The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-09 00:00:00

THE LATEST PARISIAN JF,U D'ESPRIT.

The citizens of Paris were fairly, startled on Whit
Tuesday by a jest so audacious, so unexpected, that it
even deceived the quick-witted Parisians. The Figaro, the
well-known serio-comic journal, which mixes jest and
earnest after a fashion of its own, suddenly appeared
with a leaded notice from its chief editor and proprietor,
M. Villemessant, announcing that he had parted with his
paper to the Republicans, having received so hand-
some an offer for it that in consideration for
his family he felt bound not to refuse it !
After thirty years journalism he bade his readers adieu,
and Whit Tuesday was the last day on which his name
would appear at the head of a journal whose
principles he disavowed. Then followed a bom-
bastic address by the Republican leaders,
after the manner of the Rappel and its
comrades, letters from Jules Simon, Garibaldi,
Felix Pyat, Ledru Rollin, &c., verses purport-
ing to be an extract from Victor Hugo's forth-
coming " Nouveaux Chatiments," and a list of the
intending contributors. Among those shining stars
Gustave Flourens, Louis Noir, and others of the same
class were to be included, and the whole of the paper,
theatrical notices, monetarS, news, and every other
department was seasoned with uncompromising Red
Republicanism! The amazement of the public at the sudden
transformation of their old friend could only be paralleled
by the ire of the travestied Republicans, at what turned
out to be a keen and not undeserved satire.

SINGULAR. DEATH OF A POLICEMAN IN
ST, LOUIS.
At an early hour yesterday morning the Coroner was
notfied of the fact that the body of a dead man was lying
in an open field near the Widow's Home, on the Caronde-
let-road. On arriving at the spot, which is known as
Pleasant Hill, the body was found there, and proved to be
that of a man of about 30 or 35 years, attired in metropo-
litan police pants, gray vest, and dark coat, and a black
felt hat. He had in his pocket a " billy," a sort of slung
shot, but not so heavy ; a pocket-book, containing fifteen
dollars and forty-five cents, and two car tickets—one for
the St. Louis Railway Company and another for the
Union Railway Company. There was also found in his
pocket a key and a pocket-knife, There was no evidence
of foul play on his body ; his dress and the " billy " indi-
cated that he had beenin the police force. The name of
the deceased is Conrad Horner, who resided at No. 1,116,
North Fourteenth-street. Last year, when he was in the
police force, he suffered from sunstroke, and was laid up
for two months. His doctor told him then that if he
stayed in the police force he would have to be very careful.
Yesterday week he was stationed at College-hill, where a
pic-nic was held. He was much exposed to the sun and
received another stroke. He came home and acted in a
strange manner. On Saturday afternoon he told his wife
he had heard music like the march of his funeral, and if
he did not go to a doctor he would probably die. He told
his wife he would go to Frenchtown to a relative, and that
was the last she saw of him. It is said that on Saturday
night he called at the ballroom: of the Wild Hunter. He
walked into the room and acted in a very singular man-
ner. He was silent and perfectly sober, and walked slowly
across the room counting " one, two, three," until he had
taken sixteen steps. He then turned round and walked
out of the room. This was the last seen of him. He had
previously called at the Railway House, on the Carondelet-
road.—St. Louis Republican, May 23.

