The Sun. — 1857-03-31 (London, England)

MURDER OF AN OFFICER AT DEAL.  The inhabitanfa of Deal and Walmer were thrown nto a state of great excitement on Sunday morning by the intelligence that an officer belonging to the 44th Regiment, stationed at Walmer, had: been found dead on the beach between Walmer and Deal, and that it was supposed he had been murdered. Upon inquiry thestory turned out to be too true, and within a few hours after the discovery of the body the murderer was apprehended. The facts of the case are as follow:—Lieut. Edward M'Carroll, of the 44th Foot, s..young gentleman of about 20 years of age, who bore the character of being a very quiet young man, managed on Saturday to get mixed up in the excitement of the election contest for Deal and Sandwich. At about one o'clock on Sunday morning he accosted a coastgu-ird man in Deal, whom. Le asked to have some grog, and he said he had• lost 51. at the election. He asked if there was a public-house open ; the coast-guard directed. him to one opposite. The deceaseif, who was a little " fresh," knocked at the door with his stick, and asked for a glass of grog " on tic." This the landlady, Mrs. Baker, refused, and told Mr. M'Carroll •to go' about his business, but he put his stick betwef n the door for the purpose of keeping it open; ultimately he walked away in the direction of Walmer. All thisthe coast-guard witnessed from the opposite side of the way. A few minutes after Baker, the landlord, came out of the house without his coat, and proceeded in the, same direction. It appears that his wife had lold him that the officer put his stick in her mouth, and had nearly pulled her tongue out. Baker, who was in liquor, and who is a very violent man, said he would serve him out. He went out, but returned in a few minutes for his coat, and some men who were in the bar said, "Take the poker." He took up a short poker from the fire place, which he put half into his pocket. He then went out again, and asked the coast-guard which way the gentleman had gone, and being told, went in pursuit of him. The scuffle that ensued was not witnessed, but it is presumed that the officer must have run away from his assailant down one of the streets leading to the beach, where he was found lying at 5 o'clock by another coarst guard, with an incised wound of about three inches behind the left ear, from which an immense quantity of blood had flowed. He was then insensible, but was breathing, when he was removed to his quarters, and died in about an hour from the great loss of blood. He was quite unconscious up to the moment of his death. Baker returned to his house in about an hour, when he said to the coast-guard, " I caught him, and I gave it him with somethiug I had in my pocket." Th. coast-guard asked where he had left him, and Baker said, "On the beach." Baker was apprehended on Sunday,. when he admitted having struck the deceased with a hobbing stick. He was taken before a full bench of magistrates on Monday, and the above facts having been given in evidence, the prix iner, who appeared quite calm, was remanded till Tuesday. An inquest was held on the body this afternoon, but was adjourned that a post mortem examination might be mad.l. The melancholy affair has cast quite a gloom over the town.