The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-24 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF AN IRISH SEA.

MAN IN THE AMERICAN NAVY.

We copy the following from a New York paper. The
unfortn,late 'victim to the extreme penalty of martial
law was an Irisbman, who, after great provocation,
knocked down a lieutenant of the American vessel on
board of whicit he_had entered 4
" Off Vera Cruz, Sept. 1846.

" On the 17th inst. I was one of the edified -witnesses
of the supremacy of the law over natural right. A,
sailor named Samuel Jackson, belonging to the sloop St.
Mary's, was hanged at the foreyard arm, pursuant to the
sentence of a court-martial, before whom he had been
tried for striking a man named Taylor, one of the officers
of that ship. The preparations for the execution were
numerous and solemn, at regular programme having been
issued by Commodore Connor, and circulated through the
squadron several days previously. Labour inthedifferent
vessels was forbidden for the day, and the crews were
directed to assume their holiday attire. At 11 A.M., the
signal, prepare to execute the sentence of the Court.
martial,' was displayed at the mizen of the Cumberland,
when a yellow flag was hoisted at the foreyxtrd-arm of the
St. Mary's. The officers and crews of all the vessels at
the anchorage were then mustered on deck, and dis-
tributed in such places as would best enable them to take
as much of the spectacle in view as possible. _Here they
were kept on the tiptoe of anticipation for more than
halt' an hour, when the same signal that I had before
mentioned was hoisted, without the preparative,' and
the curiosity of the spectators was very materially en-
hanced thereby. In a few moments more the victim
made his appearance on the topgallant forecastle of the
St. Mary, attended by two or three officers and the mas-
ter-at-arms of the ship, and by the Rev. F. W. Taylor,
chaplain of the Cumberland. Stepping over the fore-
castle railing of the Scaffold, which had been erected
there for the occasion, the prisoner seated himself on the
railing, apparently on account of nervous deficiency.
" The machinery fitted for the principal act was simple,
but strong and effective. A thick rope was rove through
a block at the yardarm, leading along the yard into the
foremast, where it rove through another block, and
made fast to a weight of near four hundred pounds.
After some additional minutes of suspense had been in-
flicted upon the thousands of spectators, a flash issued
from the gun over which the scaffold bad been raised,
and at the same instant a human form was seen flying
in a curved liue through the air with astonishing velocity.
When the body reached the yardarm, so great had been
the impulse that the check threw it perpendicularly into
the sir, feet upwards; and rebounding against the fore-
lifts,' it, passed over the fore brace, split the halter block,
and then, after a few violent vibrations, it assumed the
usual dangling attitude of a hanging man."

AGITATION NOT REQUISITE FOR

POPULARITY.

