Newspaper: Abstracts with mention of Limerick, The Times *********************************************** Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives Limerick Index Copyright ************************************************ File contributed by: C.L. ABSTRACTS WITH MENTION OF LIMERICK, THE TIMES, August 28, 1800 The Times; London, Middlesex, England; LIMERICK, Aug 15 Last Tuesday night, Edward Riordan, a very bonefit, industrious farmer, who lived near Cullen, has his throat cut, and his brains beat out, by a party of those nefarious miscreants who have long infested that part of the country. On the same night and in the same neighbourhood, Edmond English was ham-strung with scythes; Michael Ryan was so cut on the head that his life is despaired of, and four others, the same night were so maimed by cutting their back sinews, as to disqualify them from any sort of labour. From the suspension of the late sentences of Courts-martial, it is apprehended that these abominable wretches entertain an idea that they will escape that condign punishment so loudly called for by their barbarous and unexampled cruelties. On Thursday night last a banditti supposed to amount to about 60, mounted on horseback, went to the house of Thomas Lynch, of Cunigar, in the liberties of this city, an industrious farmer, dragged him and his son out of bed, and flogged them unmercifully with cutting whips; the crime for which this punishment had been inflicted was, for Lynch having turned off a dairy- man. The same party, it is supposed, went to the house of James Coghlan, of Lisenulta, and whipped him in like manner; other dairy-men, whose names we have been requested not to mention, were also whipped on the same night. ----- The Times; London, Middlesex, England; August 21, 1816 IRELAND [From the Irish Papers] LIMERICK, Aug 14 The case of Thomas Burke, and his two confederates, Michael Hehir and Henry Evans, who were executed on Monday for the murder of Thomas and Margaret Dillon, at Moyle, in this county, was one of peculiar atrocity. Eight men more remained to be tried on Monday for the same crime, against the greater portion of whom the evidence was presumed to be conclusive. On Saturday the counsel for the Crown paused in their proceedings. Three lives had already been forfeited, and they thought the work of blood might cease, and that the examples thus set would be sufficient to operate as a prevention of future crimes. They consulted the Grand Jury, but it was the unanimous desire of that body that the trials should proceed, and that the law should take its course. A riotous assemblage took place within a few miles of Limerick on the night preceding the expressed intention of the counsel for the Crown not to go farther in prosecuting the murderers of Dillon and his wife, in consequence of which one of the party lost his life. This transaction, which occurred while the Judges of the land were administering the law, seemed to justify the determination of the Grand Jury, in which the Crown lawyers acquiesced, and the trials of the eight men were to have proceeded in on Monday. An application has been made since to postpone the trials of these eight individuals until the next assizes, on the ground of their Counsel being hastily obliged to leave town in consequence of the illness of one of his family. Sergeant Johnston humanely attended to the application but desired that they might be prepared for trial on the 16th of September, at which time he intends to return; and ordered the present grand and other Juries to be in attendance on that day. The principal witness in these cases is a child of 14 years old, the daughter of the two murdered persons. The following is a statement of the testimony she gave on the trial of Burke and his two associates.- She deposed that she was 14 years old, her father's name was Tom Dillon, and her mother's Peg Wall; they lived in Castletown-Waller. She knew, and had always known, Tom Burke, who lived at Pallas-Kenry, within about a mile of her father's house. (Here she was asked if she saw any body in Court she knew. She turned round and identified Bourke.) She remembered she said, the night the people came to her father's house; the family were in bed, her father asleep, and herself and her mother awake, they heard a rapping and her mother woke her father; he got up, and took a bayonet that was near the bed, and went towards the kitchen, when he found the door dragged out on the road with a sledge; he then ran back to the bed- room, shut the door, and put his back against it, when they fired through it from the outside, and he fell back dead on the bed where her little sister lay. There was a partition in the room, and when the rapping first came at the door, her mother shook hands with her, put her upon the partition, desiring her to mind her brother and sister, and to watch these people, as they had come to murder her father and herself. When her father was killed, the people broke into the bed-room, in a corner of which her mother was, with an infant in her arms, the witness's little sister in bed, and herself concealed on the partition. They called to her mother to go out, she did, saying, "Lord have mercy on my soul!" to which they