The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-07 00:00:00

FATAL DUEL AT PALERMO.

We have beer. favoured with the following from a gentleman
at Palermo, dated April 23 :
"A most melancholy event has just occurred at this town,
which has caused the greatest excitement throughout all the
country to the foreign and native at present residing here.
Having arrived on the spot where the catastrophe took place
almost immediately after its having happened, and learned all the
particulars, I feel it my duty to send a statement of it as soon
as possible, in order that no misrepresentation may occur. A
yacht is just on the point of starting for Marseilles, and 1
send this by a friend who is proceeding direct to England, in
order that he may deliver it to the public press. The event
was as follows :
" Two officers of the 88th, now quartered at Malta, hav-
ing procured leave of absence, had come over for a few days
to Sicily ; they had landed about three days at this place,
when yesterday evening a quarrel arose between one of the
officers, Lieut. J. Brooke 'Johnson, and a Neapolitan Noble-
man, the Duc di Calabritti, which proceeded to such lengths
that Mr. Johnson, who was somewhat intoxicated, struck the
other such a violent blow on the mouth that it knocked out his
two front teeth. A meeting this morning was the consequence.
Before the affair had got wind to the police, the Duc de Cala-
br:tti, being attended by Mons. del Balzoff and Signor Parisi,
while Mr. Johnson was accompanied by his brother officer,
Lieutenant Norton, and another English gentleman, called
Markland, the combatants were placed at fifteen paces distance,
pistols living the weapons used. The first fire took place
without effect ; but, unfortunately, notwithstanding every
attempt made to reconcile the parties, a second fire was in-
sisted on, when, horrible to relate, Mr. Johnson was shot dead
on the spot, his own shot wounding his antagonist in the face
so desperately as to carry away part of the nose, disfiguring him
most probably for life. The seconds are all in custody, and it
is feared will be hardly dealt with, as the laws against duelling
are very severe in this country. As may be imagined, a great
gloom is thrown over all here by this very unhappy affair."

