The Sun. — 1834-04-21 (London, England)

BRUTAL MURDER IN IRELAND.  A most premeditated and barbarous murder was committed about eleven o'clock in the morning of Thursday, the 10th instant, in the townland of Maghiralongford, county of Tyrone, seven miles from Dungannon. The following are the correct particulars :—ln the month of November last a man named James Tormar was dispossessed of his land, being unable to pay the arrears of rent due on it ; another person, named Bernard O'Neill, paid the amount, and was regularly put in possession. Tormar several times told O'Neill that he would shoot him, or the first person he should employ to cultivate the farm. O'Neill, however, on the day before mentioned, went on the land with his horse and plough, together with a man named Hugh Neill, whom he had hired for the occasion. On Tor.. mar observing them coming towards the field, he pro.. ceeded to a house two fields off, from which he took a gun and came back to the field. O'Neill and his man were about to enter, they were then standing on the road, when O'Neill, said he would plough the land_ Tormar advanced, and in the most deliberate manner took regular aim at him and missed fire. At this moment Neill advanced, whom he covered in like manner, and shot him through the heart, not being more than eight paces from him when Neill fell. O'Neill seized Tormar, and although the deceased was weltering in his blood, there were four persons barbarous enough to rescue the murderer and let him off!  Mr. Duff, chief constable of police, having received intimation of the murder from Mr. Caulfield, a magistrate, he turned out a sergeant and five cavalry and proceeded to the spot, where, on his arrival, instead ol' meeting with any assistance, by information or otherwise, from the persons assembled, one and all of them entered into a justification on Tormar's behalf.  The chief constable thinking it likely the murderer would shelter himself in a large and thick wood called Killacolpy, about three miles further on, made for it, and, having dismounted some of his men, in a few minutes apprehended the murderer, concealed in a large thicket. _  Crowds of persons assembled and followed, all of whom expressed much more sympathy for the murderer than for the deceased, his widow, and five (now) helpless children ; and, on their being reasoned with on their want of feeling, several of the crowd said, " Tormar did quite right to shoot him ; no man here would not do the same to any man who would take land over our heads."  A woman named Mary Devlin, one of those who rescued Tormar in the first instance, was afterward 9. apprehended. The coroner's inquest returned a verdict of " Murder" against Tormar, who, with Mary Devlin, is now in Dungannon-gaol.  It appears from the property tax returns, that the agricultural classes contribute to the state more than three times as much as the manufacturing and commercial classes of every description united. On Thursday night the valuable and extensive woollen manufactory of Mr. Shofield, at Haybrook, near Rochdale, was totally destroyed by fire. It is not known how the fire originated, nor is the damage yet ascertained ; it must, however, be to a. very serious amount.