pay, have an obvious tendency to repeat
themselves and become contagious. As illustrative of
this, it is worthy of notice that Hamilton took his
stand within less than 100 yards of the spot where Ox-
ford committed a similar offence. He has, however,
miscalculated considerably if he fancies that he is
to receive a similar penalty. By the course adopted
the ceremony of an examination before the magis-
trate in the usual mode is entirely omitted, and this
unlucky Iri,hman will find that instead of being
well fed, well clothed, and well housed for the rest of
his life, he has subjected himself to the certain pros-
pect of hard labour in the House of Correction, and
to public appearances that are not at all likely to
foster a passion for notoriety, viz , the first at the bar
of the Old Bailey, the rest at the cart tail.
The following detailed report of what took place at
the Home-office yesterday we give without vouching
for its perfect accuracy :
At two o'clock yesterday afternoon Sir G. Grey, the
Secretary of State for the Home Department, Air.
Waddington, the Under-Secretary, the Attorney-Gene-
ral, and Mr. Hall, the chief magistrate, attended by
Mr. Burnaby, the chief clerk at Bow-street Police-court,
met in the deputation-room, where a Court was formed.
The prisoner was brought in by Mr. May, the super-
intendent of the A division, and Inspector Otway, and
was formally charged with having, on the 19th of May,
on Constitution-hill, St. James's-park, presented and
fired a pistol at her Majesty the Queen.
Although the inquiry was conducted by the above-
named gentlemen, several members of the Government
were present at various periods of the examination,
amongst whom were Sir Charles Wood, the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, and Mr. W. G. Grey, M.P., the Pri-
vate Secretary to Lord John Russell.
Daniel O'Keefe was the first witness called.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—Where do you reside?
Witness—At No. 4, Eceleston-place, Belgrave-road,
Pimlico.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—Do you know the pri-
soner, Hamilton? Witness—l do.

The ATTORNEY • GENERAL—HOW long have you known
him? Witness—From four to five years.
The ATTORNEY•GENERAL—What was he? Witness

—lie came over here from Ireland as a bricklayer's la-
bourer.

The ATTOREY• GENERAL —And followed the same
business? Witness—Yes, when he could get any work.
Mr. HALL— State all you know about him.
Witness—He was in Ireland some time back, having
neither father nor mother; was brought up in the charity
school there, and when he left to come to London he was
recommended by a friend over there to come and lodge
with me.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL,—Has he lodged with you
luring the whole period you mentioned, from four to
five years? Witness.—No. He left once to go to
Fnince?

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL.—When was that? Wit-
ness.—Two seasons ago—two years last summer.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL— When did he come back?
Witness.—ln the month of November, in the same year
4s he left.

Mr. HALL.—Where did he lodge when he returned?
Witness.—With me, but he was out of work, and he
contracted a debt, and I in consequence sent him to a
friend of mine, named Chambers, residing at Bow, in
order that he might get employment, and pay me some-
thing off of what he owed me.
Did he pay you anything? Witness.—l %rote a let-
ter to him and told him that I had burned my leg and
was in great want of money, when he came on the Sa-
turday night, and brought me a sovereign. He came
again after that, and brought me 108. more, but I could
not get anything else from him through that season.
The COURT.—What else transpired? Witness.—l
summoned him and put him to all the expense I could,
axe pt issuing an executicn. He came at that time
rum Bow, and called upon an acquaintance in the
leighbourhood for the purpose, us I ascertained, of
)erig, taken, so that he might get a billet for the wint(r
season in prison.
The COURT—What else do you knovt? Witness—
When ono: tunity came I got him about two months'
cork at a wheelwright's.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—HOW did ytu first come
;o know him? Witness—l know him from his coming

rom the same pleca as I did.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—Is that your property ?
(The pistol which the prisoner fired at her Albjrsty
kas here produced ; it W 34 a very okl, small brass
carrel instrument with a flint lock.) Wi:ness—Yes,

The ATTORNEY GENERAL—Have you anything else
to say ? Witness—No ; I cannot recollect anything
more.

