The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-31 00:00:00

AN IRISH INCENDIARY.

The correspondent of Irish Times, writing
from Mullingar on the 26th inst., says :—" An un-
usual stir was created in this town to-day by the
arrival at the county gaol, under a constabulary
escort, of Captain Sydney Smyth, the unfortunate
gentleman whose eccentric career has just culmi-
nated in the total destruction of his brother's resi-
dence, with all the furniture and property it con-
tained. Your readers will not have forgotten the
description of the burning of Portlick Castle, which
appeared on the 20th of July, nor the extraordinary
circumstances attending it. The castle, a very
pretty structure, situate on the shore of Portlick
Bay—a beautiful inlet of Lough Ree—and distant
about two miles from the village of Glasson, in
Westweath, was the residence of Captain Robert
Smyth, D.L. His brother, Capt. Sydney Smyth,
the author of this terrible calamity, who had been.
some time confined in a lunatic asylum, resided
with him until lately, and was treated with much
kindness. The Marriage of his elder brother, how-
ever, appeared to have produced a most unfavour-
able effect on the mind of the latter, who refused to
live at the castle any longer, and betook himsralf to
some friends in the county of Roscommon, meditat-
ing revenge for some fancied grievance. An oppor-
tunity soon presented itself of carrying out his
intentions, of which he was not slow to avail him-
self, and the blackened ruins of what was once
Portlick Castle, testify to the completeness with
which his desire was fulfilled. Fortunately, the in-
mates escaped, but the value of the furniture and
effects destroyed is estimated at £3,000. Imme-
diately after the destruction of the building the
lunatic fixed his residence in an elevated part of
the ruins, where he has actually remained since
the 21st of July, successfully opposing all the;
attempts made to capture him. Armed with a,
sword, of which he had managed to possess hiya-
self, and furnished with a formidable supply of
stones and missiles of every description, which he
was ready to hurl on any hostile intruder, he suc-
ceeded for more than a month in defying the power
of the civil authorities, who have been unremitting
in their endeavours to effect his arrest, which it
was impossible to do without a certain loss of life.
The only persons he allowed to approach him were
two belonging to the place, by whose means food.
was Conveyed to him. 11 was proposed to render
him insensible by mixing opiates with hi 4 d*ink,
and then securing him, but the attempt was not
more successful than several other stratagems
which resulted also in failure. At one time he
seems to have entertained the intention of escaping
and making his way to his former residence, but
the constabulary took such effectual measures to
frustrate his object, withdrawing the boats from
the neighbourhood and guarding the roads—in
fact, subjecting to him a regular siege. The number
of police engaged in watching him on one occasion,
amounted to 30, accompanied by the county inspec-
tor, a sub-inspector, and resident magistrate; but
all their efforts proved fruitless until yesterday,
when Sub-Inspector Kirkland, of Glassen, arid his
party succeeded in capturing him andbringing
him before Mr. Cronin, R.M., who has committed.
him to gaol to await his trial. He is unquestion-
able insane, and persists in his threats of further
vengeance against his brother."