10 JANUARY 1857, Page 7

Early on New Year's morning, four disorderly Irishmen stopped a

retable young shopman at Edinburgh, demanding money to buy whisky ; e young man refused ; they set upon him savagely; in self-defence, he 'struck about him with a knife; all the Irishmen were wounded, one of them 'mortally. This is the young shopman's account of the affair, and it has not been disproved by the official investigation which has taken place.