The Sun. — 1860-07-30 (London, England)

THE DUNGANNON TRAGEDY. Those who recollect the circumstances connected  with the dismal tragedy at Dungannon—the murder of Sergeant M'Clelland and the nearly accomplished butchery of Sub-Inspector Mathew—will not be surprised that the assassin Holden has keen found guilty at the assizes of Tyrone. The circumstantial proofs of his guilt were overwhelming, and all the ability and eloquence of his council (Mr. Butt) were thrown away upon the jury, who, however, accompanied their verdict with a recommendation to mercy on the ground of previous good character; but the judge refused to listen to the recommendation, and sentenced him to be hanged on the 27th of August. Holden was perfectly cool throughout, and requested as a last favour that he might be shot, instead of dying by the rope. The I%orthern TV hilq of this morning has the following statement in reference to the trial :  " Notwithstanding the atrocity of the crime of which the prisoner has now been convicted, a feeling approaching to sympathy for him was manifested at the time on account of the circumstances which had led to the perpetration of the horrid deed, and since then the heroic fidelity manifested towards him by his wife has contributed to renew and keep up this sympathy. The unfortunate woman has, it appears, during the last month, been in daily attendance upon her husband, as far es the gaol regulations would permit, and she begged the whole country round, and raised a considerable sum of money to procure for him the best counsel and. advice. The circumstances connected with the murder were briefly that Holden had become anxious to marry a young woman (his present wife) and had made application for leave to do so; it being according to the rules of the force that no policeman can marry without the consent of his superiors. While the consideration of his application was pending, it was somehow or other discovered that Holden had been secretly married. On Monday, the sth of December last, he was summoned to receive the determination of the authorities in reference to his application. He attended in the barracks, where Mr. Mathews (sub-inspector) intimated to him that his application had been refused, and that, in consequence of what had taken place in the interval, the determination of the authorities was that he should be removed from Dungannon to Newtonstewart, and reduced from the rank of constable to sub-constable. In the course of that Monday Holden, conceiving in his mind that he had been ill used by M'Clelland and Mathews in this matter, wrote a letter to Headconstable M'Gowan, breathing a bitter feeling against the sergeant and the sub-inspector. In the course of that evening M'Clelland was murdered. He and Holden left the police barracks together between 6 and 7, and were seen walking on the road and turning into the gate of the Rev. Mr. Quaine's house. Within a minute or two after two thots were heard, and soon after M'Clelland's body was found with two bullet shots in it, and a little after the prisoner was met on the road which he had walked with M'Clelland, returning to the barracks, which he left that night between 10 and 11. This, with other circumstances sustaining the impression of the prisoner's guilt, was the evidence against the accused. In the appeal made to the jury in behalf of the prisoner the highest legal ability was displayed. Mr. Butt did not injure the case of the accused by treating with levity the strong evidence of guilt '.which had been produced against him. He wisely, and for the interest of his client, admitted that the suspicions against him were strong, but called on the jury not to convict on suspicions, however strong, nor on anything less than clear, unpolluted evidence, free from all doubt." I don't say there is no suspicion in the case. It is a case of very strong suspicion; but I tell you, in the sacred name of the law—in the sacred name of justice—that a strong suspicion will not justify a verdict of guilty. All this masterly eloquence was unavailing. The jury convicted the prisoner of murder, but felt themselves justified in attaching to that verdict a recommendation to mercy. The judge pronounced sentence of death. Whatever may be the effect of the recommendation of the jury, certainly no impartial reader of the trial will call in question the justice of their verdict of The trial appears to have been conducted throughout, on the part of all concerned, with a gravity and seriousness which leave nothing to be regretted in any part of the legal and judicial procedure. No exception can be taken to the character or credibility of any one witness produced."