The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-08 00:00:00

IRELAND

DUBLIN, Aug. 7.
The stabbing of John Joseph Gethings, the Kil-
mainhain prison-warder, continues the absorbing
topic of conversation in Dublin. So far as regards
the mystery which at first surrounded this deter-

mined assassination the affair has been quite cleared

up, and appears distinctly to have arisen out of a
half-drunken quarrel,. which had arisen between

the deceased inan and " a friend" named Patrick
Meehan, a beerbouse-keeper of Dublin, on the even-

ing of the murder. From personal inquiry yester-
day, and from the evidence given on the coroner's

ingnest, re-opened in the morning, it would appear
that on Friday afternoon Gethings and another
warder named O'Connor, being off duty, went out
to walk, and, falling in with Meehan, they all went
into the residence of O'Connor, near the gaol.
After drinking together at various publichouses till
they became tipsy, some angry words arose between
the deceased man. and Meehan about the latter
bringing O'Connor's wife home in a cab, as he had
done in the early part of the evening. A squabble
ensued, and Meehan received a severe blow in the
eye from Gethings, who was a tall, powerful man of
about 25 years of age. After this Meehan went out-
side the house for the purpose of going home in the
cab he had retained during the evening, but as he
was about to enter it he cried out "I have forgotten
to bid O'Connor good night," rushed back into the
house, and meeting Gethings he suddenly, taking
out a common pocket-knife, plunged_ it into, ilig;
heart, whichlt was afterwards found to have en-
tered to the length of about an inch. Gethings lived
1 but a few minutes, having only time and strength to
stagger into the house which he had been just leav-
ing and to say "I am stabbed." Meehan imme-
diately entered the cab and drove away, leaving his
victim to this fate. The police having ascertained
these facts, an inspector proceeded to Meehan's
publichouse, in Brunswick-street, and, finding
him concealed there, arrested him. At the inquest
held yesterday in Kilmainham Court-house by Mr.
Hardy, one of the coroners, the prisoner Meehan
appeared in court with his right eye closed up and
his head bandaged. He is about sft. 7in. in height
and not stoutly built. O'Connor, who all but de-
clared himself to have been so drunk at the time
that he knew nothing of the facts of the case, his
wife, Mary O'Connor, and Fitzpatrick, the cabman
who drove Meehan away, were the chief witnesses,
and all deposed as to the quarrelling and drinking.
The Coroner left the case to the jury, merely read-
ing for them the definitions of murder and man-
slaughter. After a brief consultation they returned
the following verdict :—" That the said John Joseph
Gethings, on the 3d inst., died from the effects of a
wound in the left breast, which wound was inflicted
on him by Patrick Meehan, at New Kilmainham, in
the county of Dublin, on the 3d inst., while said
Patrick Meehan was under the excitement of recent
blows received from the deceased."
The Coroner then read the finding of the jury for
the prisoner, and committed him to take his trial,
'or manslaughter at the next commission.
At a meeting of the Ddblin Corporation, held

yesterday, it was announced that the address of this
body to the Earl of Kimberley had been duly pee-
pared, presented, and accepted. A meeting was
then called for Monday next for the purpose of pre-
senting an address to the Marquis of Abercorn on
his arrival as Viceroy of Ireland.
The latest reports received in Dublin relative to
Lord Plunket, Bishop of Tuam, speak favourably
of his state.
A death from cholera took place on Sunday in
Dun's Hospital, the case being that of a woman
named Myler, the last of a family attacked in an
overcrowded house on City-quay. There are
cases still under treatment in the Dublin hospitals,
but the Asiatic type of the epidemic has not dis-
tinctly developed itself in them.
A telegram was last night received from London
announcing the approach of a gale from the south-
ward.

A Dublin bank—that of Messrs. Birch, Kennedy,
and Co.—has suspended payment. The liabilities
arc believed to be small, and one of the partners is
said to possess landed property which can be made
available in liquidation of a portion of the liabilities.
The hired transport Sassex has arrived at Kings-
town from the Clyde to convey a portion of the sth
Fusilcers to India. She is a new iron sailing ship
only 11 days launched.