The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-20 00:00:00

ME LAND.

DUBLIN, Dec. 19.
The public seem to have lost all apprehension of
further danger from the Fenians, notwithstanding
the arrests which are made from day to day, and the
defensive measures which the Government are still
adopting. Some persons are disposed to ridicule
their precautions as unnecessary. But the Govern-
ment were firm when some of their censors were
frightened, and so long as there are still in the coun-
try dupes of the conspiracy, or agents of mischief
not yet in custody, it is much better to act upon
the principle that prevention is better than cure.

The recent seizures may have put documents in their
possession that warrant necessary vigilance. The
minds of the middle classes arc re-assured, but those
who converse with the lower class of Roman Catho-
lics in the towns find that they still expect Stephens
and they avow openly that if the work began they
would help the Fenians. Consequently, the prin-
cipal entrance to Dublin Castle is being placed in a
more secure position. Yesterday a body of workmen
were engaged in erecting strong wooden pallisades in-
side the entrance at Cork-hill, in such a manner as to
plank the gate ; and at a subsequent period of the
day the Castle was inspected by some ofii.:ers of the
Ordnance Department, with a view of making fur-
their defensive arrangements. On Monday night a
telegram was received from the War office by Col.
Child, commanding officer of the Reserve Force of
Pensioners in Belfast, directing him to have all the
members of the corps ready for service at any time
they should be called upon.
The following are all the particulars that have

transpired of the arrests made yesterday, and an-
nounced to you by telegraph :—ln the morning a
strong party of the G Division, acting upon infor-
mation received, proceeded to the house of a man
named Patrick O'Byrne, residing in George's-place,
north, and instituted a search for arms. In the
course of the investigation the detective officers
found nine rifles, with bayonets and slings, a quan-
tity of cartridges, bullets, a brass bullet-mould, and
some pouches. Immediately on the discovery being
made the officers arrested O'Byrne and his two
nephews, Richard J. Stowell, and J. P. Stowell, and
conveyed them to some of the police stations, where
they are at present detained.
officer subsequently proceeded to the esta-
blishment of Messrs. Walpole, Webb, and Bewley,
at Thethe
named Michael Stanley, who stated that he resided
at Bridget's-avenue, North-strand. The circum-
stances which led to Stanley's arrest have not trans-
pired, but immediately ou being apprehended he
was conveyed to Mountjoy prison
direct.
men, named Ignatius Cummins and
John Fagan, youngagan
,were brought up yesterday at the head
g Tin h
etyh
we i
er
rpossessionarrested
last night in the top room of a house in Upper Ste-
police-office, charged with having
police found a quantity
gunpowder and ammunition.
paper, a flask filled
sowmheicheatrhteridge
opfh
re
intl..
es t
br euel
lto, t
sr,n
with powder, and a large number of percussion caps. a
green cap, with a h
The police also foundharp in
the centre, and a design for a breastplate. 1V hen
questioned Cummins stated that the articles were
brought into the premises without the knowledge of
Fagan. The prisoners were remanded.
At the sitting of the Sessions court yesterday Mr.
Charles Fitzgerald, city solicitor, made an applica-
tion to have the recognizances estreated which were
entered into by John Nugent, of 15, Vicar-street,
who had been detained, under theLord-Lieutenant's
warrant, for alleged complicity in the Fenian move-
ment, and who was released upon the recognizances
of Mr. John Hogan, 37, Elbow-land, and Mr. Peter
Byrne, 13, James-street, in the sum of £2O each,
and Nugent himself in £4O. Since Nugent's release
he was convicted for assaulting a police-constable
in the execution of his duty, and having thus vio-
lated the terms upon which he was set at liberty the
Government authorities made the present applica-
tion. The Court directed that in the case of Nugent
£2O should be enforced, and in those of his two
sureties that £5 should be paid by each of them,
being a fourth of the sum for which each of them
was responsible. This case was the first of the kind
brought into this court.

