The Sun. — 1850-08-29 (London, England)

LYNCHING IN AMERICA.  Very remarkable records of crimes are sometimes received from the " nether regions" of the Far West ; but the subjoined narratives, extracted from the American Flag of the 17th ult., published in the district of Rio Grande, possess features of unusual atrocity : _  "On the _llth inst. our citizens were astounded with the melancholy intelligence that Justice Beacon, in consequence of the death of the coroner, bad been called to hold an inquest over the body of Captain John Brennan, who had beeti murdered in cold blood by the notorious Bill Hardy, both recently from Galveston. It appears that the above two, with a number of others, were at the Landango-house, where they remained till between one and two o'clock in the morning, when Captain Brennan left for his place of lodging. He had not proceeded far when he was overtaken by Hardy, who drew his knife and thrust it to the hilt in Brennan's left breast. Seeing Hardy's movements, he threw up his hands and exclaimed, Bill, don't cut me!' It was too late— the fatal stab came too quick and too certain for him to avoid it. He ran some thirty or forty yards, fell, and soon expired. After committing the outrage Hardy walked back into the house, with his knife in his hand, reeking with blood, exelaiming, I'm a tart, and that's the way I'll serve any man who will follbw me.' Some of those who heard him, supposing he had got into difficulty with a Mexican, advised him to leave, which he did. As soon as it was ascertained that he had killed Captain Brennan, men were sent to the several ferries to prevent his escape into Mexico, and others started in pursuit. He was arrested next morning about daylight near one of the ferries, ironed, and taken to gaol. The cause assigned for this brutal outrage is the refusal of Brennan to let Hardy have money while at Brazos, which is, in all probability, the true cause, as Hardy was heard to say, on the way up to that place, that he had marked his man. The people resolved to mete out justice to the murderer, and they according assembled and demanded the culprit from the deputy-sheriff, who was obliged to deliver up the man into their hands. On reaching the spot for this tragic scene, he remarked that he knew he had to die, and intended to die like a man, but would rather be shot than hung. The crowd assembled to witness the solemn tragedy was quite large, but orderly and quiet, with a few exceptions. No one volunteering to shoot the guilty wretch, it was decided that he must hang. During all this time, and even while the arrangements were making f)r launcing him into eternity, where he would meet a more dread tribunal than any on earth, he evinced the most perfect indifference as to his fate, not suffering a muscle of his face or limbs to betray the least emotion, and even took the rope that was to bang him and tied the hangman's knot, to show how it was done, without the slightest perceptible tremor of the nerves. Those managing the matter, fearing the knotwas not well tied, untied it for the purpose of retying, in which they failed, when he remarked to a gentleman standing near him that he would tie it again. This kind office the individual addressed promised to perform for him. The doomed man then got into a cart, mounted on a plank which rested on the wheels, without any resistance or assistance, and, while the rope, which was suspended from a beam used for hoisting beeves, was being adjusted around his neck, asked to have his hands tied behind him. There he stood high above the crowd, his hands tied, the noose closed about his neck, and death staring him in the face, calm, cool, and collected. The cart moved from under him, and in this condition he was hurried into eternity. He died after a slight struggle, and thus terminated the earthly career of Bill Hardy. He met death with the same reckless indifference that he had meted it out to others.