The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-30 00:00:00

FATAL .411RA1 IV-3AR PLYMOUTH.

(From the Plymouth fournal.)
A murder has been committed at the new fort at
Tregantle, which is the westernmost and one of the
principal forts of the new line of fortifications for
the harbour and arsenal of Plymouth, and the dock-
yard at Devonport. It is on the coast of the west of
Whitsand Bay, and will, when complete, be one of
the strongest fortresses in England, with a barrack
attached. The contract is in the hands of the Lon-
don firm of Kirk and Parry, and the works are now
in an advanced condition. There have been for
many months past and still are some hundreds of
men employed on the works. Amangst these, of
course, there are, especially as nay vies and hod-car-
riers, a number of Irishmen. Christmas is pre-emi-
nently a time of peace and good-will, but too fre-
quently men's passions and evil habits make it a
season of quarrels, strife, and too often of bloodshed.
On the works of Tregantle there are two blocks of
huts, one of which, erected by Mr. Rice Mennie of
Plymouth, is principally occupied by Irishmen
engaged on the works. This block of huts was the
scene of the occurrence we have now to record. It
appears that the Irishmen engaged on the works,
from affection or other circumstances, made up par-
ties to celebrate Christmas. One of these parties on
Christmas Eve assembled in the hut of a man known
as Johnny Sands, and amongst the party was a man
whose Christian or common name was Allen. This
party had made themselves jolly with good eating
and potent drinking, and had brought themselves
to a dangerous and excitable condition, wnen some
difference arose between dill rent members of the
party. Johnny Sands and Allen involved them-
selves in the debate, and the foul words in the then
condition of the men soon led to blows. Johnny
Sands, forgetting the sacred laws of hos-
pitality, and all regard for human life, in
his maddened rage caught up the poker and
struck Allen on the head a ferocious and terrible
blow, by which he was stunned, and, as the event
proved, death-struck. The others present, possibly
familiar with shillelah blows and fights for love,
thought the poor fellow badly struck, but had no
doubt that, through an Iriohman's tenacity to life,
and his power of sustaining blows, he would get all
right again presently, and they therefore did not
send for a medical gentleman, or make the police-
man of the works acquainted with what had taken
place. There is a policeman stationed on the works.
The contractors, in order to have civil help on any
emergency, have made an arrangement as to the
payment of costs, by which a member of the Corn-
wall county constabulary is always at hand. The
policeman on this occasion was no more consulted
than the doctor. The unfortunate blow does not
seem, so far as we have been able to ascertain; to
have broken up the party. What was deemed best
was done for the wounded man, and with the hope
that all would be well, the remainder of the party
continued their jollification. Time wore on, and
Christmas-day was passed; but between 12 and 2
on Thursday morning the poor sufferer was released
from his mortal woes by the arrival of death. On
this sad termination of the event of Christmas-eve
coming to the resident policeman's ears, he commu-
nicated to his superior, Mr. Superintendent Ste-
phens, at St. John's, and Sergeant Foot, of Torpoint,
was despatched to Tregantle. The man Sands was
apprehended on the charge of murder, and about 3
o'clock on Thursday he was brought into Torpoint
by Foot, and was placed in the lock-up there. So
far as we have been able to ascertain, the blow by
which the fatal result was produced was not pre-
meditated. It does not appear that there was any
ill-feeling between the prisoner and deceased before
the unfortunate drunken wrangle on Tuesday night.

CO UN .7.R1 MA )5.

_.._.1..

NORWICH—Dza. 28.

Wheat to-day was in fair supply, and in moderate con-
dition, but sold freely at the prices of last week. A fair
quantity of barley, which fully supported late rates. Flour
was the turn easier to buy.
White wheat 66s to 68s I Red wheat 62s to 651
Malting barley....3Bs to 39s I Chevalier barley 371. to 38s
New d 0.......... 37s to 39s Oats.... —+ to —s