The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-02 00:00:00

THE DETECTIVES.

The following report of a case at Henry-street Police-office,
yesterday, will give our readers an idea of the lengths to
which the Dublin detective police are permitted by the autho-
rities to carry their irresponsibility :
Two very well-dressed and handsome-looking young men,
who gave their names as Joseph Fisher arid Thomas Phillips,
were brought up in custody of the detective force, under the
following circumstances :
Mr. Frank Smyth appeared as counsel, with Messrs. C.
Fitzgerald and Edward Fulham as agents, for the prisoners,
who were taken up on suspicion of having committed a felony
in the Bank of Ireland on Friday last, when some money was
stolen from gentlemen who were transacting business in that
establishment.

Brennan, one of the detective police, stated that, from infor-
mations which he had received, he arrested Fisher in Sack..
vile-street on Saturday. He took the prisoner off a car,
where he was with some other persons. He (Brennan) knew
the prisoners bad arrived from England, and were going to
the fair of Ballinasloe, and he suspected they would commit a
felony if they could, and he had also reason to suspect that
they belonged to the swell mob, and therefore he arrested
them. He got thirty-one sovereigns and 5/. 10s. in notes on
Fisher, with a gold watch, chain, &c., and, in fact, every-
thing that a person might expect to find with a gentleman of
property.
On cross-examination by Mr. Smyth, Brennan admitted
that he neither saw nor knew of the prisoner doing anything
wrong—in fact, he knew nothing about him, except that he
(Brennan) suspected he would commit a felony if he got an
opportunity, and therefore be arrested him.
Mr. Bardin was examined to show that he lost money in

the bank, but he could not tell who stole it; he never saw
the prisoner before.
Mr. Smyth produced Mr. Beckley, of the Sheffield Hotel,
who proved that Mr. Fisher was in the habit of stopping at
his hotel, and that he always had plenty of money, and was
a gentleman who kept his horse and gig; he had the highest
opinion of Mr. Fisher, who on one occasion ordered a suit of
clothes, which were sent to the hotel after Mr. Fisher left, and
he (witness) paid for them, and the property remained in his
house for a long time; and on Mr. Fisher coming to Cork,
some months after, witness sent the clothes, and Mr. Fisher
remitted the amount at once.

Mr. Smyth said it was monstrous to take up a gentleman
on such a charge, and he urged that he must at once be dis.
charged.
Mr. Tyndall said there was no case made against the pri-
soner, and at once set him at liberty.
Thomas Phillips, a very fine and intelligent young man,
apparently about sixteen years of age, was then put forward.
The evidence against him was the same as in the last case,
and Brennan said he got four sovereigns on him when
arrested.

Mr. Smyth (to Brennan)—Was there not a large paper
placard put on this young gentleman's hat, with the words
" English thief and swell mob" written on it ?—Yes, but that
was not done by me.
Mr. Smyth—Was he not marched through the streets with
that paper on his hat, in order that the public might see
him ?—Yes, he was.
Mr. Smyth—And was he not taken through the streets to
Pim's, in George-street, and paraded before the customers in
that house, with the placard on his hat ?—Yes, he was.
Mr. Smyth—And you brought him there to try if he had
purchased a pin which he had, and which he told you he bought
there for 14s. ?—Yes.
Mr. Smyth—And his story was found to be perfectly cor-
rect ?—lt was. _ _

_ .
Mr. Smyth—And he was then taken through the streets
,o the Lower Castle-yard to the office of Mr. O'Connor ?

Mr. Smyth—And he was brought. through the streets with
five or six detective policemen jeering at and pointing him
out to the pe•ple ?—Yes, he was.
Mr. Smyth—And I believe you took him to almost all the
chapels and churches in Dublin on Sunday with the placard
on his hat, and pointed him out to the congregation, and
asked if any person had lost anything, and if so, could
they identify the prisoner ?—Yes, that is true, and I was or-
dered to do it.

Mr. Smyth—Good; and then after marching him about
the town all day on Sunday, you took him to College street
station, where he was confined ever since ?—Yes, sir.
Mr. Smyth said perhaps the present was the most outra-
geous act committed by the detective police. Life or liberty
was not safe in Ireland while such a system was permitted to
remain, and he would certainly make a representation of the
facts to the Government, for if this horrid system of espionage
was permitted any longer, there would be no security to the
person either by law or national liberty. He submitted that
Mr. Phillips must be instantly discharged.
Mr. Tyndall at once set the young man at liberty, as he
had no case against him.
REPRESENTATION OF KERRY.—It is said that Mr. Hirbert,
of Mucross, is to start for Kerry on the repeal interest.
AGRARIAN OUTRAGE IN ROSCOMMON.—On the night of
September 5 six heifers, the property of Mr. John Goldsmith,
were houghed on the lands of Ballyonghter, near Elphin. On
the morning of the 22d Mr. James .olan's herd, on the lands
of Castleplunket, found sixteen of the heifers in his charge
stabbed in the flanks; three were dead, and the others
mortally injured. A bayonet was found in the body of one.
The value of them before the injury was estimated at 15
guineas each. We find, on looking over the county books,
that at the last spring and summer assizes the suns cf
299/. 13s. 6d. was presented as a compensation for malicious
isijuries, as follows :—Athlone barony, 1081. 13s. ; Ballintobber
barony, 601. 10s. ; Frenchpark barony, 12/. 12s. ; 3loycarron
barony, 331. 6s. 6d. ; Boyle barony, 211. 10s.; Roscommon
barony, 63/. 2s;.—Total, 2991. 13s. 6d.
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL IMPROYE3IENT SOCIETY OF IRE-

AND.—BALLINASLOE, MONDAY EVENlNG:Notwithstanding
this being the immediate eve of the great agricultural meet-
ing and annual cattle show, the town is filling but very
slowly. A mighty influx of strangers was this day con-
fidently expected, but the arrivals have, however, been upon
a very moderate scale. The proprietors of lodging-houses—
many of whom have gone to much more considerable ex-
pense than for the ordinary occasion of the great fair, in the
hope, of course, of reaping a golden harvest in proportion—
will, it is anticipated, suffer serious disappointment. There
remain at this moment, as I have been informed, 500 beds to
let. The coming in of the cattle and other sorts of stock for
exhibition is progressing steadily, and every preparation to
render the show itself in the highest degree effective is com-
pleted. A trial of agricultural implements, comprising
ploughs, harrows, grubbers, scarifiers, &c., took place this
afternoon, in a:field in the neighbourhood. Judges appointed
to this department were present to test, by personal observa-
tion, the merits of each "newest invention," so as to be
thereby better qualified to discriminate between the respective
characters in making their awards.
THE DETECTIVE Poucr..—Mr. Inspector O'Connor, of the
detective police, has just made his appearance here, and half
a dozen of his corps will be down from Dublin in the course
of the evening. He has been taking a quiet survey of the
town, peering about with his hawk-eyes, and innocently
observing all that is going on. In the course of his ambula-
tions he was observed " measuring " some characters whom
he conceives to be fair game for his detective powers. Those
lads" evidently knew the detective, and " measured " him,
Indeed it, was most amusing to witness the little by-pla
between, O'Conaor and the swell mob "gentry," for sue:
they are.