Pursuant to previous notice a meeting of the ma-
gistrates of county Leitrim was held in the court-
house, Manorhamilton, on Monday, convened by
Mr. A. L. Tottenham, High Sheriff, to consider the
manner in which the loyal and well-disposed sub-
jects of her Majesty can best assist in the preserva-
tion of the public peace. There was a large attend-
ance of the magstrates and gentlemen interested in
the movement. The High Sheriff presided. The
chairman read a letter, in reply to one from himself
from the Under Secretary of State, in which the
latter stated that " it must be left to the discretion
of high sheriffs as to the propriety of complying
with the requisitions to them to convene public
meetings within their respective counties, or propo-
sals to be made at such meetings, and that his excel-
lency would be happy to receive the resolutions
which might be passed at the proposed meeting."
Resolutions offeting the services of those present

in the capacity of special constables, and dividing
the county into districts for the purpose, were
passed unanimously, and copies of these directed to
be forwarded to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant.
An address to the same effect, from the inhabitants
of Mohill, in the same county, has been forwarded
to the Government, through Mr. R. Ormsby Gore.
The anniversary of the burning of Lundy at Lon-
donderry was observed yesterday with the customary
displays, the loyalty of the 'Prentice Boys being
naturally stimulated by the talk of a Fenian rising.
The High Sheriff of Waterford, Mr. R. T. Carew,
has fixed the nomination for that county on the 26th
inst., and the Saturday following for the polling.
Mr. De la Poer has had a series of "Demonstra-
tions" through the county, but Capt. Talbot's friends
are confident, and it is admitted on both sides that
the contest will be close. The Daily Express men-
tions a report that Sir Robert J. Paul will propose,
and Mr. W. Christmas, D. L., second Capt. Talbot's
nomination, and that Mr. De la Poer will be pro-
posed by Sir R. Musgrave, and seconded by a priest.
Mr. Heenan, coroner of the D'ing's County, was
found dead on the road in a pool of water, near
Parsonstown, yesterday morning. The Daily Ex-
press correspondent says :—" It appears that Mr.
Heenan had been in town on business, and when
within a few hundred yards of his own dwelling his
foot slipped, and, not being able to extricate him-
self from the slimy bottom, he met his death. The
greatest gloom prevails among all classes on account
of his untimely death."
The Cork Examiner reports that a man named
Shine has been arrested for sending a threatening
letter to the Earl of Bandon. The prisoner was
formerly in his Lordship's employment as a harness-
maker. He also worked for the family at elections.
The object of the threat was to extort money. After
a private investigation by the magistrates, Lord
Bandon declined to prosecute on the condition that
the young man's father would have him sent out of
the country. He will, therefore, be put on board
the next American steamer by the police.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

LEEDS, Dec. 18
(Before Mr. Justice Lush.)

MURDERING A FELLOW-APPRENTICE AT SHEFFIELD.
Henry Gabbitas, 16, draper, was charged with
the wilful murder of Arthur Allen, at Sheffield, on
the 22d of November last. He pleaded guilty to
the charge on Saturday, but by the advice of
his counsel he afterwards withdrew that plea.
—Mr. Foster opened the case to the jury,
stating that the prisoner was charged with
the murder of another boy, about his own age, who
was his fellow apprentice, both being in the service
of Mr. Edmund Draper, hosier and draper, Fargate,
Sheffield. The deceased had been nine months in
Mr. Draper's service, and the prisoner 2 years and
8 months on the 22d of November. Allen wasaged
15, and prisoner 16 or 17. Mr. Draper would tell
them that the prisoner was a tolerably steady and
good lad. He and Allen occupied one bed, and there
was no reason on the 22d of November to believe
that there was any ill-blood between them. They
had been accustomed after business hours to go out
until 10 o'clock, but their master had deprived them
of that privilege because Allen, while the prisoner
waited outside, went into a confectioner's shop and
had a glass of wine and a tart,though he had no money

with which to pay for it. For this misconduct he
punished both of them by keeping them indoors each
night. Nothing, however, had transpired to show
that the prisoner entertained any animosity towards
Allen because of that deprivation. On the night of
the 21st they went to bed as usual, and there was
nothing to excite any suspicion ; but at 7 o'clock
next morning Mr. Draper was awoke by a knock at
his door, and, on inquiring what was wanted, he was
answered by the prisoner saying, " I've killed
Arthur." Mr. Draper said, "'What have you done ?"
and prisoner repeated, " I've killed Arthur." " Oh,
what do you mean ?" exclaimed Mr. Draper; and
the prisoner answered, " I've hammered his head
with a hammer, and stabbed him with a knife, and
have killed him." Mr. Draper got out of bed, and,
entering the apprentices' room, lie found Allen wel-

