THE MILLTOWN OUTRAGE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 68, 3 February 1862, Page 2

THE MILLTOWN OUTRAGE.

The Milltown road outrage—to use the phrase which seems to have found most favour with the reporters —deserves some notice, apart from its immediate interest. In more ways than one it illustrates the Celtic character. Ireland is the paradise of women, and gallantry and chivalry have made their home in Dublin. The popular demonstration for Mrs. Yelverton was more noisy, but the respect and sympathy expressed for Miss jolly, especially on the first announcement of the crime, was more genuine. The case was one about whic.li there seemed to be no ground for any other emotion than the. most enthusiastic sentiments of indignation and horror. Besides, it touched Ireland to the quick in a point where she is sensitive. Ib seemed to ba no longer the case that maiden purity coidd walk the Green Isle in safety ; and at leisfc one of Ireland's sons —if he did not turn out to Via a Saxon—was neither

so good or so cold As not to be temuta-.l by woman or gold. Another element in the general indignation was that the perpetrator of the outrage wa? a cabman. Cabby is not p ,pular. Even the fun of a Dublin cabman does njt recommend bim to general confidence. Cabmen are. uufortunntely tor themselves, looked upon as public enemies. As everybody has unfortunately experienced the gentle manners, and the peculiar form of honesty and fair-dealing characteristic of the tribe, everybody is prejudiced against a cabman. A charge against a cabmau is half proved, in public opinion, as soon as it is made. Then there was the heroic defence of the young lady. A girl struggling and successfully defending: her honour against a.brutal ravisher—foiling- him in a long- encounter, taking to the water like a duck, and to the fleMs like a lapwing, and triumphant in the end—all this, added to the solitude iiml blackness of night, was enough to rouse tlie popular feeling1. It was some time too, before the police Lit alt" the trail of the brutal assailant. The greatest interest was excited. Cab proprietors felt that their craft was in danger and their credit at stake; and when it was announced that one John Currnn had been arrested, and identified by Miss Jolly, everybody felt something like a personal gratification. A criminal trial under these circumstances was a hard thins; to face. The crowd was quite ready to tear Curran to pieces in anticipation of the more merciful doom which we all felt awaited him; and the proceedings at tlie Police Court ami the recent trial were watched with an interest which seldom attends ca-esofeven <*re.".tt>r atrocity. As the evidence of the prosecutrix was given, the ease certainly shrank away from those formidable dimensions and lost, some of'those more horrible features with which it was first presented. Not that Miss Jolly over seems to have given any cause for the liigb. coloi-iii" which was thrown over the assault. Her evidence is intelligible and explicit enough, nor can the sjisrhtust doubt be thrown on her good faith, ana her testimony remains entirely unirapeached. ±Sut the charge laid in the indictment was most serious— "intent to violate," varied by counts charging "assault and attempting to kiss," " assault and hit tent to do urrevknn bodily harm," "indecent assault,' and " common ass .u'.t." Of the assault with intent to violate nolliin',' whatever was proved beyond tneatt 'mpt to kiss. Miss Jolly uois not testily to an indecent attack on her person or interference with her dress. In fact, throughout the assault she does not seem to have hail recourse to those feminine arms which are usually in requisition under such terrible circumstance*. When her chastity is attacked a woman a first refuge is to her nails, and very properly. _ fieri faciam is the best feminine defence, and it is one 'which the ray isher rarely can withstand. Miss J oily throughout the attack, kept her hand closed on ei-hteenpenee, some of whiuli seems to have been in coppers. With the exception of the attempted kiss, there is no evidence which proves more than, aa