It has been said from days of yore that popularity
could not be obtained in the political world unless by
agitation. In the memorable year 1829, though his
Grade of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel carried the
measure of honourable amelioration towards the Rea
man Catholics, still they were far from being popular
in its usually understood phrase. In 1840, and years
prior, the consummate skill and talent of Sir Robert
were acknowledged by many learned and disinterested
persons, still, being the chief of a powerful party, the
leader of a haughty aristocrocy, many of whom had
virulently opposed the people, he (Sir Robert) was
vicwed with suspicion by the masses. His connexions
ruined him. But, when 1846 dawned, when the speech
of his life was delivered, thereby shipwrecking the ill-
directed power of an intolerant party for ever—whost
the malignancy of an oligarchy had no limits, when the
Premier was truly sacrificing the sovereignty of power
by a conscientious concession, when he spoke with dig-
nified eloquence, rebuking, convicting, and calmly ex-
posing with the terrible force of a master•spirit, the
sophistries, slanders and mis-statements of his defamers,
the people were amazed ; they marvelled at his temerity,
they wondered at his exhibition of manly firmness, his
noble bearing when savagely bearded by nobles (I); they
stood astounded at his continued adherence to them
going to work, at their meals, or returning from work,
he was the theme ; the contest raged in Lords and Com-
mons, and calumny bitterly assailed Peel ; the people
were intently watching • the final night arrived ;
rancour poured out its vials, and the recipients of mono-
poly ran the gauntlet of shameful invention; Peel's
hour had come; the people were waiting the fate of their
measure with painful anxiety; Peel's speech was delivered,
shattering, crumbling, pulverising, and destroying all
the advanced opposition, and electrifying with astonish-
ing effect even his antagonists with the attainments and
qualifications of his mind and unbounded researches;
the people hailed him with raptures; he reigned in their
hearts and became the most popular man of the day
without one attempt at agitation.—From a Correspondent.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
Mr. Charles Benson Breary, a medical gentleman,
suing at 73, Great Portland-street, was summoned be-
ore Mr. Hardwick, for an assault on Thomas Read.
The complainant said he had two subpoenas to serve
on the defendant's brother, who lived at 73, Great Port-
land-street. On the 16th inst. he went to the defend-
ant's house, and on knocking at the door was admitted.
Having reason to believe that the party whom he was in
search of was in the house, he went up stairs to the first
floor, and opened a door, which he closed immediately,
on discovering that it was a bedroom. Complainant
opened the drawing-rocm door, but seeing two ladies in
the room he apologised, and was going down stairs,
when the defendant suddenly rushed at him, seized him
by the collar, and threatened to kick him down stairs.
The defendant then attempted to force him down stairs,
and in the struggle used much violence, and hurt one of
his hands. Complainant told him he was a process
server, and had two subpoenas to serve on his brother.
Complainant produced the copy and the original, to show
that he had authority for his proceedings. The de-
fendant, however, continued his attempts to force him
down stairs, and called to his servant to fetch a police-
constable. The defendant ultimately left him, and went
out of the house to get, as he said, the assistance of the
police. Complainant waited in the hall for about ten
minutes, but finding no one came he left the house.
Mr. Breary, in defence, said, the complainant was
told that his brother was not within. Without mention-
ing his business, he said he would go into every room in
the house to satisfy himself ; and he ran up stairs and
opened the door of more than one room. Defendant
went after him, and insisted on his quitting the house
instantly, as he had an invalid patient under his care
who would be inconvenienced by his conduct. As the
complainant took upon him to open the doors of the
rooms in his house, he (defendant) conceived he had a
just right to prevent such intrusion, and he certainly did
lay hold of the complainant's collar to move him down
stairs, but without striking or otherwise assaulting the
complainant. He (defendant) wished to know whether
the complainant was authorised to enter his house and
search over it, on the plea that he was serving a legal
process ? Indeed, his opinion of the affair was that he
was the aggrieved party, and that he ought to have
sought for redress by law against the complainant.
The complainant's witness proved that the defendant
used considerable violence towards the complainant.
The defendant's witness said, the complainant was
told that Mr. Edward Breary was not at home ; but he
would not pay attention to this denial, and he made his
way up stairs.
Mr. Humphries said a small fine would meet the jus-
tice of the case.
Mr. HAnowicK thought that too much violence had
been used by the defendant. The complainant, how-
ever, was not free from blame in his proceedings, be
having adopted a course likely to produce irritation. As
more than justifiable violence had been used, he should
inflict a fine of 205., and costs.
b. WORSHIP-STREET.
Anamed
pihsnCtallifeds
eird:
wasthe
placed a
tradesman youngman m
i n -
street,
the bar before Mr. Bingham, charged with assaulting
n
of
a
at
and wounding police-constable Norman, of the II divi-
sion, in the execution of his duty.
It appeared from the evidence of the constable, who
had been confined to his bed for more than a week, and
exhibited marks of severe reeent injuries, that he was on
duty in Commercial-street, Whitechapel, between twelve
and one on the morning of Monday se'nnight, when he
was directed by his sergeant to proceed and quell a dis-
turbance which had arisen in Flower and Dean-street.
On reaching there he found the prisoner in the custody
of some other officers, through the hand of one of
whom, as he was told by a bystander, he had just
drawn a knife. Finding, however, that his assistance
was not required, he returned back to his beat, and
shortly afterwards saw the prisoner, who appeared to
have escaped from the constables approaching, sur-
rounded by a riotous mob, and he attempted to secure
him. The prisoner, however, on observing his intenittlhms:
instantly struck him a violent blow on the
eyean7l ren-
dered stone, which sent him reeling backwards
er
shim-
self, hhei
wmasasrapidlypowerless;struck and, be
forwardfore he t
couldairne cbov ea rn
011
a g y
the back of his
head, and felled to the ground in e a
violent blow from some instrument
On being restored to consciousness, 1
is
usta_.sesnit hta
ee state
e, and that his
souonfdins thatcn insensibility.
On
almost lost the sight of
his face,
clothes were completely saturated with blood,
was pouring in such a stream downthat was
with difficulty he could support
while he sprang hisrattle tabnyces.omTebriasilnigs
fur himself
assistance.
ulti-
mately brought up two other constables, with whose aid
he was taken to bed at the station house, and had been
under surgical attendance ever since.
Policeman 198 H proved that at four o'clock that
morning he apprehended the accused, whom he found
in bed at his his house in Fashion-street, having pre-
viously seen him escaping from another constable,whom
he had likewise assailed; and three other officers gave
almost equally direct testimony, and positively swore to
the identity of the prisoner, with whose person one of
them had been acquainted for several years.
Mr. Heritage, who appeared for the defence, said that,
notwithstanding the positive manlier in which his client
ha'l been sworn to by the police, he was instructed to
give a total denial to the charge, and had seven or eight
witnesses in attendance, who would prove that the con-
stables were altogether mistaken in their identification
of the prisoner, who, although he had certainly
ouLbetehgnee
ap
rfr ersaeyn, t
had
a ds
taksepatonecntopr at
part
tthe
whatever commencementinthe actual outrage
which had afterwards been committed.
Mr. UINGRAM, however, said, that after the number of
witnesses who had unanimously sworn to the identity of
the accused, he considered that it was solely the province
of, iitry to decide upon the cogency of any conflicting
1.17,,ttu,!ei1. in that respect ; ural
a very se:-iouE Oes,-,stiption, he
Bitting the priEone.: for trial at
but would areopt stibstant'.ll under Ole
circumstances stated by his solicitor, tor his appearance
by there to answer the charge.
by The bail was shortly afterwards put in, and the pri
soner thereupon li4erated.

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