The Miner and Workman's Advocate. — 1865-08-19 (London, England)

OFFICER SHOT AT CHATHAM.  A deliberate attempt was made to murder Major Francis Horatio De Vere, an officer of Royal Engineers attaehed to the had quarters of the Royal E: gineer estabbehment, Cnatbaw, on Friday afternoon. He was shot through the lungs, by a private Sipper of the corps, as he was stationed on the parade greund of Brompton Barracks in the discharge of his military duties. The perpetrator is a young man named Cuiry, who has been but a short time in the corps. From tr,e circomstances connected with the attempted murder, there is no doubt it had been planned some time previously. The officers and men of the various companies had fallen in in front of their quarters in the barrack square shortly after one o'clock in readiness to proceed to the field works, and Major De Vere was at the time standing with a group of other officers in conversation. On moving away a few paces, and while he was in the act of giving some orders, the report of a rifle fired from one of the upper windows of the rooms occupied by the Sappers was heard. He instantly staggered forward, exclaiming, "My God! I am shot," and fell into the arms of some of the officers who went to his assistance. At the same moment the man who had discharged the rifle from the window retreated into the centre of the room and, putting down the rifle, walked into an adjoining apartment, where he was at once seized by Lieutenant Dunford and some men of the Royal Engineers. The distance of the spot where Major De Vere was standing at the time he was shot was between 20 and 30 yards from the window from which the rifle was discharged. At that moment his back was towards the window, the ball entering just below the shoulder and passing in a slightly downward direction into the lungs, and out just below the left breast. The bullet then tore up the gravel and bounded over the heads of the men on parade, not otte of whum, although there were several hundred in the barrack square at the time, was struck. The cause which led to the crime appears to have been that Major De Vere had caused Cuiry to be confined in the cells for a period of eix days for some military offence. It is also stated that Major De Yore had refused te allow Curry to leave the fieldworks in consequence of his incompetency. Curry seems to have watched a favourable oppoitunity of being left alone in the barrack-room when he could discharge his rifle from the open winlow. On being arrested a second rifle was found in the same room, and this had been likewise loaded by tbe prisoner, the inference being either that he had intended to discharge the second rifle at Major De Vero should the first shot have failed in striking him, or that he intended after shooting the officer to take his own life. The accused on being arrested did riot offer the least resistance, and made no remark. He has been in the corps rather more than twelve months, and was transferred to the Royal Engineers from one of the cavalry regiments. Major de Vere is an officer who has seen considerable service. Ho was employed on a special mission in Turkey, and subsequently he served throughout the whole of the Crimean war, from the landing of the Allies to the fall of Sebastopol. He is a Ktrght of the Legion of Honour, and is also decorated with the fifth class of the Medjidie. CHATHAM, Sunday.—Contrary to the very general expectation of the na: dical officers and others who have attended Major De Vera since the attempt on that officer's life on Friday last, be still survives the fearful injuries he has sustained ; but, as from the first, little hopes are entertained that he can possibly recover, the butler, fired by his intended murderer having passed completely through Vie left lun4, and making its exit just above the heart. On Friday night and Saturday Major De Vere was stated to be somewhat better; but to-day he is scarcely so we 1, several unfavourable symptoms having manifestei themselves, and this evening it was stated that he wa, gradually sinking Since Curry has been in custody, he has maintained the greatest indifference, and freely converses on the subject.