The Daily Times. — 1860-07-30 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

THE MURDER OF A CONSTABLE IN IRELAND.  As would he seen by two different telegraphic despatches which we have already given; at the Armagh Assizes, on Friday, ex-Constable Holden, of Dungannon, was charged with the murder of Sergeant M'Clelland. Holden, it will be remembered, was reduced, on a charge of having secretly married, and suspected Sub-inspector Matthews and M'Clelland of having been the cause of his disgrace. He asked M'Clelland to proceed with him to the house of a priest at Dungannon, for the purpose of procuring from the reverend gentleman a certificate to the effect that he (Holden) was not married. M'Clelland complied with his request, but the priest being from home. Holden proposed that they should apply to Mr. Quain, the Protestant rector. When they had, as is supposed, gone up about twenty yards on Mr. Quain's avenue, and while they were almost in sight of the entrance gate, a shot was heard, and immediately after another, following the first in rapid' succession. Holden had in his possession a large horse-pistol and a smaller weapon of the same kind ; and it is supposed that he fired two shots at M'Clelland, a ball from one of the pistols entering the back of the deceased at the right side, and coming out through the region of the heart. The ball from the other shot entered the head at the left side of the nose, near the eye, and taking a downward direction carried away some of Mr. M'Clelland's teeth. Holden then stabbed deceased in the centre of the forehead. Having completed this bloody work, he went into the town, and proceeded to a house.where Sub-inspector Mathews was taking tea. He left a message to the effect that Mr. R. Evans, J.P., wished to see Mr. Mathews immediately, and then made his way to the avenue leading to Mr. Evans's house, and hid himself among some bushes. Mr. Mathews walked up the avenue, when he-was attacked by Holden, Who was armed with a horse-pistol and a dagger. Holden knocked Mr. Mathews down with a blow of the pistol on the head, fracturing the skull. The gentleman, thus wounded, and, to a great degree, rendered insensible, was,- of course, incapable of offering any resistance to his assailant, who followed up the attack by giving Mr. Mathews several stabs en the head and face. While Holden was thus attacking his superior officer he gave a shout. This attracted the attention of two men, who went in the direction whence the .noise had proceeded. Holden, it is conjectured, seeing these men so near him, desisted from his murderous assault upon Mr. Mathews, and attempted to escape, The jury found him guilty, hut recommended him to mercy on account of his previous good character. The prisoner, who very coolly requested to be shot, was sentenced to death.  Several of the foreign astronomers who went to Spain to observe the eclipse intended, before leaving, to hold a conference at Madrid, to which city they have been invited by the government.  The album which the city of Milan is about to present to Marshal Valliant will contain twenty-eight watercolour drawings by the best artists of the city, including Bisi, Massala, Promagatti; Pennutti, and Rossi. The cost will be about 15,000 francs.