IRELAND.
The Evening Mail of Dublin reports—" An activity and spirit that has for a long time been unknown has begun to animate all classes of our countrymen. From various quarters we hear the gratifying intelligence that markets are brisk and good, that rents were never better paid, that the poor-houses are empty, and that the most lamentable stagnation exists in the trade of agitation."
At the great Scotch cattle-fairs large purchases of sheep and black cat- tle were made for Ireland. A letter from Glasgow, dated October 15, states that "above 100,000 head of sheep and black cattle are now wait- ing for means of transshipment. The steamers between Glasgow and Dublin, Glasgow and Belfast, Derry, and other towns, are all engaged for the next month to come ; and parties reaching Glasgow now with stook have to go a distance of four miles from the town to procure grass, and must bide their time.' "
The North of Ireland papers mentions that the Lord Advocate of Scot- land is likely to become a candidate for the representation of Lisburn, vacant by the appointment of Sir James Emerson Tennent to the Secre- taryship of the Board of Trade.
The week furnishes an agrarian murder in King's County. Mr. W. R. Manifold, agent to Captain Morriss, was returning in the evening from Tul- lamore to his residence at Manny; in the gig with him was a friend named Dyes. While the gig was ascending a hill near Blue Ball village, a blunder- buss was discharged at Mr. Manifold's head, and he died in a few seconds. Apparently, the assassin crept in the darkness close behind the gig before he fired. As soon as Mr. Dyes found that his friend was dead, he left the body in the gig, and ran to Blue Ball, where there is a police-station. The coun- try was quickly scoured, and ten persons were arrested on suspicion. No fewer than thirty-four square leaden slugs had entered the head, neck, and back of the victim. Mr. Dyes must have had a narrow escape. A Coroner's Jury returned a verdict of " Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown." Mr. Manifold, as Captain Morriss's agent, had been obliged to evict some tenants from the estates, which the Captain had recently pur- chased.
A double murder has been committed at Swords, near Dublin, for the sake of plunder. Patrick Smyth, an old man of upwards of seven ,ty lived in a cottage with his sister, a woman as old as himself, and nearly bedridden. It was supposed that they had a little money and a silver watch. The aged parr were found dead on the floor before the hearth ; they had been killed by blows on the skull, inflicted with a wooden bar, which was found to have hair and blood adhering to it. The features of the deceased had evidently been composed after the murderous attack had been perpetrated. A box had been broken open, one of the man's trousers-pockets turned inside out, and there were other signs of a search for plunder. The Coroner's Jury have not been able to indicate any individual as the murderer. A Government reward has been offered for his conviction.
The secret investigation into the charge against Mr. Kirwan, apparently that of having drowned his wife, has ended by his committal for trial. The carrying through of the inquiry in entire secrecy has caused some astonish- ment and condemnation. Sir James South, the astronomer, has been in peril at Kingstown, while journeying towards Parsonstown Castle to enjoy the hospitality of the Earl of Rose. Afterhe had landed at night from the Holyhead steamer, he in some way fell from the pier into the sea ; he had several loose coats on, and these kept him afloat till he was caught by a boat-hook, and eventually res- cued with no worse result than a ducking.
Previous page
