ANOTHER MILITARY MURDER.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1800, 4 December 1862, Page 4

ANOTHER MILITARY MURDER.

[From the Quebec Gazette. _ We announce with deep regret the occurrence of another military murder perpetrated this time in the garrison of Montreal. There is something in this last affair which even transcends the murder in the Artillery Barracks here, for cowardice and fiendisliness. In the dead hour of night the murderer deliberately carried out bis diabolical purpose, while his unsuspecting victim was fast asleep, and it was with great difficulty he was prevented from assassinating another of his comrades. It is some time since we have had any such occurrence here. The last affair before tbose wbich have just taken place, happened several years ago while Her Majesty's sbip Crocodile was on her way up the St. Lawrence, when a sailor on board tbat vessel murdered a sergeant of marines. Sbortly after that vessel arrived in port the prisoner was tried by a court-martial, and was made to expiate his crime by being hung at the yard-arm. The following particulars of the Montreal murder are from the Witness : — The residents of the eastern end of this city were horrified this morning by a report that a sergeant of tbe 16th regiment, now stationed in Molson's College, had been foully murdered in the course of the night. 'On inquiry we found tbat the rumour was unfortunately, but too true, and that the sergeant had heen deprived of his life by the hand of a private of his own company, under circumstances of tbe most coldblooded and cowardly description. The facts, as far as we have been able to ascertain them, are as follows: — It would appear some short time ago Sergeant Edward Quinn, the deceased, while out «t Chambley, bad occasion to complain of Private Mawn, and that the latter was, in consequence, subjected to a slight punishment — two or three days' confinement to barracks, we believe. On the return to this city nothing of an unusual character in the conduct of Mawn indicated that he bore the intention of indulging the murderous purpose he has cariied into execution. The men of the compauy, as well as the sergeant went to bed at tbe usual hour, but at oue o'clock in the morning the barrack was startled by the report of a musket. Several men soon sprang out of bed, but only to discover that Mawu had shot the sergeant in a vital part of the body, and that the unfortunate victim was weltering in his blood: The deceased sergeant had been about seventeen years in lhe service. He is represented as having been a favourite with every private soldierin the regiment, goodtempered, lenient, and forgiving to a fault — so much so that tbese qualities often subjected bim to the censure of his superior officers. The soldiers are savage against the murderer, whose conduct they men* tion with angry denunciation and abhorrence. Mawn, it would seem, is a person of somewhat intemperate antecedents, but was always well treated by tbe deceased. Sergeant

Quinn slept on a beaudet next the wall, on the seeond floor of the barrack, at the right hand side looking from the street. The prisoner, wbo had taken liquor before retiring for the night lay in his clothes. About a quartet to 1 o'clock in the morning he approached ihe sergeant, who was sleeping on his side placed, the muzzle of the piece close to the abdomen ; the ball coming out through the body near the left arm-pit, struck against the wall where it made a deep indentation. The bed clothes and ticking were cleanly cut through by the fatal bullet, and had tbere been a bed close to the one where tbe murdered man lay, the occupant might also have come to his death. The prisoner slept eight beds from the sergeant, and procured tbe gun from the head of his own coucb this being the place where the arms are kept. The bed where the sergeant lay is soaked witb blood, wbich poured iu largo quantities from the wound. At the moment the fatal deed was j accomplished, Private Connell, who slept a few beds distant from the sergeant, suddenly awoke and heard the wounded man exclaim, ' Good God! I am sbot through.' The private then .laised upon his elbow, when the murderer, wbo had his bayonet fixed, made a sudden plunge at him. Connell fortunately avoided the blow, and caught at the same time the stock of the | bayonet, and the back of bis assailant's neck, the latter holding the butt of the musket with one hand and Conn ell's throat with the other. Thus in the darkness, and by the bedside of the dying man, did the murderer and his other intended vicliro struggle with desperate and fearful energy. At length tbe sergeant of the guard who was stationed below heard the cries for assistance, and coming up, Mawn was secured. His gun having the bayonet fixed upon it, was taken from him, and on being removpd to the guardhouse, a ball cartridge was fouud in his possession. Here he made use of language which we do not feel called upon to record, until it has been substantiated by oath before the coroner. Tbe prisoner, it would seem, was under the influence of liquor when the awful deed was perpetrated ; aud he did not seem to be the least concerned at what he bad done. The wounded man was removed to tbe military hospital, and about two o'clock, a Roman Catholic clergyman was brought to bim. After the clergyman left, the poor fellow became delirious, and expired in great agony about four o'clock. Tbe deceased was a native of Ireland, and thirty-one years of age,* seventeen of which he spent in the service of the country. The prisoner had beec about 8 years in the service, and the only time wbich he and the deceased came into unpleasant contact was on the 21st of last montb, when the sergeant reported bim for intoxication when ball-firing, at six o'clock in the morning at Chambley.