tering in his bloo 1, on the dressing table a bloody
hammer, and on the bat a carving knife, bloody and
broken. As the prisoner was being taken into the
police office a fdlow-apprentice, named Mos!l, said
to him, " Why have you killed him ?" and "Do
you know what you have beim doing ?" and the
prisoner's reply was, " I did it for revenge." The
surgeon (Mr. Ewell) found that ou his left temple
the deceased had received a violent blow which had
driven in.part of the skull, and on the crown of the
head another blow which had fractured the skull.

In the neck there was a wound of superficial cha-
racter, which might have been inflicted by the carv-
ing knife. The knife and the hammer must have
been carried up to the bedroom the night before
by the prisoner—for the hammer was in constant
use down stairs and the knife belonged to the shop,
so that (the learned counsel said) it had required
some degree of contrivance on the part of the pri-
soner to secrete those weapons iu that way. He
asked if that did not show a degree of premedita-
tion indicating contemplation of the deed in ques-
tion, and proving that the murder was wilfully and
intentionally done. Several witnesses having been
called to prove the facts stated, Dr. Pyemont
Smith, of Mount Stead Retreat, near likely, said
he had visited the prisoner that morning, and talked
with him. Prisoner talked rationally, calmly, but
with a slight degree of reserve. He answered all
questions, but volunteered none. His appearance
altogether is defective, but there was nothing about
the head indicating disease of the brain. His face
was the worst part, the lower part being very re-
ceding. The conversation turned upon the present
accusation. Mr. W. N. Price, surgeon to the Leeds
_ _

gaol, deposed that he had several opportunities of
conversing with and noticing the prisoner, and he
believed he knew right from wrong, and he was
able to understand the consequences of any act he
might do. Mr. Waddy, for the defendant, said he
should call before them those who had known the
boy from the time of his very birth—a child of a
very fond, affectionate, and devoted mother, who
was consumptive, and who died and left him when
he was only five ycarsof age. He shouldalso show
that the prisoner had had a constant succession of
fits—these afflictions extending over some length of
time, and drawing from his own mother at one time
the expression of the wish that the Lord would take
him first, inasmuch as she considered he was men-
tally and physically ruined by this ailment. After
prisoner's mother died, the father, unfortunately for
the lad, married again, and when that event took
placec
htahoegwedh.ollei
ec owuarss et
haend ntr
ehaistteodrlywiththelad'slifef
great
eruelty
satnedp
mmade
etro
suysntdeetorgaotiecsoinlysiidllertarebal etedhhati•ndls,latinpds.
his life. The soured
prisoner himself had declared, in un-
guarded moments, and when he was suffering from
this shameful treatment, that his stepmother had
told him that she knew he was doomed to the gal-
lows. From his early days that appalling vision had
haunted and darkened his life until ithad culminated
in the horrible thing about which they had that day
to inquire. Medical men would also be called who
were familiar with cases of homicidal monomania,
and their testimony would be entitled to the careful
consideration of the jury. Evidence being given to
the stepmother's treatment of the boy and to prove
that he had been subject to fits, Dr. C. Williams, of
York, said he considered the prisoner to be of un-
sound mind. Dr. Kitchen, of the York Retreat, was
also c tiled to confirm Dr. Williams's evidence. He
said the prisoner told him he always had a belief he
should kill some one or himself, and finding himself
in a bedroom with a fellow-apprentice he thought
his opportunity hail conic, and he seizal it. He said
he never hail had an opportunity before. Formerly
he slept with an assistant, and he thought of killing
him, but he thought he would be too strong for him.

Ile said his stepmother had so instilled th' idea into
his mind that he would come to the gallows, that he
felt it was indisputable that he must kill some one.
Theprisoner was an imperfectly developed creature,
both mentally and physically. Ile told witness he
had never read the Bible except at the Sunday
school; he could not tell the arrangement of the Com-
mandments, nor name the first five books of the
Bible.

The jury retired, and after 18 minutes absence