The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-15 00:00:00

MURDEROUS ATTACK ON A SAILOR

On Saturday John W. Moody, second mate of
the Mary, of Bath, United States, was brought be-
fore the North Shields borough magistrates, charged
with a murderous attack on Daniel Witham, a Bri-
tish sailor, which there is every reason to think
will end in the poor fellow's death. The Mary had
come across from the United States to Antwerp,
and thence had called in the Tyne to load steam
coals in the Northumberland Dock to take out home.
Witham had made the voyage in the vessel, and on
Thursday morning about three o'clock, while the
vessel was in the dock, all hands were knocked up
to unmoor the vessel. Witham, who had been
drinking on the previous night, had not got out of
his bunk quick enough for the officers, when Mood
went forward and pulled him out by the hair of
his head. He dragged him about the forecastle
floor in this manner, but was taken off by a seaman
named Wm. Black. While Black was sitting down,
putting on his boots, Moody picked up a large iron
bar called a " norman," and struck Witham a most
fearful blow on the head. Witham dropped on
the deck, and Black imagined that he was dead,
and picked him up and placed him in his berth.
Black ran aft and knocked up the master, and told
him the second mate had killed one of the crew.
But in coming forward they met the mates coming
out from where Witham was lying. One of them
said, "Oh God him ; he is not dead." The other
replied, " No; his head is only bruised." From
what the mate said to the captain he went back to
his bed. About a couple of hours after Moody ab-
sconded, but was captured at Sunderland on Fri-
day by the North Shields police. The master,
having subsequently ascertained the real condition
of the man, sent for a surgeon, who had him re-
moved on shore. From the evidence of Mr. Coward,
surgeon, it seems that Witham is suffering from
an extensive fracture of the left side of the skull,
and is in a very dangerous condition. From in-
quiries made at a late hour on Saturday no hopes
are entertained of his recovery. From the evidence
of the crew, it appears that this is the second at-
tack Moody has made upon Witham, he having
beat him with steel knuckles (knuckle-dusters)
while at sea. The crew of the vessel state:tgat
Witham was a very quiet man. The magistrates
remanded Moody for a week. Moody is a power-
ful young fellow, 25 years of age. He belongs to
Portland, United States,

THE MOORS AND FORESTS.

(From the Inverness Courier.)

" It is a most fortunate thing," says the Times,
"that there is such an epoch as the 12th of August
in our calendar. Had such a date been fixed by
authority for the closing of the session, there can
be no doubt that it would have been used for the
most improper purposes by parliament ay tacticians
on cither side. •As it is, it is a perfectly recognised
fact that the most thrilling oratory, the most tell-
ing parliamentary periods, have not a chance against
the cheery crowing of the grouse on the Scottish
moors. Everybody goes away just because every-
body wants to go away, and what is more, honour-
able members part friends. They are not torn
asunder like street fighters by the rough grasp of
policemen. The mild influence of the grouse pre-
dominates. Even if it were possible to retain a
few placemen, patriots, and cripples for a few days
beyond the 12th of August, no man out of Bedlam
would dream of asking for their services after the
Ist of September. Here, then, is a period of the
year at which Englishmen will leave town, do wh' t
you will. It would be impossible to fix an earl's'
day, unless, indeed, the grouse and partridges could
be induced to breed earlier by resolution of the
house."

The eventful " twelfth" happened on Friday
and there is ample evidence in our streets that the
season has been exercising its powers of dispersal
at St. Stephens. Equipages have been rattling
through the streets every hour this week, and
nearly all the shooting-boxes in the Highlands are
now well filled. We give a list of the moors that
have been taken, and the names of the sportsmen.
It is the largest list, at the same date, since 1856'
A few choice moors are still in the market.
From the forests we learn that some good stags
have been killed, and that the deer are generally
in good condition. The following are among the
successful stalks recorded since our last :—A stag
at Monar, by Mr. Clowes ; one at Achany, by the
Hon. E. Jervis ; two at Aultnaharrow, by Mr'
Henry Akroyd; and one at Gildermory, by Lord
Selkirk.