THE CAPTURE OF " GENERAL" O'NEILL.
The following account of the capture of " General "
O'Neill and his followers is extracted from an American
journal :—" St. Albans, May 25.—" The body which left
here to-day consisted of between 400 and 500 men. They
marched in the direction of Franklin. Two
companies of Fenian troops preceded them last
night. General O'Neill was in command. Before
he left St. Albans he said, I am going into the
enemy's country. I shall cross the lines with cannon and
sabre, and never recross them unless I am victorious or
dead.' After the halt General O'Neill faced about on his
horse and addressed his countrymen as follows
Soldiers,—This is the advance guard of the Irish-
American army for the liberation of Ireland
from the yoke of the oppressor. For your own
country you now enter that of the enemy. The eyes
of your countrymen are, upon you. Forward, march !'
Colonel Brown who commanded the skirmish line,
also addressed a, few words of cheer to the men. The ad-
vance company was from Burlington, and was commanded
by Captain William Cronan, of that city. At the con-
clusion of General O'Neill's address he lifted his hat and
replied :—" General,—l am proud that Vermont has the
honour of leading this advance. Ireland may de-
pend upon us to do our duty." Until this time
the main body of the Fenian forces had been
hidden from the view of the other side, but as
they slowly defiled past the dividing line between the
two countries, their numbers and extent became visible.
The volunteers waited until the last of their antagonists
had set foot upon British soil, and then crack, crack,
crack, came volley after volley of musketry into their
ranks. The battle had begun. So unexpected was this
attack that the Fenians became panic-stricken, and scat-
tered like wildfire behind the walls and fences and into
•the barns, behind the bark pile, and anywhere that shelter
could be obtained from the death-dealing missiles that
were being showered upon them. Two men—John Rowe,
of Burlington, and another whose name I have been un-
able to ascertain—dropped dead during this discharge,
and were left upon the field. Lieutenant Edward
Hope, of Bridgport, was shot through the
thigh, and a captain of a Long Island Company
sustained a flesh wound in his arm. Several minor
casualties were also sustained. General O'Neill, who had
been concealed behind the house, rushed forward with
drawn sword and shouted to his scattering soldiers.
Gaining an audience, he said : "Men of Ireland,—
lam ashamed of you. You have acted disgracefully ;
but you have another chance of shewing whether
you are cravens or not. Comrades, I will lead you
again, and if you will not follow me I will go with my
officers and die in your front. I leave you now under
command of Boyle G'Reilly.' Skirmishing was then
recommenced, and continued for about one hour, when
General O'Neill drew back his forces from the brow of
the hill for the purpose of rest. The General; in company
with Boyle O'Reilly, walked down the side of the hill
and entered the parlour of the brick house, encounter-
ing General George Foster, who, with his deputy,
Thomas Farley, of St. Albans, was seated in the parlour.
He reached out his hand, but the greeting was refused,
and General Foster, placing his hand on O'Neill's shoulder,'
said, ' I arrest you by yirtue of my authority as a district
marshal of the United States.' Sir,' exclaimed General
O'Neill, starting back as he spoke, I shall resist
your . arrest.' It will be useless, sir,' replied
General Foster. But, sir, I am armed.' - So
am' I,' said the general. John, open that carriage
door. Now, Mr. O'Neill, get in, or I will throw you
in. lam going to take ycu to St. Alban's, right through
the midst of your men, and if- you make the slightest
outcry, I will shoot you dead.' Resistance was useless,
as the. General had said, and O'Neill placed himself in the
carriage, and was driven to St. Albans. An hour later he
was taken before the United States Commissioner, Jacob
M. Smalley, on a charge of violation of the neutrality
laws, and m default of 20,000 dols. bail, was lodged in gaol
at Burlington."

The Virginia Election has probaby gone Repub-
lican throughout the State, and certainly has in Richmond.
'This is the first election since the State was readmitted,
and the Radicals in Congress, who believe that loyalty
means Republicanism, have the privilege of rejoicing over
the thorough reconstruction of the Old Dominion, while
they have also the option of blushing at the useless con-
ditions they imposed upon the State before readmitting
her. Chahoon was elected Mayor over Ellyson, in favour
of whom the United States District Court was about to
render a decision when the fatal disaster at the Richmond
State House occurred. How many houses now in mourn-
ing would have been still joyous and cheerful had the
difference between these opposing candidates been settled
at first by the ballot ?—New fork Herald.
AN EXCITING SCENE.— Consithkrable excitement
was caused a few evenings since on Montgomery-street by
the sight of a little child, apparently about two or three
years of age, standing on the sill of a window in the
fourth story of a large building on the corner of Sacra-
mento-street. The railing or balcony of the window was
close to the glass, and the interstices in it were large
enough to allow the little one to pass through and stand
on the sill, looking down, seemingly unconscious of any
danger, to the pavement, some 70 feet below. Quite a
crowd collected and gazed at the child above, momentarily
expecting that it would fall and be dashed to pieces on the
sidewalk, as there seemed to be no one in the room behind
it to take care of it. Some men rushed up stairs andgave
the alarm to those in the upper part of the building, and
the child was rescued from its perilous position, to the
relief of the spectators in the street.—San Francisco Bulle-
tin, May 16,