Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-27
AN IRISH SOLDIER ACCUSED OF CON.
SPRING TO ASSASSINATE THE
PRINCE OF WALES.

Brighton april o Correspondence London Times
large crowd assembled this morning al
the police court 10 hear the proceeding
against a member of the London Irish Rife
| Volunteers, who had been given into custody
by his Colonel, the Marquis Of Donegal, on
a charge Of having used seditious language
in threatening to shoot the Prince Of Wales,
and in having ten rounds of ball cartridge
in his pocket when searched on the review
ground on Monday last, although on being
questioned, he denied having any ball cart
| ridges about him.
The accused, whose name is Patrick But
Ter, and belonged to No. Company Of the
London Irish, had undergone preliminary
examination on the previous day, and was
remanded to bring down some of his COM
] rades, who had returned to London on Mon
day night, to give evidence against him, il
being alleged that the ball cartridge found
on him was not Government ammunition,
but had been purchased by him privately on
the previous Saturday. These rumors be-
coming extensively circulated throughout
the town on Tuesday caused the intense ex-
citement above referred to, and the police
court was speedily crowded as soon as its
doors were OPENED.
The prisoner, on being placed in the dock,
bowed TO the Court. He is in person of
| slender build, and somewhat above the
middi hight. He has a sharp eve and
dark hair, with a small military mustache,
and was attired in his uniform as a private
in the London Irish. The evidence upon
which he had been remanded was, in the
first instance, read over, and was to the fol-
lowing effect:
Robert elliott am private in the 2Sth
Middlesex (London Irish Volunteers; |
reside in Clifford street. Soho square, Lon
don, and am a musician; ! saw Butler in
public house near the railway station, on
Sunday morning about II o'clock; | think
the name of the house is "The Feathers" he
produced some ammunition, which / saw
was ball cartridge, and talked about shooting
some one; / think he said the Prince Of
Wales; prisoner was half drunk, and |
thought he would get into some trouble, and
so / reported him TO the commanding officer;
he took the ball ammunition out of his
pocket and placed it in my hand; when he
said he was going TO shoot some one, be-
lieve he mentioned the Prince of Wales; /
said, Don't be so FOOLISH" then it was he
placed the ammunition in my hand, and |
gave it him back; he did not use the name
of the Prince Of Wales at first and when he
did so | looked on it as Jest, but thought
he would get into trouble, so / reported to
Corporal Cox; left prisoner atthe public house;
| heard from him that he brought the ball
cartridge down to fire at the range this was
on the Monday when he was taken into
custody; when his pouch was examined he
had blank cartridges as well; that was served
ont on Saturday afternoon at the Somerset
House
The magistrate wished to know ifthe pris-
oEer desired 30 say anything in answer to
the serious charge which had been made
against him. Having been cautioned as to
any statement he might make,
The prisoner said: ] purchased the ball
cartridge in Longacre from mere curiosity,
AZ it was, believe, different from the Gov
eminent ammunition, and as | intended TO
have some shooting at Easter; | wrote 10
my brother about a fortnight ago that | was
not quite sure if could como down; | went
10 Somerset House for my ticket aud am
munition on Saturday evening; on the Mon
day | had with me half 4 pint of Irish
whisky, and ! had a guartern of that and
some brandy with other volunteers, and
then we had some ale ut two other public
houses; | have no recollection whatever of
having threatened TO shoot the Prince of
Wales; if did so it must have been mere
Jest; had no breakfast and was the worse
for liquor; the Lord knows | could not have
any luminosity against the Prince of Wales,
or against any other person; | have nothing
further to say.
Mr.. Bigge the magistrate, turning to the
prisoner, said: "The explanation you have
given, as well as the evidence of the wit
nesscs, tends TO show most satisfactorily that
you have brought yourself into this dilem-
ma by your own folly and drunkenness. 1t
would have been n melancholy slur upon
that splendid regiment which we saw here
on Monday, and which we are always glad
to welcome on these occasions, could any
one in its ranks have been guilty even of
the intention which has been imputed to
you. We believe that a more loyal body
volunteers is not in the service, and in the
conviction that you are not otherwise, you
are now discharged
The decision was received with great APP
plause The prisoner bowed and left the
dock