The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-25 00:00:00

THE VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT.

Yesterday a grand review and sham fight by the
Hants and Isle of Wight volunteer corps took place
on Compton-down, near Winchester. The troops
composed a division as follows :—Hants Mounted
Rifle Volunteers (Lieut-Col. Bower) ; Winchester
College Rifle Corps (Capt. Pound); artillery batta-
lion, comprising Bi ttorne Artillery (Major Maguire);
Ist battalion 60th Hines, Southsea Artillery (Capt.
Nicol, Hants, Militia, adjutant) ; 12th Hants, Bi-
shops Waltham (Lieut. Chawler); 4th Hants, Ha-

vant (Capt. Davison) ; 2d Hants, Southampton
(Lieut.• Col. Grimstone) ; 14th Hants, Lyndluirst
(Capt. Bassett) ; 17th Hants, Lyrnington (Captain
Lefevre) ; Ist Hants (Col. Faunce) ; 13th Hants,
Andover (Capt. Humphery) ; 11th Hants, Romsey
(Col. Henderson) ; 15th Hants, Yeatley (Captain
Mason) ; 21st Hants, Alton (Capt. Rivers); 18th
Hants, Basingstoke (Captain Harvey) ; 16th
Hants, Alresford (Captain Marx) ; 7th Hants,
Fareham (Captain Cowran) ; sth Hants, Ports-
"Limerick, Tuesday.
mouth (Major Valancey) ; 6th Hants, Gosport lntelligence has been received here this after
(Captain Purvis) ; Isle of Wight Battalion—Cowes
noon that Alderman William Sheeh, of Limerick
(Capt. Graham), Newport (Capt. Estcourt), Ryde was brutally
murdered at his residencye, near Tulla
(Lieut. Randall), Ventnor (Lieut. Fisher), Nunwell in the county of Clare, last night. The cause as
(Capt. Sir Henry Oglander), Sandown (Capt. Far- signed for this diabolical act is that the deceased
nell), and a few from Freshwater. Lieut.-Colonel alderman had
recently served several ejectments.
M'Donald, Rifle Depot Battalion, was in command
This intelligence has caused much gloom in this
city, where the deceased held a high position and
of the Ist brigade, Capt. M'Donald doing duty as was very generally respected. From antecedent
brigade-major; the 2d brigade being under the circumstances there is not the least room for doubt
command of Major Wombwell, also of the Rifle that the terrible event was malicious and designed.
Depot Battalion, Capt. Stotherd, 60th Rifles, being It originated in differences about land. It appears
1 brigade-major. The division was under the command that a few years ago Mr. Sheehy became possessor,
of Lieut.-Colonel Luard, assistant-inspector Rifle under the Encumbered Estates Court, of a consider-
able property in Feakle, county of Clare. Wish-
Volunteers, the insPeetingofficerbeing Lord William ing to get some of the land into his own hands, and
Paulet. The Marchioness of Winchester was on the not satisfied with the tenants, he proceeded by eject-
ground in a carriage and four, with outriders, and ment against them. The tenants overheld posses-
numerous members of the aristocracy and gentry
sion, and Mr. Sheehy, with a party of men, encoun-
were also present. The various corps having form tered the overholding tenants. Action and crossed action took place before the magistrates, and infor-
line, an inspection took place, after which the entire mations were taken against both parties. The
body marched past in open column ; they then matter was finally decided a few days since before
formed in close column, and the sham fight began. the Assistant-Barrister for Clare, at the Quarter
The enemy, consisting of recruits from the Rifle
Sessions in Killaloe'
thrown out by the grand The bills against Alder-
man Sheehy were
Brigade and 60th Rifles, under Capt. Hill, were jury. Mr. Sheehy at the same time got
a decree for a sum of money against one of
posted on a rising ground known as The Round
Tower, and began by throwing out skirmishers, the the Feakle tenants. So the matter stood. Mr.
staff reconnoitring. The attacking party then Sheehy left Limerick yesterday for his residence in
spread out in echelon, a skirmishing party preced-
Feakle. He retired to bed at the usual hour. At 6
ing the artillery then advanced, and, with the 14th o'clock this morning it was found that his house
was burnt to the ground, and the unfortunate gen-
and others, formed squares and prepared to receive tleman himself found near the door of the room he
cavalry. The Hants Mounted Rifles then charged occupied, as if attempting to escape from the con-
the enemy; but the remembrance of the Balakiava sinning element, a charred and blackened mass, his
disaster should have taught them tot to charge past head and one of his limbs completely consumed.
squares in echelon, the enemy having retreated and Alderman Sheehy was a very active and intelligent
formed squares. Various manoeuvres were then
member of the Limerick corporation and the vari-
gone through with great success, and to the evident other public bodies in the city, and a Roman Catho-
delight of the pop 1 lie in religion. It is a curious coincidence that Mr.
u ace, who got in the way and out Sheehy is said to have remarked, after the hearing
of it with marvellous celerity, the exertions of the of his case at Killaloe, ' What if those people should
troop of Lord Eversley's Yeomanry Cavalry under
the command of Capt. Wyndham Portal, being in- conspire against my life ?' Feakle is situated in a
- wild and remote part of the county of Clare. I
adequate to the task allotted to them of keeping should have remarked that the deceased had a pecu-
the ground clear. The fight
being over, the various liarity of not caring to have any domestics in the
corps formed three sides of house, who returned to their homes every evening,
making the fourth, and la s uare the
Lord William Paulet, in
q , public which will account for no alarm being given. The
an energetic speech, assured them that it
a source of great gratification to h'
titularly as a resident in the county,irat
a body of rifle volunteers as then stood beefeorhouse was apart also from other dwellings."
Po
was An inquest was held this day on the remains of
, more par • Alderman Sheehy, and a verdict of wilful murder
so fine returned against some person or persons unknown.
and bearing so soldierly an aspect. lie hade him, There was no evidence adduced calculated to throw
seen
numerous bodies of volunteer corps, but wasany further light on the mysterious and tragical
pr
oud occurrence. Five persons have, it appears, been
be able to say truthfully that the Hants Volun-
to
teens were rested on suspicion,g in and the police are actively
second to none in the kingdom. It enarga gaged '
would be his duty and pleasure to report to the ','authof rs o endeavours to trme the author or
the nefarious deed. • •