The Sun. — 1847-05-25 (London, England)

MURDER AT SHEPTON MALLET.—On the 12th inst. a coroner's inquest was held at Stoke-lane, otherwise Stoke St. Michael, near this town, before Mr. Daniel Ashford, one of the coroners for this county, on the body of James Boyce, of the parish of Stoke-lane, labourer. It appeared the deceased had had some words ea nnce d choppingith many i: swearing he would chop their --- necks off. Hall, n oaths swore in the tap-room of the White Hart beer-house with another man (a thatcher), whom the landlord, Richard Hall, got out of the tap-room into the bar, to avoid further dispute; deceased being violent, he got possession of the thatcher's hook, and followed him to the door of the bar, where Hall, the landlord, ordered him away, and refused him admittance; h w ohuel,dhcooiLeevienr: and commenced d v v the door with the hook for the purpose of getting being alarmed at his proceedings, told him to go away, or he would shoot him; he accordinwly took a gun which was in the room, and shot at him through the panel of the door which Boyce had cut out. The charge entering his forehead, he fell a lifeless corpse, and did not afterwards move. The inquest was adjourned till the following day, when the jury returned a verdict of " Wilful murder' Hall, foroffence, against the and he was fully committed under the coroner's warrant to await his trial at the ensuing assizes. Additional Particulars.—Since writing my letter, there bring so many different accounts of the melancholy affair, I have been to Stoke to ascertain further particulars; and I find II:11 loaded his piece in the presence of the unfortunate men Boyce, whilst he was chopping the bar door, in order, as they say, to intimidate him. Hall stated to the jury that he only loaded the piece with Lowder; but alai. statement cannot be true, or else the piece was before c tare-6ed, and he put powder on the betore-containi d contents; for it appeared, on a post-mortem examination which took place during the adjournment of the inquest, that above 100 shots were taken from the man's head. There was a wound in the centre of the deceased's forehead, a little larger than the bore of the piece, from which a quantity of his brain was blow out, lodging on the wall and the door which be at the time was cnopping.—Sherborne Journal.  " These boats are now generally constructed of mahogany, which is found to answer perfectly, being both light and durable.— W. A. B. Hamikon.  A letter from Koenigsberg (Prussia), of the 16th, says that the proposition which has been. so often made ito st,:e Jews, and as often refused, to celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday instead of Saturday, has at last been accepted by 700 Jews of that town, who form the great majority of the Israelite community. The measure is considered one of great importance, especially in commercial operations. Major-General Sir Henry Watson, C. 8., has been appointed to the Colonelcy of the 63d Foot, vice Dyott, deceased. Sir Henry Watson is an old Peninsular officer. He entered the service in May, 1795, and after going through all the regimental grades with tolerable rapidity, was made Major-General by the Coronation Brevet of I.B3B.—United Service Gazette. The Bishop of Exeter's friends will regret to see that the Committee have not yet published his Lame among the list of subscribers to the Poor Relief Fund It ever there was a time when persons in distinguished situations should do violence to their modest natures by proclaiming their charitable dispositions—it is on such an occasion as this.— Western Times.