aaSanlt, v.ith intent to rob. The attack might, witl this single exception, he one on the lady's purse rathei than her person ; and it is curious to remark that tin only words deposed to have been ulterud on eilhc: side during tiie Avhole affair refoi-ved to thii fare rativu than to the atrocijtis outi'age itself. In t-uxi-ig this, wedo not in any -,v:iy detract from Miss .folly's'credibility and accuracy of statement; :;cill It'ss do v.< a-jse.-t; that she was not subjected to a most brutnJ assault am I attack. But idl that was prove;! war, a:i atte'Ujit, which, in most partiuulaiv, I'-.cUo-i as much like robbary as rape. Still, the young lady's evidence was perfectly consistent, clear, and unexa^eii'ttcd. The real interest and tlie real pinch of the case rested upon the identification of the piisoner. (V..--------ran's oliauces were an alibi and tlie destnK-Li:m of the evidence of i-lentificiitie-n. Hi.- counsel very ably availed himself of both iiue:; of defence. The principal witness—principal, thaj is, afcer Miss .lolly ami fier brother—was a girl of-tlie 10-.vn name:! Agnus Wiles. In some respect.-., h.er evidence as to identification, was more important tlirtn that, of j\liss Jolly and her brother. Few people, when they hire a cab pay much attention to the driver; and though during the assault the young lady must have been chse enough to her assailant, yet it was under circumstances and in darkness, which, without other eorroboration, would perhaps scarcely be considered siuiicient to render recognition certain. lint the virtuous Jliss A;rnos knew Cumin well. Her beat wn in Saekville stn/er. >he had often either itlmHcd or been chaffed by Cuiran. She swore to him positively. She vi'ihirsswl tlie hiring of the cab. She took particular notice of the lady and gentleman wiio eng'jig'eil the ca!> itself, of it's driver, and of the way it wont. A", to the ni-jht, a};p knew it perfectly well. It was subsequently proved to demonstration that on this very nighi: when she was, as she said, in Sackvilie street studying- cabs, she wn? actually on her way to Ilolyhpad. Of course, this wretched creature only wanted to attract a little public curiosity and interest; an;! " Mrs I'roudfoof," to use her familiar name, perhaps rrckoncil upon an ovation like Mrs Yelverton's on leaving the Four Courts. What awaits her is a certain conviction for peijuiy. As to the alibi, the evidence was of the usual Celtic character. Sirs Connor, the wvian of whom Curran lured his cab, distinctly and positively swore that on the night of the assault "CiiiTaulivoiuvlit the cab home not much before twelve, and therefore could not have been in bed till past twelve ; while on the other hand, tlie widow Meara, the prisoners aunt, with whom he lodged, swore with equal distinctness and positiveness that she assisted him to take off his wet coat after taking- his cab home, as 1 lie clock was striking- ten. Here the conflict of testimony was complete in all its parts—thoiiah in seeking- for <i bais on which to award the perjury, it was

natural to supdose the aunt prejudiced in favour of, rather than the cab owner prejudiced against, ilte prisoner. The aunt, the cousin, the lodgers, all swore positively that Cumin was at home at ten o'clock; but in each and every case kinship and an esprit tie corps mio-lit he iirono'ini' e•'. Such was the position and aspect of the case wlicn tlie Judge summed up, and, as we fire informed, somewhat in favor of the prisoner. The jury, however, decided in accordance with the popular belief, and Curran is convicted and sentenced to two years' imprisonment. As lie was found guilty on every count of tlie indictment, the lightness of the sentence

seems to argue some doubt in" the Judge's mind in some direction or other. If our own opinion ."eetns rather to lean to what may be thought to be the judge's feeling, we shall, perhaps, be in company rather with the judicial than with the impulsive sentiment. Every way the case had its difficulties. The direct perjury of the witness against the prisoner is confronted by what (if the verdict is correct) we must call the direct pei jury of his friends and relatives of his favor. Yet even if Ms alibi broke down, as it certainly did. his identification still admits of doubt. It is not easting- the slightest imputation on Miss Jolly to question her capacity for accurately distinguishing' a man's features under the trying' circumstances detailed in her evidence. Altogether, though perhaps many cviininnl crises have been decided in which the balance of probabilities trembled with the same degree of doubl fill equilibrium, Curran's is just one of these cases about which much doubt liana's, and in which it really requires many and delicate considerations to come "to a judgment. On the whole, we may say that there can be "no doubt, whatever that the exaggeration with which the case wa-i originally surrounded has contributed not a iittie to ihe verdict, •while the reaction aid protest agahis-t Ihe public sentiment, iua judicial mind may have con'ribiited to the leniency ot the sentence.— Satiml/iy Review, 2nd November.

