The Sun. — 1869-02-15 (London, England)

MYSTERIOUS CASE.—On Saturday afternoon, John Little, of Wigton, Cumberland, was charged with shooting John Ward, farmer, on the 30th of January. The affair was a very mysterious one, as Ward was coming home from Carlisle market when he was shot, and no robbery was attempted. No motive could be suggested for the crime, hut from the evidence collected suspicion rests upon the prisoner. He declared his innocence, but was committed for trial at the assizes, when it is to be hoped some light may be thrown on the subject.  The Stockport Town Council have resolvea to petition for the abolition of the hustings.  Birmingham was visited by a heavy snow-storm on Friday afternoon. Snow is also reported to have fallen in other parts of the country. The Irish Times states that the Government have decided on not calling out the militia of Ireland for training this year; the recruiting also continues suspended. Sir Richard Buckley is named as the probable successor of the late Marquis of Anglesey in the Lord Lieutenancy of the little island of Mona. Partly on account of the increased scour of the river caused by the Thames Embankment, fish have recently been seen on the south side of the Thames in great abundance.—Sough London Pros. It is rumoured that Captain Ducanc, of the Royal Engineers, will snuff(' Colonel Henderson, tirho has recently been appointed Chief Commissioner of Police, in his previous post of Chairman of Directors of Convict Pi isons.  On Saturday the Home Secretary has issued an order granting a reward of £lOO for the discovery of five men who, on the night of Saturday three weeks, murdered Samuel Grokett, aged 45 years, by throwing him into the Regent's Canal, Hackney. The Railway News reports that the traffic receipts of the railway; in the United Kingdom for the week ending February 12, 1869, upon a mileage of 12,936, amount to £701,132, being equal to .£54 4s. per mile. For the corresponding week of last year the receipts were £655,671, the number of miles open 12,542 or £52 ss. per mile. A disputed will has been before the Dublin Court or Probate. A person named Duddy, of Londonderry, bequeathed the bulk of his property, about £3,000, to his wife on the condition that she should not marry, but enter a convent. The next of kin challenged the instrument, on the ground of "undue influence on the part of the wife." Th Court decided that the will was good.  According to the London correspondent of the Manchester Guardian, the Conservatives mean to take up the cause of the clerks and workmen who are about to be reduced in the various departments. They threaten, moreover, to have a field night upon the creation of a Third Lord of the Treasury, and the raising of Mr. Stansfeld's salary from £l,OOO to £2,000 a year.  There seems to be some probability of one very beneficial result following the recent election inquiry at Bradford, viz., the discontinuance at future contests of the use of public-houses as committee-rooms. On Friday a meeting was hold at that town, presided over by the Mayor, to advo2ate this alteration, and it was stated that several of the more influential politicians of the borough were resolved not to take part in election matters if public-houses were engaged. It was also stated that the licensed victuallers themselves bad taken the initiative by aodpting a resolution recommending their brethren iu the trade not to entertain election agents in the future.