The Sun. — 1862-01-30 (London, England)

KENNARD BROTHERS. 36, Great George-street, Jan. 27.  " Velletri Viaduct, Jan. 18. "Gentlemen,—Before you receive this you will have heard, no doubt, of the dreadful murder of poor Jeremiah Smith. The circumstances of the case are as follows :-Ho and I, on returning after work to the town, did not go straight home, but went to tell the 14 Englishmen who left hero this morning to be ready to start by seven o'clock. Smith was a very long time talking to one of the men, so I said to him, ' Well, I am not going to stop any longer. Are you coming ?" Yes, directly,' he said. I then walked home alone, and had scarcely got my coat and hat oil before up came Miles Riley, saying that I was wanted directly. He did not then tell me what was the matter (on account of Smith's wife being present), but on getting out of the house he told me Smith had been shot in the stomach. On my arriving at the inn where Smith was I found him lying, or leaning, on a form, Mr. York, with his son, Mr. Bonchardt, and several others trying to persuade him to go upstairs and be undressed. After a great deal of persuasion he went, and on his being undressed we found a bullet had passed under his ribs and was still in the intestines. The doctor said it was all up with him. Mr. York telegraphed to Rome for an English doctor, but unfortunately he could not come. We broke the news to his wife as well as we could, and in half an hour after the accident she was with him. We remained up with the poor fellow until twenty minutes past four this afternoon (Saturday, January 18), when he died, after having suffered the most awful agony for about twenty •two hours. The account I have of the manner in which it was done is that, shortly after' I left, Smith, with his man (guard), who always went with him, had just got outside the door of the inn, when e man passed quickly by him, and shot as he went past. Benjamin Gilvear (who was saying Good night' to Smith) as well as Smith's man were so stunned by the suddenness of the thing that they were quite powerless, and of course the man ran as hard as ho could as soon as he had shot Smith. The only description that we can give the police is that the man had on a big cloak and a cap. Of course this description will be of no use. Smith, however, before he died, said that it was a man who had been discharged that very day, and whose name is Giuseppe de Rossi. The police have put the fellow in prison, and they have also two or three others there on suspicion.  "Mr. York's kindness was beyond everything, both he and his son being in the room with us the greater part of the night. Mr. York had the surgeon belonging to a French regiment stationed here to look at Smith at about 12 o'clock in the night, but he gave us no, or at least scarcely ant, hope of the poor fellow's life being saved. " You may imagine such a dreadful and sudden murder as this, committed in the most public street, and at a time (6 or a quarter-past in the evening) when so many people were about, has caused the Englishmen that are here to be in a very desponding state, especially when we are openlY told that there are more to go off yet. Poor Smith had been often warned that his life was in great danger, but be said ho was well armed. At the time ho was shot he had Mr. Wilson's revolver on, and carried a swordstick in his hand.—l beg to remain, gentlemen, yours truly, ' " Messrs. Kennard Brothers." " R. S.