July 6. Murder On Board

Discovery of a Murderer on Board the Ship Brutus. 

The melancholy affliction which occasioned the return of Brutus to this port has been the means of securing a man who has, to all appearance, been engaged in the murder of one of his fellow-creatures. Amongst the passengers on board the Brutus were two individuals who went by the name of Daly, and also a pensioner of the Garrison Battalions, named Jer. Whelan. When the vessel had proceeded some distance from land, Whelan had some conversation with the Dalys, from which he was led to conclude that they had been concerned in a murder, or at least something not far short. He also ascertained that they had come from the neighbourhood of Portarlington, in Queen’s County. His suspicions were so strongly confirmed that, as soon as the opportunity presented itself, by the return of the ship to Liverpool, he despatched a letter to Lieutenant Ray, the chief of police at Maryborough, Ireland, in which he stated the circumstances we have mentioned, and also that one of them had declared, after they put back, that he would go by the first vessel to Quebec, as he durst not return home. The result of this letter was the arrival of an officer from Ireland, with a warrant for the apprehension of Richard Connor, a labourer, aged about 26, William Connor, a blacksmith, aged 24, Richard Connor, jun., and James Conrohy, who were charged with having assaulted a person named Peter Dowling, at Ship House, in Queen’s County, and beaten him so severely that he died. The warrant for their apprehension was received at the police-office, in this town, on Tuesday forenoon, and placed in the hands of Turner, the police officer, for execution. The passengers and crew of the Brutus had been removed to the Newcastle lazarette, and as he would not have been allowed to make a search there, the officer proceeded to the parish-office, where he learned that no person of the name of Connor had applied there; but on looking at the description of the applicants he found one belonging to Queen’s County, under the name of Daly. He was told that he had applied for relief, and would shortly call again: in about five minutes he accordingly made his appearance, when Turner tapped him on the shoulder and asked him his name. He answered, without hesitation, “Richard Connor,” but had hardly uttered. the words before he tried to recall them, and added “Daly.” When asked why he had at first said Connor, he replied that he had made a mistake. From these circumstances Turner was satisfied he was one of the men included in the warrant, and immediately brought in the pensioner to identify him. He was then taken into custody. Thus, in less than twenty minutes after the arrival of the warrant, the diligence and prudence of the police-officer had enabled him to discover and secure the object of his pursuit. William Connor fell a victim to the cholera after the Brutus put back, and of the other two persons named in the warrant nothing has yet been heard, nor is it understood that they were ever on board the vessel.