Flax.—An experiment has been made by Mr. M'Kenna, of Brawn Hill, nei'.r l!al!arp.t, on the growth of New Zealand flax this season, which is promising as far as productiveness and fibre is ecm^rnei}, but it seems to us, that experiments of this kind, no near to New Zealand, where tlie flax may be had in any quantity for tlie gathering, are more ianoifiil than useful. But our agricultural and horticultural societies, a. little too muolt given themselves to the fanciful at times, have thuught Mr. M'Kenna's efibrts worthy of prizes, and we may, therefore, be excused for calling attention to tlii:s. Our account, of it is from the Butlnrat Star of Tiis",day last:—"'Mr. M'Kenna states that the climate and soil ofi?allarat are admirably adapted to the growth of Nov.- Zealand flax, and he also claims to have discovered a method by which it can be made suitable for the manufacture of the very finest fabrics. It is generally known, we believe, that the New Zealand fla:; has hitherto only been used for coarse manufactures, such as mats and ropes, whilst the tow or refuse in known to bo suitable for the purposes of pap«r making. Mr. M'Kennastates that he can render the fl.ix suitable for any purpose, and asks to have Government assistance to reward him for his discovery. The flnx shown to us was somewhat coar.=e, ami only suitable for rougher purposes, but as it wiisonly hnnd-seutclied we were cautioned against receiving it as a sample of what can be done; and Mi1. M'Kenna states that he only requires hackles, such iis are used in fturop'.l, to make it everything required. To i;s. even in its coarse state, this flax seems capable of being employed fbr many useful purposes, and ni it flourishes'on Ballaarat, it might perhaps be turned loarad account. Specimens of the plant itself, and the flnx may be seen at Messrs. rficholls and Co.'s shop, in Bridge- street, and an inspection of them will doubtless bo" interesting to all parties who desire to .encourage 'native industry.' Mr. M'Kenna is prepared, we believe, to disclose the particulars of his process, on receiving a guarantee that he will be properly compensated in the event of its proving what be believes it to be ; and under these circumstances, we should think that some further attention might well be given to the subject " — Melbourne Herald.

Mokk Bushrangers.—Plucky coxdcct of a Frenchman.—On Monday morning last, the mail coach left Lambing Flat for Gathuvst at the usual time. There wen; five passengers, one an officer, another a sergeant of the lltli regiment, and two of the passengers were Frenchmen. "When about six miles from the Flat, three men snddenlv commanded the. coachman to stop ; they wore cm foot, and armed, one of them with a double-barrelled gun, and the other two with a six-bnm\led revolver each. The coachman having pulled up, the passengers were ordered to dismount, the man with the gun standing near the horses, and the other two covering the passengers with their revolvers. The passengers all got out of the coach on-the side where the two bushrangers .stood, with the exception of one of the Frenchmen, who got out on the opposite side, where he met the man with the gun, who pushed him rather roughly with the barrels, and told him to go to the other side. The Frenchman, not relishing such rough treatment, attempted to wrest the gun from th<: bushranger, when ho immediately discharged both the barrels. The Frenchman then succeeded in getting possession of the gun, with which he knocked the ruffian down, breaking the stock of the gun by the force of the blow. The other Frenchman, seeing his countryman in danger, rushed to his assistance, and with the gnu barrels beat the bushranger about the. head imlil (from thu accounts wo beard) he must have been nearly dead. The iirst Frenchman then made bis escape, and ran back towards the camp. Whilst, i.'ie struggle was going on, the other two biishrii-'irers stood guard over the remainder of the pa^sen;. civ. When the Frenchman ran away, the robbers commenced their search, telling the sergeant, who had on his regimental trousers, to stand aside, «s they did not wish to interfere with him. They succeeded in taking about £29, but they gave the o'Jieer ss. of his money back again, to assist him on thu road. One of the Frenchmen had two revolvers and a large bowie knife in'the coach ; but unfortunately they were wir.h his luggage, and lie could not got at chain, or tiierj would doubtless have boon a struggle for the mastery ; for he appears to be a thoroughly determined ami plucky man. The robbers did not attempt io meddle with the mail bags, and having obtain..; i possession of the money referred to, tokl the ; assongers to get into the coach, am! ordered ilie coachman j to drive on. The men ap;. . -od i.-, S- pretty well j known, from the description -' ■ •; rtf them ; and it is to be hoped, from the tiuuj.. notice given to the authorities qf the rqbbery, that the rascals will soon be apprehended, and that their career upon the road will be a very short one.— Batlturst Free Pi ess. Death from Suxstrokk, —On the 15th inst. a man named Philip ilassett died at Coxtown, Bet Bet, fom sunstroke. An inquest was held on the body, when it appeared that the deceased had been at work harvesting, and about 11 a.m. he complained of being very ill. He th>:n left the field, and went to lie down, and shortly afterwards died. The deceased vrus a native or' Tipperaiy, and of late he had been drinking rather hard.— Maryborough Advertiser, Jan. 17.

