The Glasgow Chronicle. — 1849-08-01 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

MURDER BY CONVICTS IN CARRICKFERGUS JAIL.  One of the most inhuman and cold-blooded murders by which society has ever been outraged in Ulster was per. petrated in the County Prison at Carrickfergus, yesterday morning, upon a person named John Pearce, confined there under a rule of transportation for seven years, consequent on his conviction for larceny. The murderers are four of his fellow-convicts. The circumstances of the crime, as far as they were disclosed at the inquest, held before J. K. Jackson, Esq., coroner, and a jury, were as follows :—From some cause, hitherto unexplained, prisoners under sentence of -transportation have been allowed to accumulate in this jail for nearly two years past, until there are now about sisty persons of that class confined in a prison of very limited accommodations, and guarded by a very small staff of officers. About a month ago, considerable insubordination existed among a portion of these prisoners, in a part of the jail which is termed the "silent ward." The ringleaders were punished, and the disturbance put a stop to; but a bed spirit evidently continued to pervade the prisoners, and rendered closer vigilance necesssary on the part of their keepers. One of the principal ringleaders of the turbulent was the deceased; but it appeared that the example made of him and his associates, and an admonition from the governor. had induced him to keep aloof from them since. This excited the suspicions of the other convicts—who, it is believed, were planning a eonspiracy to effect their escape—that he was practising a system of espionage upon them. This made them anxious to get rid of him, even by murder if necessary. A convict, named William I.Muigan, heard another, named Thomas Johnston, threaten, before a third convict, named John Campbell, that they "would make a monument of Pearce, and leave him unable to tell who did it." Early yesterday morning, the convicts were seen whispering in their yard. and Campbell in earnest deliberation with three others. The turnkey ' threatened to report them to the governor, and warned alio' tber officer, who was stationed with loaded fire-arms at a window commanding the yard, to watch them, as they were plotting. Immediately after breakfast, Pearce was entering the yard, when, as he turned his head to look round, he was struck on the eye by Campbell. Another convict struck him twice on the head and neck with a whitewash brush; and then, before the officers present could interfere, or the others be alarmed, a number of the desperate wretches rushed upon him, as he lay on the ground, and actually trampled him to death with their heavy wooden clogs! Others rushed to save him, but it was too late. When raised up, lie only 'pl red. Dr. Magowan, hat the injuries were jury, without hesitamurder" against four Itobiusoa, and David. trial at this Assizes. and nirmorl7 resided of Ulster.  'fetch"  two,  _ and  then  expired. that '  , prison, testified . J cause death. The verdict of "wilful t )bell, Johnson, I committed for ' age,  convicts, I -", who  I  gave a physician of the quite sufficient to tion, returned a vet _ convicts, named Campbell, son, who were fully comit Pearce was about thirty years of 4, Shankliill Road, Belfast.—Banner