The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-15 00:00:00

MILITIA.

The 4th, Royal Lancashire, will leave Portsmouth
on the 24th inst. for Warrington, to be disembodied
on the 31st inst: The 4th Lancashire will be
replaced in Portsmouth garrison by the Royal
Limerick County Militia from Parkhurst. The
Depot of the 77th Regiment, consisting of five
officers and 430 in n, will join the DepOt Battalion
at Parkhurst from Jersey (temporarily) on the
removal of the Royal Limerick County to Ports-
mouth.

The Durham Artillery Regiment are to be
embodied for service on the sth of April at Bishop
Auckland.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, MONDAY AlonsiNG.

THE PIICENIX CLUB PROSECUTIONS.

The case for the Crown has at length closed, and,
as Mr. O'Hagan has finished his speech for the de-
fence, there is a prcspect of Sullivan's trial being
concluded in a day or two more. Mr. O'Hagan
commenced his address on Friday evening, resumed
it on Saturday, and only brought it to an end late
that evening, after having spoken for nine hours,
when the court adjourned till this morning. There
were three or four witnesses examined for the prose
cution on Friday, but with the exception of an
anonymous letter,the reading of which created some
sensation in Court, nothing of striking importance
was elicited. This precious production bore the
signature of " A Friend," and was addressed to a
Mr. Paul M'Sweeny, a shopkeeper in Kenmore ;
but it would appear that the real writer was John
D. Sullivan, one of the prisoners awaiting trial.
The letter in question was referred to in the open-
ing address of the Attorney -General, and may as
well be reproduced here :
" Mr. Paul M'Sweeny,
"Dear Sir,—There is dreadful news here this
morning. About 15 people arrested, partly on the
information of a ruffian by name D. O'Sullivan,
from this barony, who was also the cause of arrest-
ing the Bantry and Skibbereen people. The ruffian
is in the city of Cork, a strolling gentleman.
There is no person in this district from 20 to 30 or
35 years of age who is not suspected. It would be •
a charity if there could be any person in the city
found who would pop his existence.
"The crime is, as I am sure you have—the
writer may be in the lockup before 12 hours, with
others—all on the informations of a blackguard
perjurer. Such a fright the people of this town
never got. There is not a house but was searched
at the hour of three and four o'clock at night.—
Yours, " A FRIEND."
THE LATE MURDER IN TILE COUNTY OF WEXFORD.
An inquest has been held upon the body of
Edward Dourneen, the old man who was shot dead
on Sunday week near the town of Gorey, and a
verdict returned to the effect that he came by his
death from a gunshot wound inflicted by some
person or persons unknown.

THE SHOOTING OF A GIRL BY HER
SWEETHEART.

On Saturday' George Binning, who has been
thrice remanded on a charge of shootinc, Margaret
Hodgson, with intent to murder, at Southwick-, do
the 21st of February, was brought up before the

magistrates at the Su-nderland Police-court.
The remands have• been granted on account of
the illness of the prosecutrix, and to-day she arrived
in a cab, and was supported into court by hor
mother and a friend. Her head was bandaged
where she had received the shot, and her appearance
betokened great weakness and suffering. During
the examination, various expedients had to be
adopted to keep her from fainting. The prisoner
seemed much more concerned than previously, and
much affected when some portions of the evidence
were given.
Mr. Graham appeared for the prosecution, and
Mr. Potts for the defence.

Margaret Hodgf on, the prosecutrix, was first
examined. She stated that she lived in Southwick-
lane, and had known the prisoner about ten months,
during which time he had courted her. On the
afternoon of the 21st of February she saw him at
his father's house. She told him that she would
not go with him any longer, and he said that if he
did not go with her nobody else should. There
was no great quarrel between them at the time.
About seven o'clock in the evening she went to his
father's shop to buy some lozenges, and prisoner
said to her that if she would go into the room he
would show her his portrait. She went into the
room, which is a small bed-room out of the kitchen,
and he showed her the portrait.. Shortly after-
wards he went into the kitchen, and came back in
tip c minutes. She then wanted to come away, but
he told her to stay, and would not let her leave.
She was stooping down looking at the portrait,
when she heard a noise, and felt there was some-