itli I A (>\invtz or stone-breaking machine, on a new ior I principle, us Jar as the application of the power lie ! goes, lms just been nin.de by Jlr. Chambers, here, IC!' j ior ibe Tort Phillip Mining Company's works at .'■r Climes. Tlie stone is crushed between jaws of ',!' | hard metal, studded with strong teeth, and motion I i;: given to these jaws by a compound lever acted ?,j ! cm liv hvflrr.ulic pressure, the rain-heads being- ; a j seven inches in diameter. Thy morion is pi veil ;)', ! by n crunk, connected with heavy fly-wheels, and co j thus {:reat force can be applied without much ex- ! pent! it \; re- of power, as the jaws move Imt a little ~c ! way. The entire frame work and box must, of ,-. | coarse, be very strong and lieavy, but in propor- j lie j tion to the woVk eiiecied the expenditure of steam '; ■Iy j power appears to lie ' trifling-. Thh particular; :i- i niaciiine is adapted for breaking down the qn:ir!;; j id ! to flic size of ordinary road metal, or rather j i smaller, but of course," hj' altering the size of Il' | the teeth, and the distance of the jaws apart, the j | quartz can be broken to imy state required. J.r preparatory to being conveyed (o the stampers.— !'J Anju*. 1 . | Tlie excessive heat of the weathel' during (he it i last few days has been of siioli a nature as to add Iy j to the hi!!.? of mortality considerably in IJalhirut. i- : The Star s:iys : —No less l!ni!i seven deaths have iv boon registered at th; oirieo of the dcpi;ty-regi>-tiar lv as bc;n<4 caused by the excessive heat of the '■ weather.— Anp.'.s, .Tai:. 18. * '" i ])!:sT:i;;<.:nvi: Fi.oon.—\\ rrwi".:: cv the 7th iir&t.. y | the -MoU-iig eoriespundent of the Btitlnirst Times tN | X.-1-;.-:; :—Tlie luwu imil district (if TUohmg lias beau Pi visited Nvit.ii one of the most disastrous floods thai lias i ever been known. The vibration last year. [' although very injurious, was nothing to that which ;> j occurred on'the night of the 30th ultimo. j)u- int: ;-; I the day the woadier nas duligiitfi.il, but towards ni;-;ht-f, ! fall the sky bui:a:ue overcast, and about nine o'clock the rain began i.o come down, accompanied by thunder '' ami liglituinj;. Litter on in the night the rail: in- '_ creased to an alririiiiji^': extent, literally descending in 1 torrents, so that, h>ng het'oiv niorning the creok over- ■ 'i flowed it:; hanks, and rushing impetuously along, . carried away ;ailos of fencing, and inundated the fiats > on both sides, to the great dauisuro of the gi-owing crops, many of wiiicli were utterly destroyed. The c reserve in front of tlie court-houso became covered , '^ witli water to \\\a licatii of three or four feet, and in ( 5 many instances the ground floors of the residences of our tuwnfolki were eutirelv-submergeil. At Copper c_ Hill some of the inhabitants were oo'mpc-Hcd to leave 0 their hoii.-es. IXr. Edward Barlow informs mo he v.-ati in bod, and was first made aware of the exi.'iit of \ tiiu hiumlation on lieaiini; the water rustling tl;rour:h ? Jiis liouse. Upon .st«ii;iii>g out of bed he found the