replied, "My good lady, you had no mercy when you were giving evidence on the Bench." When her mother went out, the witness came down from the partition, and followed her, the people took her out on the road, and the witness went to the kitchen window. They were crying out, "Stick her and shoot her," and she saw the prisoner put a gun up to her mouth, and fire into it. They had at this time taken the child from her, and were holding her up at each side when the shot was fired. They then put her down on the ground, and stabbed her in both breasts, after which they put her near a wall. The witness was here asked how she knew any one as it was night? "Any one would know them," said she; "it was moonlight, and some sods of turf, which I put down before my mother and myself went to bed, were blazing on the hearth." When they put her mother near the wall, two men came into the house, when she ran into the room where the pig was; the men took out her father, and soon after two men came in and asked her little sister for the bayonet. It was in a potatoe barrel near the bed, and gave it to a man who wore white trowsers. They said they would not hurt her, and went away shouting. Witness came from her hiding place and again went to the window and while there, the men returned, and one said, "the devil would not kill the dog; and one of them took up a big stone, and broke his face with it. They then went away, 'twas on a Friday night, and on the following Sunday, her father and mother were buried; she staid in the house in the mean time, and "I gave the pot to my aunt," (said this interesting poor creature) "for it was she who sewed my father's mouth" All the people in the neighbourhood refused to let her in, desired her "to go to the devil, " in consequence of which she went away with her aunt, with whom she slept on Sunday night, and was next day taken away by the Rev. Mr. Westropp, where she remained several weeks, and was from thence removed to the poor- house, and finally to the gaol, from whence she was now brought to give evidence. (EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM LIMERICK, AUG 12) During our Assizes here, which have not yet closed, three men were found guilty and passed by our door this morning to be hung, for a murder committed near a year ago about nine miles off, of a man and wife. He had taken a house contrary to the will of the country people; a party went to his house, and beat him for taking it, on which he informed a neighbouring Magistrate, when, shortly after, about 40 entered the village where the man lived, and after placing two men as guards on each house in the village, they attacked his house, and murdered him and his wife in a most shocking manner, stabbing the woman first in different parts of her body, to make her put away an infant she held in her arms to save her from their fury; a daughter about 15 escaped, and the infant. They said they had no ill-will to the man, but killed him to prevent others acting as he did. A man who lived next door to the unfortunate family, some time after got so uneasy in his mind, he could not rest till he discovered the matter, by which means it was found out, after being concealed perhaps for months. They were all Roman Catholics. ----- The Times; London, Middlesex, England; September 26, 1816 IRELAND (From the Irish Papers) LIMERICK, Sept. 18 This morning, Patrick Scanlan and Patrick Burns, in pursuance of sentence, on Monday, were executed at Gallows-green, near this city. After hanging the usual time, their bodies were brought to the Infirmary for dissection. To-morrow, Sheehy and Evans are to undergo a similar execution. John Tourney, who was convicted on Saturday at the sessions, under the insurrection act, is to be sent off to Cork, on Saturday, for embarkation. LIMERICK ADJOURNED COUNTY ASSIZES Tuesday, Second Day This day Bryan Sheehy and Henry Evans, concerned in the above murders, were tried and convicted on the came clear and undeviating testimony. Evans was particularly identified by the little child as being at the murder, which was supported by John King, her next door neighbour; she could not swear as to the identify of Sheehy being present, but the testimony of King, the former witness, and Wall, was conclusive against him. The same humane attention of the Bench as evinced in the preceding trials was paid to the unfortunate prisoners, who made no defence. Evans, who is a smart young man, got an excellent character from the Rev. Thomas Westropp, Mr. Davenport, Mr. Heaccocke, and Mr. O'Brien. Sheehy worked for Mr. Langford five years ago, and at that time his character was good. Sergeant Johnston charged the jury in an able manner, who retired, and after a short consultation, returned with a verdict of Guilty against both. The learned Sergeant, in an awful and impressive manner, passed the sentence of death, and particularly remarked upon the dreadful state of society, when a young man of Evan's good character could be got, without any cause, to be a participator in murdering his unoffending neighbours. After sentence was passed, Sheehy, who is an uncommon ill- looking fellow, acknowledged he was at the murders, and that Boruke and Hehir were the only persons as yet convicted