thing the matter with her. She jumped up from
the chair on which she was sitting, and ran out of
the house. She was assisted horse, and was at-
tended by Mr. Davis.
Mr. ,Potts inquired why it was that she went
back to the shop that night ?
The Magistrates thought that hardly bore on the
charge.
Mr. Potts said he thought it did, as he was in-
structed to say that she shot herself.
Mr. Potts cross-examined witness. She was not
in the family-way, and had never stayed at pri-
soner's father's house but once, when prisoner was
taking fits. She had never said she was married
to the prisoner. He had, and she had contradicted
it. She did not Eee any pistols in the room. She
did not lay hold of them, nor shoot herself with
them. She could not say whether she asked him
to kiss her after she was shot. She did not recol-
lect what took place after she was shot.
• By the Court—lle had threatened her before
that day, but she could not say how long ago. He
then said if he did not get her nobody else should
have her—he would put an end to her somewhere
or other.

Mr. John Davis ,surgeon, stated that there were
still some shots remaining in her head. He found
by probing that the surface of the skull had been
riddled by the shot. The shots appeared to have
gone in an upward direction, from the right eye
towards the middle of the head. There were aj'ew
black powder marks on the forehead too. He con-
sidered her at the time to be in a dangerous state.
She was sensible, but nervous. He had attended
her daily since, and lie thought she would soon be
well. If the shots had not glanced upward, but
gone in a direct line, they would have caused her
death.
Stephen Hunter, photographic artist, stated that
the prisoner had called at his establishment on the
21st February, between three and four o'clock, and
got his likeness taken. The prisoner produced a
pistol, and was examining it whilst witness was
preparing to take his portrait.. Witness inquired
what he had got there. Prisoner said he had r,ot
a pistol. Witness asked what he was going to do
with it, and he replied that he had got it for his
own amusement. Witness remarked it was a very _
curious plaything. Prisoner made no reply. Ho
sat for his portrait, and appeared quite sober.
Anthony Gibbon, labourer, Newbottle, said he;
had married prisoner's sister, and on Tuesday night,;
the 22d, about 12 o'clock, the prisoner clinic to his-
house, and was let in by his wife. About an hour
afterwards he was taken into custody. In the morn-
ing witness found a pistol on the table, which he
gave to the police officer APKitchen. It was not
an uncommon thing for prisoner to come to his
house at late hours.
Inspector Hudson said he had examined the wall
of the room where the pistol was fired, and he had
found five shots in the wall. He also found several
shots on the floor. On Wednesday last he saw the
prisoner, when he asked him how Margaret was.
Witness said she was very much better. Prisoner
replied, "I wish I had shot her dead, and then I
would have died a happy man. I only have once to.
die." Witness said it was a very serious deed, and
after death there was the judgment. He made no
reply to this ; and was, of course, quite sober?
The prisoner was then committed to take his trial
at the next assizes.—Northern Daily Express.

MURDER OF A WOMAN BY HER HUSBAND.—A
shocking murder was conunitted on Saturday morning in
one of the principal streets of Newport, Monmouthshire,
perpetrator of the deed her husband. For a
the victim being Sarah Francis, the wife of a labouring
man and the
considerable time Francis and his wife have lived very un-
happily together, until at length their quarrels had become
so frequent and so vident that the woman was compelled
htoave magisterial interference. The man appeared to
labouring under the greatest excitement
seekbee mna
since the last quarrel with his wife, and on Saturday morn-
ing, when he again saw her for the purpose of begginghim
to return to her home, his request was accompanied by
threats that if she did not comply with his wishes he would
take her life. The unhappy woman, terrified probably by
the violence of his manner, and the fearful character and
threats, agreed to return This, however, she failed to di.,
and Francis, finding that she did not come home, again
went to the house of Mr. Hawkins, plasterer, Temple-
street, and there found his wife sitting at her needlework.
Having prepared himself for the foul deed,—as though de-
termined that nothing should prevent its complete accent-
plishment—he rushed upon her, after a brief altercation
with a razor (previously concealed) in his band, and in a.
few minutes lus wife was dead at his feet. Francis ma do
an attempt to escape, and was taken into custody. lie is
26 years of age, and the woman 24 ; they have been rut a-
ried about two years,