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New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume XVII, Issue 1723, 5 February 1862, Page 4

A Sergeant-Major Shot at Aldershott. —Late on Wednesday night, the 6th Nov., Leslie Kennedy, a sergeant-major of the 3rd battalion Military Train, was shot by a private cf the same corps, named John Nicholas, On the same evening an amateur performance of Whitebait at Greenwich, in which the pet formers were noncommissioned officers and privates, took place at the camp theatre. Sergeant-Major Kennedy was acting Mage manager ; Nicholas was ro appear as an actor in the character of “ Benjamin Buzzard.” His name had appeared in the handbills ; subsequently to their being published, however, it was discovered that another person was better able to take the part. He was accordingly superseded by a committee of management, of whom Kennedy was one. The oerfortnance commenced al half-past 8. Nicholas was nt the theatre as one of the audience. During the performance he attempted to pick a quarrel with a corporal named Donney. Sergeant-Major Kennedy was a witness of the affair, and ordered him to be removed from the theatre. Ou being turned out, it is supposed that he returned to his quarters. Kennedy re-went to his hut at 12 30 a.m., in company with Sergeants Ward an I Salter, and Corporal Pierce. He lighted a candle, sat down, and bfgan talking to his comrades about the evening's performance, when suddenly the door was opened, and Nicholas, advancing two steps into the hut, said to Kennedy, “XV hat have you to say against me ?” and immediately raised his carbine and shot him. The bullet went into the unfir unate man’s right breast and passed out of his back. It glanced on the table, making a deep indention of about two inches In length, and cut a copy of the Musketry Instructions all to pieces. The poor fellow threw up his arms and knocked the candle out. He called out, “ I am shot,” and ran the whole length of the but ’o a comrade named Sergeant Fraser, who was in bed. Fraser at once jumped up, but no< in time to catch him before he fell to the ground. A medical man was sent for, ant! Dr, Reynolds, of the battalion, was in immediate attendance. Under his charge he was rtmoved to the military hospital, where be now lies without the faintest l ope of recovery. Nicholas- had no sooner discharged his carbine than be was secured, and marched off under a strong escort to the stationhouse. He has only been in the bat'alion 12 months, and was in one of the regiments in India disbanded at the time of the Indian mutiny.

Dreadful Death —At Howden, on Saturday night a person, named Anu Morret, resi ling in the upper part of a house nearly adjoining the lanyard, in Pinfold-street, was burnt to death. A nephew of the deceased resided with her. He state* that he left her in good health, and all righ r , about hill-past five on Sunday evening. About half-past eight o’clock Sarah Foster, a wimm who lives in the lower part of the house, cime in and thought she perceived a peculiar smell and on Morrit (deceased’s nephew) coming in shortly afterwards, she mentioned the circumstance to him. He at once proceeded up stairs, and found the room filled with a dense stiflina smoke. Mr. Superintendent Green and several other persons were speedily called in, and after great exertions on thrir part the fire, which was evidently confined to one part of the room, was extinguished. When the smoke had in some degree subsided, a horrible scene presented itself. Extended near the fireplace lay the remains of the poor woman—a charred, blackened, smoking mass ! the whole of her flesh, with the exception of a little on one of her thigh bones, having been already consumed. Her head which on first entering the room Mr. Green had first taken up and thought to be a kettle, was laid at a little distance from the body ; and a small box a foot square would have held all that was left of her. It is thought that deceased had bad a fit, and that he grate, which was detached from the fireplace, an i which bad previously been in a dilapidated condition, had fallen upon her, and thus set her on fire. Die floor oti which she was laid was nearly burnt through to the ceiling of the lower room, and bad the fire not been discovered when it was it is most probable that a whole row of cottages ad. joining would have been destroyed. At'an inquest held r.n Monday noon, before Mr. R. B. Porter, coroner for Howden, a verdict was returned of “Accidental death.”