Three Irish sailors have been actors in a tragedy at
Plymouth. The Cork Steamship Company's vessel, Prussian Eagle, was lying in the Great Western Docks, and on Saturday afternoon three of her seamen, John Hart, Cornelius Moyina, and Daniel Harrington, had been on shore drinking, returning to the vessel in the evening in a semi-intoxicated state. Shortly after they returned some words and a wrangling took place between Harrington and Moyina, subsequently a-violent quarrel and a fight ensued, and the fought for some time, Moyina proving himself by far the best man. This affair then seemed to have been closed, but Hart, apparently not liking the turn things had taken, said lie could fight Moyina, but whether any blows did actually take place between Moyina and him, at present appears to be unknown. Moyina then sat down on a seat, and leaned against a bulkhead, the whole affair taking place in the ship's forecastle. While he m as in that position Hart, without apparently any further provo- cation, rushed at him and struck him three violent blows on the nose, and threw his body on him. While Moyina was thus lying back struggling under Hart, in a half stupified state, Hart put his hand in his own pocket, drew forth a clasped knife, which he unclasped, drove into Moyina's body, and then, coolly wiping it on the back part of his own trousers, replaced it in his pocket. The knife took effect in Moyina's heart, killing him instantly. A boy present gave an alarm, and a quartermaster of the ship coming down, ordered Hart to give him the knife, which he did. The quartermaster then placed a bag under the deceased's head, and left him there, believing him only to be exhausted by the struggle, and not examining as to what injury the knife had done. Hart and the quartermaster returned on deck. The murder was committed between eleven and twelve o'clock, but the fatal nature of the affray was not discovered until about three o'clock the following morning. The deceased, appearing not to re- cover, was examined by some of his shipmates and his death dis- covered. In the interim Hart had got back the knife from the quartermaster, and it cannot now be found. On Sunday morning Hart was taken into custody by the Plymouth police on a charge of murder, and Harrington apprehended, charged with assaulting the deceased. The quartermaster and boy have also been detained as
witnesses, but the vessel left Plymouth on Sunday morning to convey troops from Bristol to Cork. Hart is 25 years of age, and has a wife and child at Cork. Harrington is 23. The deceased was also a young man, and has also left a wife and child at Cork.
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