The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-07 00:00:00

THE WELLEs MURDER.

We understand that on the 19th of December
the Rev. W. J. Shearly, of Welles, forwarded to
the Hume Secretary the statements of four inhabi-
tants of IVookey, which were personally noted
down by Mr. Shearly. The position of these parties
to the convict gave weight to their declarations—
the woman who brought him up, the man who
worked with him through the week before the mur-
der, the schoolmaster who taught him in his early
youth, and the conjoint evidence of a family with
whin ho was in the habit of splending much of
his leisure time. The evidence thus gathered
pointed out that Wm. Bisgrove was illegitimate,
not 19 years old, had been much neglected, was
weak in apprehension, and for years had been sub-
ject to fits, brought on byseeinga man killed by the
falling of a stone in a coal-pit near Farringdon ;
and his fellow workmen spoke of a fit Bisgrove had
on the Tuesday before the murder, as being of long
duraton, and leaving Bisgrove violent, and theu
lost and foolish. The Home Secretary communi-
cated this information to the Chief Constable for
Somersetshire, with a request that he would inquire
into it, and, we believe, all the above statements
were verified, and their importance even added to
by further information and search. These confirmed
declarations, combined with the memorial from
Taunton and the petition presented by Mr. Chiches-
ter Fortescue from 100 colliers, with no doubt re-
ference to legal and medical authorities, were suffi-
cient, it appears, to enable Mr. Bruce to advise her
Majesty to commute the capital sentence. We are
glad to have it in our power to make this authen-
ticated statement, as we believe the full reasons for
her Majesty's clemency are but partially known.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has
taken Chiswick House for a term, intending to re-
side there from time to time during the reconstruc-
tion of Sandringham, which will probably occupy
a period of 18 months. It is gratifying to find that
the anticipations of a prolonged absence of their
Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of IVales
from England are thus dissipated, and the inhabi-
tants of Cheswick and its neighbourhood may con-
gratulate themselves upon the prospect of an im-
proved condition consequent upon the Royal pre-
sence. It mill be recollected that Chiswick House
was the residence of the late Duchess Dowager of
Sutherland for some time before her death.

The marriage of the Marquis of Hamilton, 211. P.,
eldest son of the Duke and Duchess of Abercorn, with the
Lady Mary Curzon. daughter of the Earl and Countess
Howe, was celebrated this morning at St. George's, Han-

over-square.
A meeting was held on Tuesday, at the Man-
sion-house, Dublin, for tLe purpose of forming a perma-
nent committee to carry out the proposed monunwrit to
Henry Grattan, in College-green. The Lord Mayor pre-
Amongst those who proposed. and Eecouded roso -
lutions were Mr. Pim, M.P. ; Dr. Webb, F.T.C.D.; Dr.
Shaw, F.T.C.D. ; Mr. John Norwood, Alderman Man-
ning, Judge Little, the Very Rev. Dr. Spratt, and the
Rev. Mr. Carroll. It is gratifying to find men holding
different political and religious of bawls uniting cordially
together for the purpose of doing honour to an illustrious
Irishman. The movement has now been placed ou a
broad national basis, and we will not permit ourselves to
doubt of its triumphant success.

CLACKMANNAN AND KINROSS ELECTION.—We
learn by telegraph that Mr. W. P. Adams was re-elected
at Dollar yesterday, for Cockmaunau and Kiuro3s, on his
appointment as Lord of the Treasury. He believed that
in a few years the xpenditure of the country would be
considerably diminished.