The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-05 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1841

I withdrew their names from the admirable address
of Lovett, Collins, and others, at the dictation of
Feargus O'Connor ? Who would expect victory in
any cause with an army of ten thousand such men ?
Nay, if Mr. O'Connor's Association out-numbered the
army of Xerxes, four or five hundred firm and
honest men would defeat and rout the mighty host, if
it were composed of such men as the ten seceders. In
conclusion, let me tender the disinterested and patriotic
proprietor of the Northern Star a word of advice.
Cease to calumniate and traduce the characters of
men quite equal to yourself in honour and honesty; don't
expose yourself by calling upon the people to " throw the
traitors overboard," or else your fate may
be a " watery
grave." You are betraying the people now by seeking to
establish an odious despotism over the rights and opinions
of mea • but you mistake your powers if you imagine
you will succeed. It I stand alone, I will resist your at-
tempt to coerce me into a submission to your will against
my better judgment, while I have a mind and a will of
my own. If I ern compelled to yield to despotism,
it shall be intellectual and powerful despotism; not the
ign.)rant, mean, pitiful, despotic efforts made to crush the
free expression of opinion, and the honest and safe combi-
nation of good men in a just cause, by the despicable pol-
troons who manage the Northern Star. I, as one of the
signers of Lovett's and Collins's Address, will exert myself
to the utmost to carry it into successful operation ; I despise
the fellows who would attempt to injure me for acting upon
the honest dictates of my own judgment. I laugh at their
impotent threats ; but, at any public meeting of my impar.
tial and honest fellow-countrymen, I will defend the prin-
ciples and objects of the Address, and its superiority over
the O'Connor plans, if fairly and extensively adopted by
the working classes. Mr. O'Connor may promise his poor
delud, d dupes, by a Resolution of his hired Convention,
that they shall have the Charter in three months from the
present time ; but I am satisfied it will take a much longer
period to move a nation. If he could obtain the People's
Clia,ter within the time specified, of what use would it
be, if the people were not better prepared to appreciate
it than the ten seceders who erased their names through
fear of Mr. O'Connor and his hired tools? If the
people had the Charter to-morrow, and were destitute
of a knowledge of their political rights and duties,
how long would they retain their liberties? Brief
wool,' be the tenure of possession However, those who
really seek the liberty, prosperity, and happiness of the
people, from a pure motive, are not easily crushed by
unprincipled men like the managers of the .Northern Star.
I have no doubt the honest and undaunted signers of Lovett's
and Collins's Address will zealously pursue their object.
Let us not Le diverted or intimidated. If we have but
one cr two hundred firm intelligent mon, properly alive to
the importance of the objects we seek to accomplish, great
good will be effected ; but no good can be accomplished
where men prostrate their minds beforea would-be Despot,
who would use the public press for vile and selfish purposes
and to crush men who have maintained the principles of
the People's Charter, for many years before he was ever
heard of, and who havo never done one act to dishonour
the cause they espoused.
I am, Sir, a hater of despotism, whether exercised by
Tory, Whig, or Radical. _

