CHRONICLE. 



75 



years of age, and volunteered into 

 the 6i)th from the Tipperary mi- 

 litia; the deceased was 21 years of 

 age. It appeared in evidence, that 

 on the Saturday night, about ele- 

 ven o'clock. Griffin and the de- 

 ceased were in a hut together, with 

 several other soldiers. They drank 

 beer, appeared friendly, and after- 

 Avards shook hands with each 

 other; but Griffin abusing a brother 

 of the deceased, they fought, when 

 the deceased gained the advantage 

 of Griffin. The soldiers, Griffin, 

 and the deceased, soon after left 

 the hut ; M'Mahon and Griffin 

 were both quite sober. In the 

 course of half an hour. Griffin a- 

 gain saw the deceased near his 

 own room : some words then pass- 

 ed between them, and Griffin ran 

 away, but immediately returned 

 with a drawn bayonet ; the de- 

 ceased directly said, "he will 

 murder me,'' and ran across the 

 Barrack-square ; Griffin pursued 

 him, and the cry of murder was 

 heard immediately afterwards. Grif- 

 fin then came up to some soldiers 

 who were standing together, 

 when one of them seeing some- 

 thing glitter in his hand, which 

 (as the night was very dark) he 

 took for a knife, said to Griffin, 

 «' sure you have not killed him.'' 

 Griffin replied, " Yes, and will kill 

 you too, if you give any prate." 

 Griffin left them, and w ;it to bed. 

 He was presently taken by the 

 guard, and upon being accused of 

 the murder, he denied having been 

 out that nigiit ; but was asked by 

 the officer for his bayonet, which 

 he (Griffin) pointed out to him, 

 and wliich was bloody at the point 

 for about two inches upwards, and 

 the blood on it was quite fresh. 

 The deceased was attended by the 



surgeons till four o'clock on Sun- 

 day afternoon, when he died: but 

 on that morning, about eleven 

 o'clock (then having his perfect 

 senses) he signed a deposition ia 

 their presence, declaring Griffin 

 to have stabbed him. The jury, 

 after an investigation of eight 

 hours, during which time ten wit- 

 nesses were examined, returned a 

 verdict of wilful murder against 

 Maurice Griffin, who was com- 

 mitted to Ipswich gaol to take his 

 trial at the ensuing assizes. 



A fire broke out at the house of 

 P. Sykes, Esq. at Harbledon, near 

 Dorchester, Oxon, occasioned by 

 some bed-furniture taking fire in 

 the servant's bed-room. The house 

 was in flames before any alarm pre- 

 vailed, and from the lateness of 

 the hour, it was with the greatest 

 difficulty the family escaped. 

 James Wheele, a man-servant, 

 who slept in the attic, was 

 so much burnt, that he is not ex- 

 pected tolive. The interior of the 

 house was destroyed, and the 

 flames communicated to the sta- 

 bling, barn, and out-houses ; the 

 whole of which fell a prey to the 

 devouring element. The barn con- 

 tained a valuable mow of wheat, 

 just housed, besides which two 

 horses and several pigs were de- 

 stroyed: but little of the property 

 was insured. 



Extract of a letter from Smyrna, 

 — " We have received intelligence 

 of a dreadful calamity having over- 

 taken the largest caravan of the 

 season, on its route from Mecca to 

 Aleppo. The caravan consisted of 

 2,000 souls, merchants and tra- 

 vellers from the Red Sea a"d Per- 

 sian Gulph, pilgrims returning from 

 Mecca, and a numerous train of 

 attendants ; the whole escorted by 