The witness was then ordered out of the court.
Midget O'Keefe, wife of the last witness, was next
called and sworn, when

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL (showing the pistol)—Do
you know that? Witnt ss —I do.
The COURT—What do you know respecting it ? Wit-
ness—On Saturday last I was ping out into the garden
ovh. n I saw Mr. Ilamilton at the bench, when he said
he was makingta pistol, and was going to fire a shot ur
;.Fro. He then showed me a kind of spout which he had
fastened to a piece of wood. I spoke to him about it,
when he said, " Why, Dan has got an old pistol, lend
me it:"

The COURT—Did you do so? Witness—Yes; I went
to my bedroom and gave it to him at the window.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—What did he then say?
Witness—lle looked at it, and said " It is very rusty."
The COURT—Did you make any remark? Witness—
I said, " Yes it is. It is of no account."

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—Did you see him do any-
.hing with the pistol after that? Witness—l did not,
but I afterwards 11,ard him tire the pistol:about three
zitnes in the garden.
The ATTORNEY- GENERAL —Do you know whether he
was in or out of work? Witness—l have not known
nim to have more than seven weeks' work since Christ-
mas last.

The COURT—Then how did he live? Witness—A
young woman who lives with me, who is in the milk
line, serves a great many persons and collects a deal of
broken victuals, and between the two of us we managed
to keep him.
The COURT—What else do you know? Witness—
Nothing more.
Edward O'Keefe was next called and examined.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—You are the son of the
last witness, I believe; how old are you? Witness—
Eleven years next birthday.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—TeII us what the prisoner
Hamilton asked you to do for him. Witness—On
Saturday last he asked me to fetch him a ha'p'orth of
powder.
The COURT—Did you do so? Witness—Yes; I went
to a shop in Elizabeth-street and bought a ha'p'orth of
gunpowder of a woman, which she said was not the best
sort of powder.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—What time was that ?
Witness—About a quarter to three.

The COURT—Did he say anything particular to you
after that? Witness—He asked me if I had ever had
squibs or crackers, when I said yes, and added that they
could be got at the next shop.
The COURT—Did he say anything else ? Witness—
He sail he wanted a ha'p'orth, as he wanted to have a
bit of fun, and could make them fire through the trees
in the air.
The witness produced a piece of wood, roughly cut in,
the form of a pistol stock, on which was tied to all ap-
pearance He
h theepsupronuhtasoed it of .Hamilton
fsomeoldironoron tinkettle.
said that Saturday
last
ofoffreroinnegpheinmnya,
paanndnyt,uaranidin,g., rHouerned,
mtor.thHe prisoner
amilton, and
can
the penny now, for I did not have one on
pay you
Saturday."
The COURT—When did he go out? Witness—Shortly
afterwards, and I wanted to go with him, but he said
"No, you must stop at home."

The prisoner was asked, as he had been at the con-
clusion of the examination of the previous witnesses,
whether he had any questions to ask, and replied, " No,
nothing."

Mr. Renwick deposed that he was in the service of
her Majesty, and about twenty minutes past six o'clock,
as the royal carriage, which was an open landau, was
returning to Buckingham Palace, and when it had
reached butter than midway down Constitution-hill, he
lir,4rd the reps: rt of a pistol, and at the same instant Fur
Maj,•sty stood up and said, "Renwick, what is that?"
NA' iqic,is riplie!l, "Your Majesty has been shot at." Iler
111.1jety made no la ply, bat resumed her seat. Her
111,,j,.5ty did not appear to be in any way alarmed.
Mr. Fitzgerald, the second attendant on her Majesty,

gave similar evidence.
George Moulder, park-keeper, No. 1, deposed that
ho was on duty in the Gn_en Park, and was standing
within twelvv i arils of the prisoner. Just as the royal
carriage had passed the spot wi*.'re he was standing,
he saw the prisoner move his right hard from
his breast, and the action was immediately followed
by a loud report. Witness observed a considerable
body of smok,... He instlntly ran up to the prisoner
- and seized hold of him by the right arm and collar, at the
same time he celled to a person who was standing on the
' other side of the prisoner to seize him, as ho (witness)
thought the prisoner had other firearms iu his possession.
The person to whom he *applied seem.:d to be alarmed,
and did not assist. The prisoner during this time made
no attempt to get away. He said something, but what
were the words be could not say. Witness was then
assisted by private Stride of the Life Guards, and