that were also particpators in his guilt and that all the others were innocent. This last part, which we are confident was disbelieved by every individual who attended the trials, was instantly refuted by Mr. Pennefather, who was astonished at the shocking depravity of the criminal and mentioned to the Court, that Sheehy a few weeks ago gave information against nine, and at the same time swore that Evans, who was hanged, was innocent; and it should be remarked, that at the gallows, Burke and Hehir, who he said were guilty, persisted in their innocence. Maurice M'Mahon was yesterday tried for cow stealing and acquitted. He is remanded to the prison for sheep stealing. WEDNESDAY - THIRD DAY This day, Henry Neille and Thomas Hehir are on their trials for the Dillons' murder. Bridget Dillon, in her examination, has proved that Neille assisted in dragging her father's body out to the road, after being murdered and that Hehir was the man who went into the house for the bayonet with Scanlan, when her mother was shot. The trials had not closed when we put to press. Four o'clock -The Jury have just given in a verdict of Guilty against Neille and Hehir - they are both to be hanged on Friday. The Crown Lawyers have declined proceeding in the trials of any more at present, and in consequence the Juries are discharged. ----- The Times; London, Middlesex, England; August 15, 1817 LIMERICK ASSIZES, August 6 (From the Patriot) John Clanchy, who was tried and acquitted for writing a letter to Alderman Wilkinson, offering to take away the life of Mr. Tuthill, was on Saturday brought into Court, the Grand Jury having represented him as a vagabond. A jury was impannelled, and Mr. Tuthill having been sworn, deposed that he never knew Clanchy until the day he was apprehended; had heard him described as a bad character; believed that he was one; knew the prisoner at the bar to be the same person who had confessed to have written the letter to Mr. Wilkinson. Prisoner on being asked whether he had any one to give him a character, said he could not call any one in Court, except Mr. Tinsley, attorney. Mr. Tinsley said he did not sufficiently know the man to take upon him to say what his character was; he knew him to have been in comfortable circumstances, but did not believe that to be the case latterly. His lordship then put the case to the jury, who returned a verdict finding for the presentment, and against the traverser. The learned Judge then addressed the prisoner nearly as follows: "John Clanchy, you were indicted for a most malicious and wicked offence, for which, if you had been found guilty, you would have received the severest punishment of the law. The jury, no doubt, did their duty in acquitting you of the charge; however, it has been clearly shown you did write that letter, actuated by the most abominable motive. If the fact of intention was established, you would, in the eye of the law, have been considered as a murderer; however, I believe, that your intention was to hoax the Magistrate, to whom you had the impudent audacity to address it, out of a sum of money. I consider you to be a man of the most depraved principles, who would lend yourself to the commission of another act, however atrocious; you appear to be lost to every thing worthy of the name of man; you; in the wickedness of your own heart, conceived the diabolical project of taking away the life of a respectable gentleman, and you then threw an indirect imputation against the character of a Magistrate, by attempting to make him the pander to your guilt, and finally, not content with having gone thus far in iniquity, on a subsequent examination, you had the effrontery to endeavour to criminate others, by saying that you were instigated thereto. The Grand Jury have presented you as an idle and disorderly person, as having no certain place of residence, no visible mode of living, and finally, as a vagabond. The provisions of the Act enable me to sentence you to transportation for seven years, and I think the punishment perhaps too trivial for the magnitude of your offence. The law, in its lenity, says, that if the people so described shall within a certain time find any two persons of respectability who will take upon them to contradict the presentation of the Grand Jury, he may remain in the country. In this case, however, I think the mitigation of punishment too great to leave a character of your description in the country. I do not think it right; and perhaps for yourself it would also be better you were not, as your situation very probably would neither be safe or agreeable. The sentence of the law is, that you, John Clanchy, be transported from these countries beyond the seas, for the space of seven years, unless you can, in a [?] I cannot pronounce (but which will be directed by the Government of which I am the organ), find and produce two ostensible persons to bail you, which I think you will find it difficult to do. If, however, you can do so, you may remain where you are." EXECUTION OF HENRY BURKE, THOMAS CLARKE, THOMAS GORMLY, AND THOMAS ROCHFORD. On Monday last the dreadful sentence of the law was put in execution on these unfortunate men, pursuant to their sentence on Friday last. Precisely at 12 