The Sun.
London, England, 1835-02-21 00:00:00

THAMES OFFICE.

Yesterday a tall seamen named Mark Brady, formerly be-
longing to the Mercury, a Newcastle collier, was brought be-
fore Mr. Broderip for final examination, on a charge of felo-
niously wounding Robert Dixon, his shipmate, with intent to
murder him, on the night of the 22d of October last, since
which time the prisoner has been in custody, the life of the
wounded man having, until within the last few days, been
despaired of. Dixon was now brought from the hospital for
the first time to give evidence, and was accommodated with a
chair.
The short facts of the case are these, as detailed by Dixon
and several other witnesses.
On the night in question the parties went ashore, and a
quarrel took place between the prisoner and Dixon's brother,
and they exchanged some blows. Dixon and the prisoner
afterwards fought opposite a public house, but were parted
by a policeman before any mischief was done. Brady soon
afterwards went on board, and Dixon followed about an hour
afterwards, and on reaching the deck asked who was on
board ? Dixon was on the second step of the companion ladder
when Brady got up, and before Dixon was aware of him he
seized a long and heavy handspike, and gave Dixon a severe
blow on the head. Dixon fell backwards, and was insensible
for Meer, hours until the operation of trepanning was per-
formed, ,his skull having been extensively fractured,
the fall hay ing been heard by his shipmates a Thames Police
galley was _hailed, the crew of which found the unfortunate
man lying 012 the deck apparently lifeless, and the blood
streaming front a dreadful wound on the head. Sporle, a con.

stable, observed to the prisoner, " Why, you have murdered
the man." Whereupon he coolly observed, " I have done it, I
have done it ; I don't care if you hang me for it.' He after-
wards acknowledged he had struck Dixon with the handspike.
The wounded man was bled and taken to the hospital, and the
case on being admitted was thought to be a hopeless, one ; but
by the extraordinary skill of the surgeons of the institution,
who have at various times removed seven or eight pieces of
bone from the skull, the man's life has been preserved, though
it will be a long while before he is able to work.
Mr. Paul Vickermann, a surgical pupil, described the
wound to be a very extensive fracture of the skull, and a rup-
ture of the spinous artery, attended with a great effusion of
blood on the dura mater. Mr. Adams had used the trephine,
and removed many pieces of the depressed bone. The life of
the patient had been in the most imminent danger. He was
admitted into the institution on the 22d of October last, and
the cure was now only in progress. The witness then unco
vered the man's head, which presented a most shocking spec-
tacle, and referred the Magistrates' attention to the parts
where the pieces of bone had been removed.
Mr. BRODERIP said the surgeons had performed a most sur-
prising cure. It was a great triumph of medical art.
The prisoner in his defence said that Dixon and his brother
1-4 beaten him ashore, and that when the former came on
" AallenFed him to fight, calling him many opprobri-
board, he induced him to quit his berth, and he
ous epithets. unto -. thinking that Dixon would use it.
threw the handspike away,
surgeon if it was likely such
Mr. BRODFRIP inquired of the
"-- --ident.
a wound could have been inflicted by at,.
very heavy blow
Mr. Vickermann said it must have been a
on the top of the man's head.
In answer to a question by Mr. BRODERIP, Dixon dent,-
challenging the prisoner to fight, or standing in a fighting
attitude.

Mr. BRODERIP said the case was a most serious one, and
committed the prisoner for trial on the capital charge of mali-
ciously wounding, with intent to murder.

IRELAND.

STATE OF THE COUNTRY.

The Athlone Independent, received yesterday, furnishes the
following further particulars relative to a most barbarous trans-
action :—" On the night of Monday, the 2d instant, a woman
named Bridget Ryan was murdered in a most barbarous man-
ner by her husband, Michael Ryan, and a man named Collins,
within half a mile of Dunmore, in the county Galway, under
the following circumstances:—On the night in question, the
two persons alluded to brought the deceased from her lodgings
at Learne, in order, as they stated, to settle her in service,
which they pretended to have secured for her in Ballindign, in
the county Mayo. After drinking some whiskey at Collins's
of which they made her partake, they proceeded on the road
to Dunmore, about four miles, when they induced her to cross
the fields, as they stated it was a short cut. On entering the
field, Collins struck her with a reaping-hook over the right
ear, whilq at the same moment her husband, Michael Ryan,
struck her with a stone over, the left ear, which brought her
lifeless to the ground ; they then carried her to a river that
was convenient, where Collins literally severed her head from
her body. and threw it and the trunk into the water, where the
body and head were found at some distance apart the following
morning. Mr. Hostey, Coroner, from Tuam, attended with
several magistrates, and after an inquest, which lasted till Sa-
turday at noon, the Jury brought in a verdict of Murder
against Collins and Ryan, who were fully committed for trial
at the ensuing Assizes. The body was interred on Saturday
night. Ryan seems very penitent, and confesses the crime,
but Collins, who ie fifty years of age, continues quite har-
dened. _ _

Extract of a Letter, dated Charlemont, Feb. 7, 1835.
" This county (Armagh) is still in a most disturbed state.
Last night information came to C. Atkinson, C. C. P., that a
house was wrecked, windows broken, &c. ; when Mr. A. pro-
ceeded immediately with only five policemen, the rest being
on duty, and succeeded in arresting four individuals, whom he
brought into town. Several attempts were made to rescue
theme and his horse beaten by the mob. An investigation
took place this morning before Mr. Jones, Chief Magistrate,
and Mr. Olphert, J. P., when they committed four to Armagh
gaol. Mr. A. was obliged to send a party back last night
with the informant, and upon their arriving there, the priso-
ners' friends had again broken into the house, and cut a poor
old woman of eighty severely, and .wrecked several houses
belonging to friends of the informant. The i?olice and Mr. A.
patrol the roads every night—Newry Teleqrapit.
MURDER AGAlN.—Sunday last the Mayor held an inqZ est at
the County Infirmary, on view of the body of Timothy Hour,,
gan, of Turagh. The principal witness was his wife, who
deposed that her husband had left home in the morning, for
Abington, to attend a summons from the Commissioners of
Ecclesiastical Inquiry, and that she discovered him on the
road in the evening in a senseless state, after a severe beat-
ing. He was removed to the hospital, and died there of a
fracture on the head. Verdict, " Wilful murder against a
person or persons unknown."—Yesterday the Mayor held an
inquest at the same place, on the body of Michael Dooly, a
grown youth, who was killed at a smith's forge in Kilteely by
the blow of a hammer, which one Patrick Shinners inflicted
under great excitement. Verdict accordingly.