The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-19 00:00:00

A SPANISH ROBBER.

(Extract from a letter dated Madrid, August 8.)
An act of singular ferocity took place a day or two
ago in the prison of Salamanca. A notorious robber and
murderer, of the name of Patino, the terror of the sur-
rounding country for years, was lately captured and
tried by court-martial. He was at first sentenced to be
shot, but the military authorities thinking such a mode
of punishment too honourable for such a miscreant,
obtained its commutation to strangling by the garote.
On the morning of the 3d instant, the turnkey pro-
ceeded, as is usual, to inform the criminal that the
Judge of First Instance, accompanied by the escribano,
had arrived, to announce, •in form, his sentence,
and to transfer him to the condemned chapel, pre-
paratory to his execution. He was found with one of
his legs released from the fetters, having skilfully em-
ployed a file for that purpose, which he had concealed
en his person. Though still bound to the iron bar
which traversed the dungeon, he flung himself on the
turnkey, seized the massive keys, struck him on the
head, and dashed him against the wall outside. He then
locked the door, and shut himself up in the cell. The
officers of the prison, the judge, and chaplain implored
him to cease such fruitless resistance, and to open the
door, or pass the keys through the grating. He refused,
and uttered against them the most horrible imprecations.
A blacksmith was called to undo the lock, but he did not
succeed, its massive strength resisting all his efforts. Half-
a-dozen strong men then tried to break open the door
with crowbars and heavy pieces of timber. They suc-
ceeded, and the door fell in fragments. The fury of the
criminal rose then to its height. He placed himself be-
hind a strong beam which went across the upper part of
the door on the inside, and, brandishing the formidable
key, actually broke the head of the first man who at-
tempted to effect an entrance. The wounded man was
dragged out by the legs by his comrades. The others
tried to enter in a body, but it was impossible; the door-
way was too narrow. For more than a quarter of an
hour he kept them at bay, and answered to the entrea-
ties of the officers and the prayers of the priest with the
most awful blasphemies and the most disgusting
ty.? ob-
scenities. He then flu the keys at theirheads with
his utmost force, and severely wounded two persons.

Seeing all entreaties useless, a party of soldiers was
called to the spot. The officers of the guard once more
summoned him to surrender, but he replied with the
grossest ribaldry and the most insulting gestures, and
howled defiance to the whole garrison. The soldiers
were ordered to load theirmuskets; while they were doing
so he wounded the officer with a piece of lime stone. The
priest seeing that he was about to be shot down like a
wild beast in his den, entreated the men to fire low, so
as to disable, but not to kill him, in order that some
chance might yet remain of repentance. A shot was
fired, but it missed him. The ruffian fell baek to a dark
corner of the dungeon, as far as his chain permitted,
and from thence flung stones and pieces of mor-
tar at his assaulters. Another shot was fired through
the grating, and broke his leg. The wound rendered
him savage beyond all description. He bellowed, and
howled, and foamed in rage; and still, dragging his
smashed and bleeding limb along, flung missiles at the
soldiers, who yet did not dare to venture into the dark-
,' ness of the dungeon. A third shot was fired, and his
shoulder was broken. The arm fell lifeless by his side,
and he lay on the ground. He called out that he sur-
rendered, but only because he could no longer resist.
They entered, and he was dragged along the floor,
bathed in his blood. As they were in the act ofreplacing
the broken fetter, he collected his remaining strength,
and with his left hand struck the turnkeys with
the iron on the head, and laid him at his feet. Three or
four men threw themselves on bim, and completely mas-
tered him. lie was then removed to the condemned
chapel, after the sentence had been duly notified. He
was subsequently visited by the priest, who employed
every effort, but in vain, to bring him to a sense of his
condition. His exhortations and prayers were replied to
with the filthiest obscenity and the most horrid execra-
tions. To the last moment he continued the same ; and
even on the scaffold, seated on the fatal chair, with the
cold instrument of death about to clasp his bare neck,
this monster in human form shouted to the horrified
crowd about him curses and imprecations on God and
man !

THE SCOTT MONUMENT.
(From the Edinburgh Advertiser of Tuesday.)