o'clock, Henry Burke, and Thomas Clarke prepared on the fatal drop, attended by their clergyman, who, we are glad to find, had the happy effect of bringing their minds to a proper sense of their awful situation, very different to that [?] spirit of revenge exhibited by them in Court, on hearing the awful sentence of death pronounced on them. Indeed Burke evinced a depravity of mind even to the fatal moment, that we have never before witnessed on a like occasion; both acknowledged that they were guilty of the murder, for which they were so justly to forfeit their lives, and in a few moments were launched into eternity. At half past one Thomas Gormly and Thomas Rochford were brought out to suffer the like sentence, they appeared deeply penitent and impressed with, the solemnity of their awful state; after spending a few minutes in prayer, they also were launched into eternity. After the bodies were hanged the usual time, they were all put into a cart and taken to the County Infirmary to be directed and anatomized, pursuant to the statute, after which they were reconveyed to the gaol-yard for interment.-Mullingar paper. ----- The Times; London, Middlesex, England; March 20, 1818 LIMERICK ASSIZES The Solicitor-General was occupied on Saturday in the County Court, investigating the following Nizi Prius causes, in which the Chief Magistrate of Limerick was nominally the defendant, to recover damages for losses sustained in breaking into stores, &c, during the riots in June, 1817:- Mr. Blakeney claimed 147l., for the loss of flour and oatmeal - verdict 30l. Mr. Bannatyne claimed 150l. - verdict 100l. Mr. Reddan claimed 212l. - verdict 200l. Mr. R. used every exertion to defend his property. Mr. Rose - verdict 30l. Mr. Robert Ferguson claimed 13l. verdict for defendant. The only capital conviction which has yet taken place is that of Patrick Moylan, who was found guilty of the murder of Mr. Switzer, at Ballingarry, and received sentence of death - to be executed on Friday, and his body given for dissection. ----- The Times; London, Middlesex, England; March 21, 1818 SHOCKING MURDER - LIMERICK, March 14 - The bodies of J. Dillane, a respectable farmer, his sister, the widow Costelloe, and her daughter, were found murdered on the lands of Knockfenish, barony of Upper Connelloe, in this county, on Monday last. It appears that these unfortunate persons were at the market of Newcastle on Saturday se'nnight, and after disposing of some pigs, were, returning home, waylaid and murdered; and from that time, though diligent search was made, no clue could possibly be had to ascertain their fate, until Monday last, when they were found as thus described, in an unfrequented part of a mountain-road. It is clear that robbery was not the object of the murderers, as all the money which the deceased persons received at the market was found on them. The motive of so dreadful an outrage can only be ascribed to revenge, as it is said the widow Costelloe, at our last assizes, very properly prosecuted two persons for cow- stealing, who were convicted. Since writing the above, we have learned that an inquest was held on the bodies of S. Harding, Esq., coroner, when a verdict of willful murder was returned against persons unknown. The necks of the unfortunate sufferers were broken, and their bodies not only had the appearance of violence, but parts of them were mutilated.-Limerick Chronicle. ----- The Times; London, Middlesex, England; November 27, 1821 LIMERICK The Rev. John Croker and his lady, returning in their carriage to his house at Croom Glebe, a few nights ago, were fired at by some villains from behind a hedge, near Croom, happily without effect. On Friday night last a party of armed men attacked the porter's lodge at Whitehall, near this city, at the entrance to the dwelling house of Captain Keane, Paymaster of the county Limerick Staff. It was occupied by one of the men belonging to that corps; and supposing that he had his musket in the house, they searched it minutely, but fortunately without success. The same party also entered the lodge at Mr. Lowe's of Quinpoole, with the like result. A second visit was made to Major Tomkin's house near Patrick's-well, a few nights since, in search of fire-arms, and the party succeeded in getting one gun. We are credibly informed, that those nightly marauders, in order to protect their persons from the effect of light shot or slugs, actually envelope themselves in hay ropes from the feet to the neck, which, we are told, will repel that description of ammunition. On Sunday last, about 2 o'clock, at noon, as John Hewson, Esq., of Castle-Hewson, near Askeaton, was walking in his lawn, a short distance from the dwelling, he was surrounded by a number of armed men, who had lain concealed in the shrubbery, and who ordered him to walk towards his house, and deliver up what arms and ammunition it contained. Mr. Hewson not expecting so extraordinary a meeting and being unarmed, was compelled to yield to their requisition. On the party approaching the house, the inmates were preparing to resist them, when the fellows presented their hostage to view, and stated, that if any opposition should be made, and if the arms, &c., were not instantly handed