The Sun.
London, England, 1825-10-04 00:00:00

CHARGE OF MURDER.

A very melancholy catastrophe took place at
the Crown and Anchor public-house, Old Turk's Head-lane,
in the city, early on Thursday morning, by which a respect-
able and valuable member of society lost his life. John Mahon,
a private of the 3d Dragoon Guards, and an Irishman quartered
at the Crown and Anchor, having drank too freely, becathe
very noisy, about one o'clock in the morning, and greatly an.
noyed the company. Mr. William Bell, grocer, Scotch-street,
a remarkably sober and quiet young man, lodged in the house ;
and knowing the soldier, he persuaded him to retire to bed, and
both went up stairs together. In a short time Mr. Bell came
down, and was soon followed by Mahon, with a draws sword,
which he flourished over his head and about his person in a
manner very dangerous to all who approached him. Mr. Bell
again interfered in the most conciliating way. He shook hands
with the soldier, and earnestly advised him to return
to bed ; and, seizing a favourable opportunity, lie got
hold of the sword, and with the assistance of some other
persons, wrested it from him. Mahon then became more
turbulent than ever. He hastily returned up stairs, muttering
something about " fetching their master," and the persons
below heard a rattling in his room like the sound of a chain,
which caused them to run out of the back kitchen, and hide
themselves in a closet, &c.; some of them observing that he
had gone up to fetch a pistol. In a few moments he actually
did come down with a pistol in his hand, and went to the door
of the middle kitchen. Mr. Bell just then entered the back
kitchen from the lane ; and, seeing what was going on, seized
Mahon, without any great violence, from behind, and endea-
voured to get the pistol out of his hand. A struggle ensued of
a few seconds' duration, when the pistol went off, and both fell,
Mahon uppermost, Mr. Bell exclaiming, " I am a murdered
man, and all for my own goodness," or " kindness." The per-
sons in the closet rushed out, and on pulling Mahon away, Mr.
Bell was found to be severely wounded, and bleeding profusely.-
Surgical aid was instantly called in. It was then discovered
that a ball had entered the upper part of his left thigh, near the
groin, slanted upwards, passed through the lower part of his
body, and came out behind. With such a wound there was no
hope of recovery ; the unfortunate young man remained perfectly
sensible for some time, quite aware that he should die, and
about half-past seven he breathed his last. The delinquent
was instantly taken into custody; and early in the forenoon
the Mayor of Carlisle committed him to Carlisle gaol, on a
charge of wilful murder. About the same time, Mr. Nanson,
acting for the City Coroner, went to the Crown and Anchor,
for the purpose of holding an inquest on view of the body, and
a Jury was empannelled, but owing to the effects of liquor on
some of those who saw the transaction, and the absence of
others, an adjournment took place till eight this morning,
when the inquiry was resumed, and terminated, after the
examination of seven witnesses, whose evidence it would be
both illegal and unfair to publish in the present stage of
the business. Suffice it to say, the Jury, after an attentive
consideration of what had come before them, returned a verdict
of " Wilful Murder against John Mahon." Mr. Bell was
completely sober. He had retired to bed at an early hour;
but in consequence of the crowded state of the house, on
account of the races, two persons shared it with him, and
lie found himself so uncomfortable that he got up and walked
about, and thus met with his.death in the midst of health and
strength. Some time ago he had a very narrow escape with his
life, having been fired at by some robbers on the highway,
while on his road to Carlisle, from whose designs he was res-
cued by the fleetness of his horse. We have seen the ball: it
is ahnOst fiat, and considerably elongated. As the offender
must answer for his conduct before a legal tribunal, we shall
not indulge in any observations on this distressing case ; yet we
cannot help asking, if this is not another and an unanswerable
reason for the speedy construction of horse barracks in the neigh-
bourhood of Carlisle ?—(Carlisle Patriot.)

ROBBERY OF THE BOLTON BANK.--We under-
stand that the Bolton Bankers have not as yet
heard any thing of the property which was stolen
from the bank last week. It appears probable that
something occurred to alarm the robbers whilst
they were engaged in their nefarious design ; for
they did not penetrate into the interior part of
the safe, where was deposited a sum consider-
ably larger than the one they obtained ' • and
they not only left the door open, with the
in the lock ; but they also
an instrument of new invention,
and of botietheayinnidliantdg them an
us and expensive construction.
It was apparently intended to force open doors by
the power of a screw, and was in power some-
thing like the screw-jack used for taking off the
wheels of heavy carriages ; but the screw was
much finer and more powerful. It was enclosed
in a neat leather case, and then looked not un-
like a telescope.—(Macclesfield Herald.)

Sunday morning, between eight and nine, as a
young man, named Hurstway, was bathing in the Regent's
Canal, after having swam across, he 'suddenly sank. Two
men, who observed the accident, immediately stripped, and
to he d
endeavourtd to find the body, but the rope of the drag breaking,
so much delay was occasioned, that when it was brought ashore
er ha
by the clerk of Mr. Torrington, coal-mcntt, life
M was
aidenhea extinct ,
.-
The body was immediately conveyed
Battle-bridge, and the usual process to restme, animation adopt-
ed, but without success,