The Sun. — 1852-11-29 (London, England)

IRISH TRAGEDY.  A dreadful occurrence took place on Wednesday, near Celbridge, when a notorious and most desperate character, named Philip Smith, met his death under the following awful circumstances :—lt appeared that on the 12th of October last, Smith had planned the robbery, and broken into the house of a gentleman resident near Clonee, in this county. A party of the Clonee constabulary, however, succeeded in apprehending him on the occasion. He was handcuffed heavily, after a desperate resistance, and taken by them to their barrack at Clonee for the night ; but at an early hour on the following morning, the 13th, he contrived to effect his escape, manacled as he was. The constabulary were in immediate and active pursuit. He was traced to Blanchardstown, and there it was ascertained that he had turned off in the direction of Swords. For the time, how. ever, further trace of him was lost. A horrifying coincidence as to date and place here presents itself. It may be in the recollection of our readers that it was upon the uight of the 13th ult., within two miles of Swords, that the illfated •h: brother and sistar, were brutally murdered in • elfin g on Mr. Mangan's farm, and that since tha - dno clue whatever has been discovered to lead to the detection of the perpetrator of the crime. After his escape from the police barrack, the first time the constabulary, we understand, became cognizant of his whereabouts, was towards the middle of the present month, when there was reason to suppose that he was lurking in the neighbourhood of Celbridge. Close but ineffectual search was made for him until the 18th inst., when, while Constable Richard Stafford, of that station, was conveying a prisoner named Thomas Reilly, arrested under a warrant, to the station-house, Smith suddenly appeared from behind a ditch, rushed on the constable, and discharged two shots at him, both of which took effect, dangerously wounding him in the neck. Since that the constabulary of the district have been unceasing in their exertions to effect his capture. On the afternoon of Wednesday, as a party, consisting of four men of the force, were on day patrol in the neighbourhood, they applied at a house for admission, but were refused, and were about to enforce their demand for entrance when Smith rushed out, bearing in one hand a double-barreled pistol, in the other a blunderbuss. The police at once challenged him to surrender himself their prisoner. He answered No ; that before they could take him he was sure of taking one of their lives at least. As he said this he raised one of the pieces with which he was armed, and was in the act of firing, when one of the police discharged his carabine at him with, as it proved, fatal effect. Almost at the some instant Sub-Constable John Waldron received the contents of Smith's pistol or blunderbuss in the mouth, which, with one of his jaws, was dreadfully shattered, the wound inflicted on him being altogether of a very serious character. The criminal was raised and removed from the spot in a dying state. He had been hit in one of the thighs or knee, and before timely appliance could be procured to stop the effusion, he expired from loss of blood.—Dublin Freeman.