water fully two feet dec;), which, in a very short trait i\K-a 1111i.il the bed was covered, iam i in]>]>v to say that no life has noun lost, ami although the dausia; doiHi to property has besn very considerable, it is a matter of tlmnkmlness that mi i'ataUty has owim-ed." Pb[slkv the Iii'SHHAN'GEK.—A rumour wjiM afloat tiiro'.igh the tov.n uu Fri.lay, to (lie eii'ect that the notorious l'eisley luwl at last reeeh-ed his ■■|iiicl-ur.. It v.-R3 reported i>ositively that he was shot, but huw, or by whom, we cannot learn. There can 112 but little doubt that this mtiian lias oefouie y.t bar.'.ene:!, ji' lie by not dead, that there in but little eh; uce of evei taking liim alive. Having once dyed hi.s hai:ds in

blood, he will luive no compunction in his career of crime, lie knows that the gallows awaits him, whenever justice lays her liamlsi upon him ; and to him the life of a victim or two, more or less, will lie of little consequence, so long as lie ran elude capture. — Utiiliurnt. 'Times. Au,i:«El) ])I3C()VKHY OF Goi.u XKAIi BItISBAN'K.— Several ju'cces of quartz, all more or less impregnated with gold, were yesterday left at our office by Patrick Whektn, who avers that he found tlie specimens in the immedi.ite vicinity of the city. Like all finders of such specimens, Mr. Whelau seems to be impre.-£ed with the idea, that lie has discovered a 3>l-!i auriferous deposit, and lie offers to reveal the locality if adequately remunerated. — Courier, Jan. 1. Ti.'K Late jMijuder in llob.vkt Tows. —Confkssios ok the Murder. —Thu coroner and jury empanelled on Monday, (ith instant, to enquire into the circumstances of the death of John Coghlin, of (xoul-bc.urn-st.reet, reassembled at ten o'clock on 'Wednesday. The prisoner having several times acknowledged the commission of the crime, towards the close of the dote of the proceedings \ ehementiy requested permission to make a full confession, wiitoh she accordingly did. It seems that CogMin and his wife co.nnienccii a drinking bout on Sunday inonmii:. and continued quarrelling and drinking throughout the day. Abmt nine o'clock the pair went to bed, and as si/oh a:; lire. Cojhiiu went to sleep he weut out, prisoner did not know where. S!ie did not sleep long, and when the .awoke she mis «d him, and lay down again. At ab mt a quarter past twelve s-he awoke again, and .-aw a lamp in the kitchen. She saw deceased there ;he was staggering and making motions with his arms, as if he were laying down the law. When he saw prisoner go down to thu kitchen, he took out a small black bottle and poured about a glass of liquor from it into a tea cup, and drank it. She did not taste that. Sho'theu coaxed him to go to bed. She then uudrcsfced and went to bed her.self. She was ab.mt three minutes in bed, when he got up, and pulled her out by the hair of the head ; he than got into lied again, and the went into the kiti-hen ; and was returning into the bedroom to get some matches, when lie .said, " You b—\v—, are you coming in hero ag:.in to make a noise when I'm in bed ]"' She said to him, "I am not making any noise John." lie then put his head down to the night chair and took up an iron bar, which had been produced in court, and ilmig at her. It struck the door. She turned back in a. passion, and struck him with it, and <n.o;ti-oyud him. The drink and the passion mie in her, and she did not know where .'-he struck him. That was tho truth, so help her (J.id. Seeing that he was dying so hard, the began to feel sorry, and tho drink and ail aiTecli'ig her, she took the razor anil cut his throat. This to ik place between twelve and ono on Sunday. stli i;i:;t. After the first blow, he never spoke. The v/omun appeared clear in her understanding ; and there is i;ol a shadow of a doubt that :-he has related the trmh. After a few minutes deliberation, the jury found a verdict of " Wilful Murder," ' against Margaret Coglilin.— JLniinci>s.lon Jixtimincr. Fatal Acltdkxt i;y Lightnino.