A few days ago, says a, letter from Anxonne, a
boat on the Saone, in which was a pleasure-party, consisting
tf four young men and three females, was suddenly upset by
he latter leaning too much on, one side. Two of the young
men caught one of the females and swam with her safely to
the shore. Another of the youths, in attempting to save his
sister, was embarrassed by his blouse, and, although a good
swimmer, was drowned, as was also the other man and the two
females.
GREAT FIRE IN LOCHAR Moss.—On the evening
of Friday last a tremendous fire was seen burning on the Caer-
laveroek side of Lochar Moss, which, it appears, originated
near the present resting-place of the steam-plough, right op-
posite to Broeklehirst. Judging from the eye, the range of
conflagration exceeded a mile, and, as night closed in, attracted
the marked attention of all travellers along the line of the
Annan-road. The flame seemed to rise to the height of seven
or eight feet, and flickered so splendidly far and near, above
and around, that the conflagration, on a scale far exceeding
Aluirburn, was at once appalling, sublime, and beautiful. Old
birds and hares in great numbers were seen flying and running
from the scene of danger, leaving pouts and leverets to their
fate.—Dumfries Courier.
The price of bread in Paris is fixed, for the first
fortnight in May, at 33c. the kilogramme.
SUDDEN DEATH IN A CHURCHYARD.--Wednesday
forenoon Mr. Wakley, 141.P.,-held an inquest at St. Maryle-
bone workhouse en the body of James Cormont, aged 56. On
the afternoon of Saturday last the deceased, who was a stone-
mason, had been engaged in repairing some tomb-stones in
Old St. Marylebone Churchyard, High-street, and had put up
his tools, in order to take his departure, when his companion
recollected they had left some cement behind them. The de-
ceased turned back to fetch it, and had gone about two paces
when he was heard to exclaim, Oh, my God !" and reeled
backwards. Medical aid was promptly procured, but the mo-
ment deceased fell he ceased to exist. Verdict—" Natural
death."
The sale of Messrs. Wigney's household furniture,
except so much of it as was lately found in Mr. George Wig-
ney's vaults and other places (which still remains in the cus-
tody of the assignees) terminated yesterday ; and, from what
we are enabled to collect, the auctioneer's return must be
most satisfactory to the creditors. From the day the sales were
published Mr. Ridley's office has been besieged by applicants
for "tickets to view" the effects, and we are assured that up-
wards of 5,000 persons were accommodated ; indeed the
several premises were thronged during the hours set apart
for the exhibition, nor did excitement cease with the " view,"
for on each day the sale room was crowded to excess with
persons of the highest respectability, and the biddings never
flagged, but a liberal competition was kept up from first to last.
Mr. Isaac Wigney's furniture, fixtures, carriages, and
horses, realised upwards of 2,000/. ; aid Mr. Clement
Wigney's about half that sum. There remains for sale (ac-
cording to the bankrupt's statement before the Commissioners)
the furniture of a residence in Brunswick-square, let to Sir H.
Palliser; also several houses and parts of houses in Regency-
square, Ship-street, &c. ; and what will doubtless attract more
notice than anything else, the " hidden treasures," or the
" reclaimed" property, including the celebrated candelabrum,
a harp, and other musical instruments, a quantity of plate and
furniture, costly fancy ball and court dresses, jewellery, trin-
kets, &c. &c.—Brighton Gazette of yesterday.
ALLEGED MURDER.—On Monday an inquest was
held in Dublin, on the body of Mary Conolly, who was re-
ported to have been killed bt her husband, on Saturday last.
Conolly, who had been detained in confinement since the even-
ing of the unfortunate occurrenee, was brought to the inquest
in custody. It appeared from the evidence, that the deceased
was a woman of the most ungovernable temper, and
that their mutual quarrels were frequent, often termi-
nating in personal violence ore both sides. The inquiry
lasted till six o'clock, when the Jury, after about ten mi-
nutes' deliberation, returned the following verdict :—" We find
that the said Mary Conolly died in syncope er faint, produced
by violent excitement, arisingfrom a quarrel with her husband
on Saturday last, and from the injudicious treatment she re-
ceived subsequently, while in that faint, by her neighbours
placing her in an erect position, and administering salt and
water." The prisoner was then discharged from custody.
THE HARWICH ELECTION PETITION.—The petition
against the return of the two Tory Members for Harwich, on
the usual grounds of bribery, treating, &c., has been with-
drawn, under circumstances which, acquainted as we are with
many of the facts that would have been established in evidence
against the sitting Members, we greatly regret, although we
can well understand the desire which the petitioners would feel
to avoid the immense expense of prose;uting the petition. The
Tories were too well aware of the fate which awaited them to
allow the case to proceed. It is, we understand, arranged
that Major Beresford shall immediately accept the Chiltern
Hundreds, and Sir Denis Le Marchant be elected in his stead
without opposition.— Evening Paper.
SIR J . GRAHAM'S NEW MAGISTRACY.—The first
act of the new Magistrates at Devizes has been to •create a job
for one of their creatures, by dismissing the former Clerk to
the Court, Mr. G. W. Ainstie, against whom they can allege
no fault, as they are themselves obliged to admit.—Evening
Paper.
As it is very possible that the friends of some of
the captives in Affghanistan, in Fort Baderabad, Loughanee
Valley, may not have heard directly frcm them, it will be gra-
tifying to such to know that we have been favoured with the
perusal of a letter, dated Calcutta, 18th March, from which we
make the following extract :—" Major Pottinger's last letter to
Government stated they were allowal every indulgence, and
as happy and comfortable as they possibly could be in a state of
captivity.
They have received a supply of clean clothes, which
they were in the utmost need of, having lost everything except
what they had on their backs."
Last week, the James Watt steamer, disembarked
at Bane a curious cow of the short-horned breed. It pre-
sents the remarkable peculiarity of being without hair, and
having a covering similar to the skin of the elephant, with the
forehead defended by a sort of horny substance. This animal
is a native of Sierra Leone, and has been purchased from the
Surrey Zoological gardens for the menagerie in the Jardinsdes-
, Plantes at Paris. One of the men belonging to this establish-
ment took charge of it on its arrival, as well as of a broad-
striped tiger-cat and a kangaroo, which were sent at the
same time.
Our readers will remember, that about three
mouths back, there was discovered in the ruins of a convent at
Madrid a body which, although interred two centuries ago, was
in so perfect a state frcm having undergone some process of
embalment, as to have been regarded by the owner of the
place in which it was found and by the public of Madrid as a
valuable curiosity. A person was placed to watch it, but it
suddenly disappeared, and a ridiculous rumour prevailed
that the man in charge of it had been bribed by the British'
Ambassador to convey it to his residence, to be from thence
forwarded to England. We are now informed by the Madrid
papers that the missing treasure has been found in the posses-
sion of an old man and his family, in a house on the banks of
the river Nervion, and that the intention of these persons, in
obtaining fraudulent possession of the body, was to take it to
England through France, showing it on the way to the curious
for money. It is stated that the lid of the coffin bears the
name of Dona Blanca de Uliveros, who died in 1640.