H. IJETHERINGTON.

THE BISHOPBRIDGE MURDER.
For the purpose of comparing the facts elicited on the
trial with the statement made by Doolan himself, of the
circuinsrances attending the railway murder, it may not
be utiiateresing to give the second and most important
declaration emitted by that unhappy criminal. It will be
remembered that it was distinctly brought out in evidence
that Doolan secreted the poker about his dress on the
morning of the murder—that Redding was provided with
a piece of iron by Hickie, and that Doolan and Redding
inflicted the " bating," while Hickie and others looked on.
It was also distinctly proved that Doolan had spent more
than three weeks in Greenock, in hiding, before proceed
ing to Liverpool with " Smoker Byrnes," where he was
appre'iended. Although false in some particulars, the
murderer's own account of this horrid affair may be read
with interest. The declaration has been slightly abridged.
Declares that on the evening on which he was " sacked,"
or discharged, he went home to his lodgings, at Gray's, in
Auchinearn, an usual, and slept there that night with
Campbell. Declares that he went home to Gray's by him-
self, and found the other lodgers there before him, viz.,
Campbell, Cox, Hickie, Redding, and Kinnary. That
one of them, and as declarant thinks, Redding, said that
the new ganger would be the means of discharging the
greater part of the workers at Crosshill, if he were allowed
to continue. Declares that after this it was spoken of to
give the ganger a good beating, but declarant cannot say
who proposed this, but they all agreed to it. That the
four then came out of the room and sat down by the fire
in the kitchen. That Hickie then lifted the kitchen
poker, and, weighing it in his hand, said that it
would be a right weapon to beat the ganger with.
That at this time nothing had been said by him er
the other three, who had been in the room, about beat-
ing the ganger in Hickie's presence, but it had been spoken
of among the men at work generally, both that day
and the day before, that it would be a right thing to give
the ganger a beating, and declarant bad himself heard the
men at the work speaking to this effect, but no one in par.
ticular named who was to give the beating. Declares
that Cox got the poker from Hickie, and he, Cot, said
that the poker would be "my darling" for beating the
ganger. That Campbell then got the poker and said
there was a flaw in it, and that it would break at the first
blow, and he showed the flaw to them all. Declares that
he and some of the others said it would do well enough,
and it was agreed that it should be used next morning for
the purpose of beating the ganger. Declares that it was
also agreed the same night, that he and Redding were to
give the ganger a good heating next morning; but de-
clarant adds, that, so far as ever he heard, there was not
the least intention among any of them to kill the ganger ;
and he himself had no such intention any more than the child
unborn. Interrogated—Declares, to the best of his recollec-
tianov hen Hickie had the poker in his band be lifted one end
of it to his head, and said that was the best place to strike
a man, or words to that effect. Declares that he and
Campbell called at Nowlanda', and Cox came in, and Now-
lands was told that the ganger was to be heat in the morn-
ing. Declares that all the declarant recollects of Now-
lands saying, is, " Take care you don't kill him ;" and de-
clarant, or one of the others, said there was no fear of that.
That after this he returned to his lodgings, and went to
bed as usual, aid was not up during trio night, but slept
soundly. Declares that next morning he and his fellow-
lodgers rose about the usual hour, and had breakfast. That
after breakfast they all went out together, but before going
out Cox lifted the poker, which was at the kitchen fire,
and put it up under his slop, which he wore over his
trousers and shirt. Declares that be that morning worn an
old linen slop, which was put in, like his shirt, under his
trousers, and he wore a waistcoat over it, and it was but-
toned at the wrist, so that he could not have concealed the
poker under his slop. Declares that it was agreed after
breakfast, between Cox and him, that Cox was to bring
the poker under his slop, and Cox offered to do this of his
own accord, That declarant did not see Cox lift and
conceal the poker, but after coming out, and when they
had crossed one field, and were crossing the second one,
where a pump is sunk, Cox took the poker from under his
slop, and gave it to the declarant, and then told him he
had brought it out, under his slop, as had been agreed on.
That Cox also carried the shovel with which be wrought.
Declares that after going on a little farther, Campbell
offered to give declarant his Scotch bonnet as a disguise,
and declarant agreed to take it, and gave Campbell his
black hat, which declarant wore when he left his lodgings,
and lie had made no exchange with Campbell before this.
After some other statements the convict says after this
the four went on the bridge. On the bridge be was
still carrying the poker under his slop. Declares that de-
clarant leant over the rail of the bridge, considering what he
should best do, and some other labourers came on the bridge.
That he at this time heard Mr. Rooney's voice towards the
smithy, and being afraid that Mr. Rooney would know him
he came off the bridge by the end next Auchinearn, and
stood four or five yards from it. Declares that when stand-
ing as stated, three or four yards from the bridge, he
heard some one on the bridge say " here he is," and the
other labourers who were upon the bridge immediately
separated and left the bridge, towards the smithy, with
the exception of Redding, Hickie, and Cox. That the
deceased man, by which he means the ganger, then came
along the bridge, and made some observations on the
weather, upon which Hickie struck him with the. poker, at
least he supposes it was the poker, on the right side of his
head, and the ganger staggered towards the paling, and
his hat fell off, and be shouted "murder, murder," three
or four times. That Redding then struck him, and he
fell. That at this time he heard Mr. Rooney cry
" murder, murder," towards the smithy, and he retired
sixteen or eighteen yards farther from the bridge.
That he then looked round and saw one of them beat-
ing the ganger, and the other jumping upon him, but
he was by this time too far off to be able to say whether
it was Redding or Hickie who was on the ganger's body.
Dr2clares that Hickie was the first who left the ganger,
anti lie came off the bridge by the end next Auchinearn,
and ran towards the left, and turned down into the gullet
to his work. That immediately afterwards Redding left
the ganger and came straight to where the declarant was
standing, and told declarant that the man he had beat
would not be able to gang over the men in a burry again,
as he (Redding) had given him a good beating. Declares
that Redding also said, " By God, I have taken his watch
also ;" and he put his band down his breast and pulled
out a watch, which he showed declarant, but the declarant
Cannot say whether it was a silver watch or not. The de-
clarant, on seeing it, said, "this will lead to a bad conse-
quence, and it will all be laid down on me." Declarant
after this, went also to the right and to the hedge
which runs from the blacksmith's house to the railway.
and he there met George Black, one of the labourers,
whom he asked to tell Campbell to come and speak to
him, and in t woof' three minutes Campbell came and gave
declarant back his bat, and declarant returned the Scotch
bonnet to Campbell, which declarant had worn up to this time
from the time •he bad got it from Campbell. Declares
that after Icavifig Campbell, and considering what was best
to be done, declarant thought that if he went to Port
Glasgow he would probably be apprehended there, as he
lune* he *Wild be suspected of having beat the ganger,
because he had been diseharged the night before, and he
therefore determined to go into Edinburgh by the way of
Kirkintilloth that he accordingly walked to Edinburgh
that clay passing by Kirkintilloch, and did not stop any
where on the way ; that he slept one night in Edinburgh,
but as he never had been there before, he does not know
the name of the street where he lodged, and he did not
inquire the name of the people. That on the Friday morn-
ing be left Edinburgh for England. That he cannot tell
where he slept on the Friday night. That the first town
he Came to le England that he can name, is Newcastle,
to Ntew whichbut he
o
and as he was in no particular hurry, be spent nearly three
cwaenenkost in
mentiongoing thefromnamE
passed on the way, nor the name of any person in whose
that be only staid one night in Newcastle,
house he slept ; name
onfbuarogyh
place through
hle ;
and then went on to Wakefield, and from Wakefield to
Manchester, and from Manchester to Liverpool ; but he
took
togo from Newcastle to
in Liverpool, but he
cannot Liverpool. say wThahtattihm h
be got
elodgings
bad never teen ,the people w i 1,13 warm he lodged before,
and he doer not know their. namc. That he was only a
few days in the lodging when he wit?. apptehenfted. De-