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

IRELAND

DUBLIN, Aug. 7.

The stabbing of John Joseph Gethings, the Kil-
mainham 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 man and " a friend" named Patrick
Meehan, a beerhouse-keeper of Dublin, on the even-
ing of the murder. From personal inquiry yester-
day, and from the evidence given on the coroner's
inquest, 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 be 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 his
heart, which it was afterwards found to have en-
tered to the length of about an inch. Gethings lived
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 !his 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.
(lardy, one of the coroners, the prisoner Meehan
appeared in court with his right eye closed up and
his head bandaged. Ile 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
ie prisoner, and committed him to take his trial

for manslaughter at the next commission.
At a meeting of the Dublin Corporation, held
yesterday, it was announced that the address of this
body to the Earl of Kimberley had been duly pre-
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
are 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
Fusileers to India. She is a new iron sailing ship
only 11 days launched.

STATE OF TRADE.

ntNCHESTER, Aug: 7.—The market for shipping

yarns has been very flat, with scarcely any disposi-
tion for business. Prices generally are tolerably
firm, but in cases whet.; spinners are desirous to sell,
and press goods in the market, they would submit
to lower terms. The market closes tamely. Home
yarns are depressed, and low numbers of them quiet,
and easier to buy by about id. per lb. as compared
with the rates of last Friday. The cloth-market
has been toning down for some time past, and the
chief features to-day are the extreme quietness of
business and unwillingness to buy, as well as the
falling tendency of prices. There seems to be a
generally prevailing opinion that money will not be
easier for some time to come, and some people ap-
pear to expect that if there is any change it will be
to greater tightness, and this uncertainty as to the
future course of the money-market has been ope-

rating to keep people from purchasing to-day
Manufacturers are offering their goods at prices
showing a very fair reduction on last Tuesday's
rates, but buyers are few and are very timid in their
operations. We close with but a small business and
with lower quotations. The lower price of yarns
operates unfavourably on the cloth-market, and
necessarily compels manufacturers to make some,
if not a corresponding concession, but there is no
pressure of stocks, and the decline is very gradual.
Messrs. John Slagg and Co. report :—" During the
week our market has been quiet, and prices have
shown a gradual downward tendency. The uncertain
future of the money-market still tends to arrest
operations, and we close with few transactions, and
decidedly lower quotations."
CARDIFF, 6th.—Although the output of steam
coal at the several collieries in the district is much
beyond the average still it is insufficient to meet the
demand. At many of the pits there is a scarcity
of skilled hands ; but this is not likely to be the case
for any length of time, as the reduction in the make
of iron will throw into the labour-market a large
number of colliers and miners employed at the
works which consume their own coal. Notwith-
standing the prospects of peace the continental..
mar-
kets continue to take considerable cluantatzf
steam coal, while an active business is being done
tonnage
with the other foreign markets,
d
local consump-
stations.
is shipped for the mail packetthaen large
coaling
and coastwise is
in
Ttiohneroe f i s
hnoou
sceh ac no
agleto repo
te
,
the ironworks are only
much greater. As a rule,
bue
In addition to the large
languishing state.
partially employed, and the general trade is in a
con-
tracts for rails mentioned in last report as having
been secured by Welsh makers, about 15,000 tons
of rails have been placed here on American and
Russian account. The high rate of discount con-
tinues to act as a barrier to any transactions in the
home market, although there are several large con-
tracts waiting to be placed. In pig-iron scarcely
any business is doing, and the demand for tin plates
keeps moderately good.
LEEDS, 7th.—There was no feature of material
change or importance to notice in the woollen cloth
markets this morning. About an average amount
of business was done. The chief purchasers were
buyers representing home-trade houses, and they
made a fair amount of selections, chiefly Witneys,
Meltous, and broad tweeds. All-wool blacks and
union cloths are in fair request, but not to the same
extent as they were a few weeks ago. There is still