We find, in a handsome little pocket volume, just pub-
lished by Mr. W. H. Lizars, for the benefit of strangers,
under the title of the " Edinburgh Tourist and Itine-
rary," the following description of the Scott Monument,
which will not be inappropriate at the present time,
when public attention is so much engrossed with the
approaching ceremony of the inauguration on Saturday
next. On that occasion the colossal statue of Sir Walter,
which is to be removed to- day from Mr. Steell's studio,
preparatory to its being seated under the groined arch
in the lower portion of the building, will be installed in
its proper place with a profusion of masonic and civic
honours, and amidst a greater concourse of people, we
may safely predict, than has ever assembled in Edin-
burgh since the year of the Queen's visit.
This monument is an elegant and picturesque gothic
structure, in the shape of an open cross or spire, 190
feet in height, and having a stair up to a gallery sur-
rounding the spire, within a few feet of the top, com-
manding a splendid view of all the adjacent country,
and a complete bird's-eye inspection of the whole town.
When the block from which the figure of Sir Walter
Scott is sculptured arrived in Leith, great difficulty was
experienced in finding apparatus sufficiently powerful
to lift it out of the vessel ; and no slight danger, in addi-
tion to enormous labour, was incurred in effecting its
landing. After being set upon a four-wheeled truck, it
was got to Edinburgh without accident, in a sort of
triumphal procession ; the transit being effected from
Junction-bridge, Leith, to Mr. Steele's studio in Ran-
dolph-place, by the strenuous and admirably directed
exertions of not fewer than twenty powerful horses, in
forty-thre? minutes although it had taken four days to
bring it from the ship's hold through the yard at which
it was landed to the road, a distance not exceeding two
hundred yards. Its weight was variously estimated at
from thirty to thirty-three tons. It may not be unin-
teresting to state, that while the ponderous mass was in
the act of being shipped at Leghorn, the shears, by
which it had been raised to be swung on board, from the
car conveying it from the mountains, suddenly gave
way, and the future statue was precipitated right through
the bottom of the vessel into the sea; and it was nearly
subjected to a similar accident while being lifted on
shore at Leitb. While on the subject of the sculpture,
it is proper to mention, that the figures occupying the
four niches immediately over the principal arch, were
designed and executed by three Edinburgh artists,
whose admiration of Scott, and approbation of the ge-
neral design, induced them spontaneously to undertake
their execution, at a rate which can hardly be considered
other than gratuitous. The figure on the north,
representing —"
Prince Charles Edward," and that of
" Meg Merrilees," looking eastwards, being the work of
Mr. Alexander H. Ritchie; the " Last Minstrel," filling
the western niche, was contributed by Mr. James
Ritchie; and the " Lady of the Lake," on the south, by
Mr. Patrick Slater. The gothic structure was designed
by Mr. George Mickle Kemp, a gentleman whose history
is not a little singular. Brought up as an obscure
country carpenter, he, in early life, imbibed an enthu-
siastic admiration for gothic architecture, induced, ac-
cording to his own account, by an accidental visit, while
a mere child, to Roslin Chapel. In the study of that
branch of art, when arrived at manhood, he travelled
on foot, without friends, and unassisted, save by
his own indefatigable industry as a mechanic, and his
enthusiasm as an amateur, over the whole of Great
Britain, and a very considerable portion of continental
Europe. Returning to his native country, he devoted
his energies to an investigation of the principles and
capabilities of gothic architecture ; and on a competi-
tion of designs for a monument to Sir Walter Scott
being advertised, he entered the lists, and, after much
opposition, some of which was of the most ungenerous
description, he was at length declared the victor, and
his design ordered to be proceeded with. When the
structure was about half built, the unfortunate architect
lost his life by an accident. In the course of a dark
night, on his way home, he missed his footing, and fell
into the Union Canal, where he was drowned.

CHINESE WAR.—The Admiralty have just issued an
order for tke distribution of the medals to the officers
and men of her Majesty's ships, who served in the
late operations on the coast of China. It will be remembered
that some months since the Master of the Mint received
orders from her Majesty to prepare a die, which was shortly
afterwards forwarded to her Majesty, who was pleased to
signify her approval previous to the medals being struck.
The King of the Two Siciles has had a beautiful full-
length portrait of Ms IX. painted by Moraine.. Galignani.