The Sun.
London, England, 1821-08-25 00:00:00

ng on the body of George Francis. The Coro-

ti er, it is to be remembered, is the Judge of the
Court. The office of the Jury is to ascertain the
facts, while that of the Judge is to instruct them
in the law, to which those facts are to be applied.
This being premised, it follows, that if the Judge
has grossly mistaken the law, the verdict which
originates in his mistake, must fall to the ground.
These, we boldly assert, are propositions which
cannot he denied ; and we proceed to skew their
application to this charge of the Coroner. In a
few sentences he takes the two extremes of the
law, and brings them under the consideration
of the Jury, leaving all the intermediate poiuts
untouched. The import of his charge is this :
" If you find that the deceased was not killed ia
" self-defence, you must find that he was mur-
dered." Surely, this Gentleman has yet to learn
the rudiments of the legal profession ; surely, he
has yet to be informed of the various degrees of
criminality which the law attaches to the depriv-
ing of a fellow-creature of life. The first degree
of criminality is called " Chance-medley," % hich
consists of accidental killing, but not without
some fault in the person giving the blow. The
next degree is called" Excusable Homicide,"
where the killing is intended ; but under circum-
stances which, morally, though not legally, justify
the giving of the mortal blow. The 3d degree is ca
ed "Simple," or" Culpable Homicide," where the
killing is intended, and is without excuse,
but is without previous malice. The next (al-
most the last) order of criminality is that which
the law designates by the name of " Wilful
Murder," where the killing is intended, is wit`:-
out excuse, and is the result of previous malice,
either proved in evidence or implied in law. Nut
one of these degrees was brought under the no-
tice of the Jury in this important case, al-
though it was a case, of all others, which sheaved.
the wisdom of the law in making out the va.
rious distinctions of guilt which we have enu-
merated.

DESPERATE AND FATAL. OUTRAG.

On Wednesday night (15th instant), upwards
of two hundred misguided wretches, mostly armed, many of
them mounted on horseback, and the entire dressed in whi:e
shirts, surrounded the house of Mr. John Ives, a tithe-proctor,
at Inchirourke, near Askheaton. After dragging him out
of the house, on the highway, they proceeded to adminisnr
oaths, prohibiting him from ever interfering in tithe business.; ;
and, while thus employed, a party of Mr. Going's police,
consisting of seventeen sub-constables, under the com-
mend of Thomas Doolan, Esq. Chief Peace Officer, ap-
proached the house, having received private informatics
in Rathkeale that such proceedings would take place :during
the night. On being challenged by Mr. Doolan, and com-
manded to surrender, they drew up in regular line for battle,
and immediately commenced firing on the police, by an °tale:
from their leader. In that discharge, one of the police named
Thomas Manning, was shot dead. Mr. Doolan instantly or-
dered his party to fire in return, which was quickly obeyed, and
a regular volley obliged the assailants to break line, and disperse
in all directions. A charge was then made by the police, who
succeeded in taking three prisoners, in full costume; two were
also found dead, similarly attired. A pursuit after the fugitives
took place, and maniskirrnislies occurred, in which upwards of
sixty shots were fired by the police.
From every information that can be collected, great numbers
have been wounded, and we are told several dead bodies are
concealed in the neighbourhood. Thche found by the police,
in the first instance, were taken to Rathkeale, where they were
interred on Thursday without coffins, in a large hole dug by
their companions, in a piece of waste ground hear the guard-
house. The two prisoners were compelled by Mr. Going
perform all the offices at the burial ; after digging the hole, they
were obliged to bear the bodies and place them beneath, and
afterwards to shake quick lime plentifully over them.
Another of the gang died last night in a hut on the mountain,
where he had been removed from the scene of action .; his name
is Moran, and was brother to one of the prisoners in Custody:
he was shot through the abdomen.
Many more would have been shot by the police, but after the
first volley the fellows all dismounted, and took shelter behind
their horses. '

The roads in the neighbourhood of Askheaton present a most
horrid appearance; streams of blood in various parts, and th.e
different gaps, across which the wounded were borne away, are
all besmeared with blood.

There were fifteen horses brought into Rathkeale by the Po-
lice, upon which those wretches were mounted,but had deserte.?;
many of them were dreadfully wounded.
A considerable number of spits, old scythes, and some &e-
-arms, were brought into Rathkeale by the Pollee.

Mr. Doolan missed fire twice at the leader of the gang, his
pistol having got wet. He was very close to him at the time,
and would certainly have shot him dead, had the pistol gone off:

Before the police came near Ives's house, there were regular
sentinels placed at different points, to give the main body notice
of any- alawn. When they were challenged, the answer was,
" We are Christians."

After the volley fired by the police, the captain, or leader cf
the gang, who was attired in a most conspicuous manner, with
a white dress, a cocked hat and feathers, endeavoured to rally
his troops, but without effect.
It is supposed, from the numbers, that the Police would hay.:
suffered severely, were it not for the wetness of the night, which
must have had its effect upon the fire-arms, with which they
seemed to be well stocked.

Yesterday, a strong cavalry detachment of the Police, well
equipped, conveyed three of this notable gang to the County
Jail ; they were brought in on horsebatit, and exactly in
the dress as when taken.. Their names are Michael Moran,
Michael Halloran, and Michael Fitzgerald. One of them, we
are told, is willing to give full information against the entire

party.
The Sub-Sheriff. while remonstrating with the prisoners.,
while in the yard of the County Jail, asked them whether then
had not been at prayers last Sunday, and whether th
had not heard a very strong and impressive Sermon froni the
Clergyman, to desist from illegal proceedings, which were freely
answered in the affirmative.

The committal of those persons, by Richard Going, Esq.,
Chief Magistrate of Police, runs thus :—" Fir being thre?
of a Body of armed Rebels, (consisting of about- 9.00,) :.-p-
-prehended on the night of the 15th inst. at Inchirourke, near
Askeaton, in an engagement between said Rebels a-i,d the
County of Limerick Police, in which Thomas Manning, Sub-
Constable, was shot dead."—(Limerick Chronicle.)

Peckham and Camberwell fairs have just con-
cluded, and if We may judge by the numbers of
persons apprehended for picking pockets at these
celebrated places of annual resort for the citizens
of London and Westminster, their harvest must
have been considerable.

Tuesday evening two children, James Saun-
ders and Edward Morton, between three and
four years of age, being at play near the Grey-
hound, at Hendon, unfortunately fell into a
draw-well, which had been left uncovered, atzd
both were `drowned.