—An inquest wari held in tiie coroner's office, yesterday, on tiie budy of Constable James l.iiiinn, who. aj stated in our jss le of yestei'day, dio.l from the effects of being struck by lightning, on Cockatoo Island, on last Saturday night. It appeared that the deceased had only joined the citypolice force on the 2nd of .December last, and went over to do duty on Cockatoo Island on the 7th of the present uionth. At eight o'clock on Saturday night, he, in company with constable Campbell, went on duty in the prison yam. At about nine o'clock a heavy thunder storm broke over the island, and in a few minuses there camo a thi'i of lightning more vivid than those that had preeeede 1 it, a:id Inspector Lane, v;h;> was sating i;i !:is quarters, heard a heavy crash, and thought the prison had been knocked down, lie ran out and saw one constable at his putt in the verandah ; he ran to the back and saw another at his post, everything appearing to be all right : but after .standing a minute he (the inspector) was conscious of a strong smell of sulphur. As, ho'.veveiT, - nothing appeared to bo touched, he returned indoors when, in a few minutes, his attention was called to the cry of tire. lie again ran out, and found the prisoners were calling out, "Fire, lire!" He shook the gate, and the guard having opened it, ho inquired where the fire was. but could not ascer tain. He called for Constable Campbell, who, after two or three calls, replied in a faint voice, " I am here, sir;" and by the lightning, which was veryvivid, he saw him lying on the floor of thu building known as the chapel, his head covered with blood. Th'j inspector v,a; under the impression, on seeing the blood, that some of the prisoners had escaped, anil attacked him. lie accordingly at once ordered a double sentry to surround the prison, and enquired of Campbell wiiat was the matter, to which he replied that lv did not know, bat had been knocked do-.vn. Inquiry was then made, a.; to where his mate was, and Campbell replied, "Poor fellow, I saw him over there," pointing to a shed covered with galvanised iron in the yard. Thither the Inspector went, and inside saw Quiivn leaning with his back against the wall. He went up to him. touched his head, and found it cold. lie thsn called for the dispenser (there being no qualified medical practitioner resident on the island), who came, and after the injured man had been removed, administered medicine, -which revived him. Inspector Lane forthwith sent the police guard-boat to Sydney, with messages requesting tilt; immediate attendance of Dr. West anil Dr. llutter, the latter of whom at once responded to the call. On arrival at ths island he found Qninn strongly consulted, requiring several men to hold him. H« ordered what he defined requisite, anil then left, returning' again next, monihur, when tho injured man was found to lie much better. Them beinir no hospital (besides ihr; hospital for prisoners) on the island, Dr. Rutter recommended his removal to the Sydney Intirmnny, and thither be was conveyed, arriving their at about one o'clock. Dr. Roberts saw him soon after his admis-aon, and treated him as he considered his case required. The sufferer never rallied, but expired about four o'clock tha same afternoon. It Kirns out in the evidence that the rifla cauied by by the d.;csn-;:;d at the lime he was struck was untouched by the electric fluid, as also the nmiiniHou on ha person, but a gold chain attached to his watch w;i i burnt through in several places. It appeared that tiie lightning' struck the hig'liest part of the building' in which the deceased was found, descending tliruujrh the coping- to a Inmp, close to the spot whero he was discovered. There were no lig'htniny-co.iductor.s on the island.— Sydnr.y Mornimi Herald, Jan. 14. Dr. Jfook's new volume of "Lives of the Archbishops of Canterbury" will open with the Noruuia period of our Church History, a period contrasting strongly wit'i the Saxon, which he treated with equal skill, taste, and judgment in his first volume. Of edible snails, the consumption is so great at the pre-ent time in Paris as to interfere greatly with the sale of oyst-ii's. With reference bo the co.se of tie Vic-ar of B;ittcr.soa, wiio ref.Lsed to elu-i-iten a chill bee.iu.vo it w.u illegitimate, it is aiuouncad that the iiishop of Winchester lias directed that the ceremony (shall bs performed.