out, Mr. Hewson should meet the fate of Mr. Going. There was no remedy, the arms were given, with which they walked off. The house of Edward Griffin, Esq., of Ballynort, within a short distance of Mr. Hewson's, was also visited by the same party, in a short time after, and one gun taken. ----- The Times; London, Middlesex, England; March 18, 1822 The Dublin papers of Thursday announce in the list of outrages the murder of P. Hart, the steward of John Brown, Esq., who was stoned to death by the White Boys, in the liberties of Limerick on Saturday last. A barbarous murder is also said to have been committed on a person named Thomas Knox, one of Major Donoghue's police establishment. One of the perpetrators had been apprehended. In the county of Limerick no disposition has been manifested to give up arms. ----- The Times; London, Middlesex, England; October 1, 1822 IRELAND DREADFUL ATROCITY (From the Limerick Chronicle) On Friday night last, Messrs. Kelly and Smith, of Captain Wilcock's Police, succeeded in apprehending the noted James Fitzgibbon, Patrick Carty, John Molony and Thomas Collins, all of whom are charged with the wilful murder of Ulick Burke, Esq., in Feb. last near Cappa; they are lodged in Rathkeale Bridewell. On the next morning at ten o'clock, a female, who had been seen the day before at Rathkeale, and who was conceived to have given information which led to the apprehension of the four fellows, proceeding to the well of Cappa, near where she resided, for a can of water, was seized upon by a man with his face blackened, who instantly dragged her into the grove, and in the most savage manner attempted to cut her throat. The approach of some persons prevented the miscreant carrying his intention into effect, as he only gave her some scars under the chin, and by the humane directions of Mr. Kelly of Captain Wilcock's Police, she is placed under surgical care in Rathkeale, and hopes are entertained of her speedy recovery. The most prompt exertions were made by the police, accompanied by Robert Peppard, Esq. and his son, to apprehend the perpetrator, who has for the present escaped. Since writing the above we have received the following from a respectable magistrate:- "SIR, - I have to acquaint you with one of the most daring attempts at assassination which perhaps has ever been recorded in the late, I fear, I may add present, rebellion. "As a girl of the name of Catherine Hickie was walking on the avenue leading to Cappa- house, on Saturday last, about the hour of 11 in the forenoon, a man, whose face was blackened, seized her, and dragged her into a grove that stands by the avenue, and there with a razor cut her throat across, but providentially the design of the ruffian is frustrated, as there are sanguine hopes of the girl's recovery. "This scene took place within from twenty to sixty yards of a cluster of houses, one of them a forge, the door of which opened towards the spot to which the assassin drew her, and in that forge were four men at the moment. I must state that no suspicion of collusion rests against these four men, as the noise in the forge prevented the girl's cries from being heard. There are two police-men stationed at Cappa, and Mr. Peppard was walking within sight of, and not more than two or three hundred yards from, the girl at the time the transaction occurred; one of the most public roads in the county runs beside the place where she was attacked. "This outrageous attempt on the life of an innocent young woman, caused by a suspicion of her having given information against murderers, is a clear evidence that the spirit of desolation has only lain smothered during the few months of doubtful tranquility that has reigned in this county, and the man's face being blackened is a well-known symptom of rebellion." "P.S.- I have opened my letter to inform you that one of Mr. Raymond's offices, at Hollywood, lately occupied as a barrack, was burnt last night (Monday) by White Boys." MORE OUTRAGES Within the last few nights parties of ruffians visited several houses between Clarina and Adare in this county. They flogged a farmer, named Lynch, at Briskee; and the dwelling of Mr. C. Parker was attacked by an unarmed party, who beat him for not sending out his servant to be flogged by them. Monday night, John Frayley received a flogging, near Rathkeale, from a party of ruffians. He was suspected of giving information. At an early hour on Monday morning, a communication reached the Police-office of Captain Drought, in his city, that at six o'clock on the preceding evening, two men of his infantry corps, named Gunnell and Armstrong, returning from Castle Connell to their quarters at Bird-hill, were attacked on the Gouigg-road, and that the former was murdered, and the body supposed to have been thrown into a bog-hole, as no trace could be found of it. At three o'clock, however, a messenger arrived who stated that Gunnell has been found in the corner of a ditch, at some distance from where the attack was made upon him; and that, though wounded and stabbed in several parts of the body, he was likely to recover. Various causes are assigned for this outrage; but as an inquiry is about to take place, we abstain from noticing any of the rumours.