The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-06 00:00:00

THE ItILTI?DER IN TIPPERARY.

The magistrates and police of Tipperary are actively
engaged in prosecuting inquiries respecting the murder of
Mr, Toppin, but are prudently withholding any informa-
tion from the public. Suspicion does not actually point
to any person, but some circumstances which have tran-
spired seem to strengthen the belief that the crime was
agrarian. Mr. Toppin wa's tenant on the property of
Mr. John Richard Toppin, and also held a small farm of
nine acres from Mr. R. Hemphill, of Clonmel. His
father was agent over this property up to the time of
his death, and his mother, who then obtained the
agency, evicted a tenant, named Fitzgerald, about sixteen
years ago for non-payment of rent, and became herself
tenant of the nine-acre farm, The deceased and his
family lived with her. It is reported that this eviction
caused a good deal of ill-feeling. The house of
the widow Fitzgerald was searched by the police, and a
coat found having some slightly discoloured marks, and a
pair of " brogues," which had been recently. worn, with
clots of blood on one of the heels. Mis. Fitzgerald
accounted for them by stating that she had worn the
" brogues" herself while attending some cows that
were calving. A hatchet with reddish marks was
also discovered. This was explained by the state-
ment that it had been used for cutting meat , and as
it is evident that the deceased was killed by gunshot
wounds, the finding of the blood-stained hatchet rather
weakens than confirms any suspicion which might be
excited by the state of the shoes and coat. The police,
however, thought it right to arrest three sons of the
widow, and they have been remanded by the magistrates
for further investigation. They strongly protested against
being taken into custody, and declared that they
had always lived on friendly relations with the
deceased. The clay upon which the mutilated
remains lay has been carefully sifted in water, and in
it was found a large swan drop, similar to some
which on a postmortem examination were extracted
from the body. It is conjectured that as Mr. Toppin was
crossirg the fields he was suddenly confronted by some
one, who flied at bm, The woun I divided the w:ndp.pe,
his hat fell off, and he ran forward a few paces and fell.
To make his work more sure, though it was already done,
the assassin fired at him again as he lay on his right
side. At the inquest Mr. Martin Fitzgerald, the brother-
in-law of Mr. Toppin, stated that the deceased had
called upon him to obtain the assistance of a man
to open some drills next day, and that lie went with
him, as he had been in the habit of doing, about 200
yards across the fields on his way home. He then
returned to his house, joined his family, who were on their
knees repeating the rosary, and, after going out for of ew
moments to look at a cow, returned and went to bed. He
heard no shot, and knew nothing of what happened until
next morning, when messengers came to lock for the
deceased, and a little boy named M`Henry found the
dead body. He said he was not aware that any
person entertained towards the deceased, and
lie never knew him or his mother to be threatened.
Mr. Matthew Toppin, a cousin of the deceased,
deposed that he was out on his farm about half-
past eight attending some sheep which were lambing.
He had a lantern in his hand, and was accompanied by a
little boy. He heard two shots from the direction of where
the body was found. The little boy told him to put out
the light, that " there was something bad doing," and
seemed to be afraid. He did not put out the light until he
crossed the next fence, but he then extinguished it, and he
and the boy went to their respective homes. He met no
one on his way home. Next morning the wife of the
deceased came looking for her husband, and he told her he
was afraid something had happened, as he heard two
shots. It is a strange illustration of Tipperary life that
the boy at once suspected that a murder was being coin•
mitted, and yet no inquiry was set on foot, whether from
indifference or fear.

The following appears as a " heading " in the
New York Herald :—" Three Negroes Hanged for Mur-
der ! They expect to go straight to Heaven."
A duel was fought near Paris on Friday between
a Hanoverian Baron and an English ex-officer. It ori-
ginated in another recent encounter. The principals
posted down to the ground, were both seconded by
Englishmen, and fought with sabres. The Englishman
was wounded, but not grievously ; his antagonist was
calmly smoking his cigar in the "Bois" before ft;
o'clock p.m.

The friends of Mr. Miall continue to hold fes-
tive gatherings in celebration of the return of their
favourite candidate. The other day a whole sheep was
roasted by some of his friends at Agcliffe Hill, Great
Horton ; and during the past week a memorial has been
received from a body of electors at Banbury, congratu-
lating the Bradford constituency on their success in
returning Mr. Miall, the memorialists having, as they
state, once made an effort, but without avail, to return
the hon. gentleman to Parliament for the borough of
Banbury.

CHPLD MARRIAGES IN INDIA.—A coroner's
inquest was recently held on a case of murder, followed by
suicide, in Putt-areealfgatta-street, Calcutta. The facts
reveal a very common phase of Bengalee society. Heeralall
Bysack, a young man of about 20 years of age, who had been
educated in Dr. Duff's College, and who, with his wife, a
girl of 13 years of age, was supported by an aunt with whom
they lived, resided in a house in the proximity of some pro-
stitutes, and a wall had been built to shut these out from view.
One evening Heeralall was enraged to find his wife look-
ing over the wall. Next night he cut her throat and after-
wards his own. His aunt described him "
as a bad-
tempered young man, who took offences at trifles." The
jury returned a verdict of murder against Heeralall
Bysack, who subsequently committed suicide, and is a felo
de se. The progress of female and the higher male educa-
tion has, says the Friend of India, no greater foe than
baby marriages, while prostitution and murder are fed by
forbidding widow marriage.
NARROW ESCAPE OF A MISSIONARY. —The Rev.
Mr. Johnston, a missionary, who is working in
connection with the Baptist Missionary Society amongst
the Santhals, near Ramporelia,ut, has had a very narrow
escape from being killed by a tiger. Mr. Johnston had
received frequent complaints from the villagers of the
destruction of their cattle by a tiger, and had resolved to
destroy it, if possible, the first opportunity that presented
itself. He received intelligence of its whereabouts, and
went out in search of it. On crossing a khal lie was met
by the animal full in the face, and immediately dis-
charged his rifle at it, but without effect, and in an
instant the tigi r was upon him, threw him down, and
commenced the work of devouring, seizing one of Mr.
Johnson's arms between his teeth and crunching it. For-
tunately, Mr. Boerson came up in the nick of time, and
by clapping his hands and shouting, so frightened the
animal that he made off, but not before Mr. Johnston had
been seriously mauled. He was conveyed immediately to
the house of Mr. Hampton, at Ram porehaut. Fortu-
nately the native surgeon belonging to the station was on
the spot, and was able to render prompt assistance. Mr.
Johnston is progresssing as favourably as could be
expected, considering the nature of the injuries he has
'received, but it will be long before he is able to resume his
Woo, •