The Express.
London, England, 1864-09-10 00:00:00

WITCHCRAFT IN IRELAND.

The Tipperary Free Press reports a carious cane
of fraud at Carrick-on-Soar. Oas Mary Dohany, it appears,
has for years past lived there in &Macon circumstances by
selling love pottoos to romantic and foolish girle, while she
occasionally netted respectable sums amongst farmer'
wives with whom things were not goiag altogether smoothly.
But she surpassed herself when she seconded in enrolling
two steady members of the constabulary force on the list of
her votaries, and enmeshing, one of them at bleat, in debt
to a considerable amount. Sub-constable Joseph Ranee is
a married man, of some 6ve and forty years of age, and the
• father of a family, Some time ago his eldest daughter be-
came iii, and, hearing of the °unitive powers of Mrs.
Doheny, his wife engaged her services, and the child
improved somewhat. Henceforward Mrs. Dobeny became
• frequent guest at the tea-table of the constable, and after
• time she predicted that ere long he would be in 'Minot
circumstances, inasmuch as some of his relatives and con-
nexions who bad bees dead for years bad COMO to life, and
would soon be permitted to show themselves upon the earth.
He was also led to believe that Sir James Power, who had
died some ten years ego, took • deep interest in his well-
being, and purpoiel giving him some landed property, and
the result was that • correspondence was carried on between
them, and the constable received no lee them 25 letters
• and • gold nog from the occupant of the grave, the mis-
sires io question being regularly forwarded by Mrs. Dulmay,
and the replies occasionally came through her, and were
sometimes found in as old moat on the hill-side. To
attest her powers still further, she made an assignation
with the constable to meet him in a certain held, and
• there she revealed to hint the person of his father-in-law,
William Mullins, standing eta few yards' distance, dressed
in a blue coat with brass buttons, knee-breeches, poem
stockiup, and shoes ; he we not allowed to address the
' vision, which was beheld by his son, • boy about nine veers
of age, at the lame time. She also showed his, others of
his age,
&c., who had been dead; among others, his son
William, who departed this life some 6ve or six years ago.
This the constable deposed to on oath at an investigation
before the magistrates on Saturday, and as regarded her
power in this respect be was corroborated oo oath by his
wife. Mr. ileum, who with Megan. lephson sad Wilson
presided, asked him if he bed been drinking at the
time, and the man replied that he had not Mated
spirituous liquors for the past twenty-two years.
There is further testimony. Sub-constable Hoye' is
brought forward, and he deposes on oath that the woman
has brought up before him several of his friends sad
counexione who had bees dead for years. He too is corro-
borated by his wife. Fur weeks after Mrs. Doheny is sup-
plied with meal, potatoes, tea, &c., for the sustenaoce of
the dead who have corn. to life, sod on more than one coca.
Mon some tobacco was sent to old Mullin, who, it appears,
was in his lifetime • great smoker. To meet them demands
Constable 'tosses got into debt, but the promise of gold and
landed property induzed him to resort to extensive credits
to furnish supplies. New potatoes were at one time re-
turned to him, with • reopen from the dead that they
should be exchanged for old, and oar one omission some eggs
were sent back with word that they had not agreed with the
dead son William. Mr. Heard, the sub-inspector, at
length got intelligence of what was going on, and be
determined to make inquiries is reference thereto •
Reeves was removed to Clog reel in coesequenos of the debt;
hi had contracted : sod, learning Ibis cause thereof, he pro-
ceeded to Mrs. Doheiiy's house. where he found the letter
(25) from Sir JUIN. Power, which bad been returned by
Reeves when the thing got noised abroad. He also got three
bottles, oontaioing tea, cream, and milk, made UP in a clean
white handkerchief, and which Mr.. Doheoy acknowledged
were to have been forwarded to some of her defunct clients
on the same evening. The house was otherwise comfortably
furnished, and the dame appeared to live well on the credu-
lity of the people. She we, of coarse, arrested, sod the
present proceedings were instituted. It was a strange thing
to witness in • public court • number of intelligent people,
apparently in their senses, deposing to such things on oath.
Whatever spell she may have wrought, there is no doubt
that the policemen pained sod their families still place im-
plicit faith in her, for, when being removed to the dock,
Mama shook her by the hand, and, in reply to one of ',Le
magistrates, he mid, "Sir, if you had sees as iamb as I
have, you would he of the same opinion." Mr. Heard had
the woman's husband—a blind (?) man—arrested on Friday
everdor. He travels through the country led along by a
"due pule, and, oa being questioned, he acknowledged
that his worst day's receipts for some time past were 2s. 9
while occasionally they realised 6s. or 7s. a day. Some
time ago the female prisoner gave a woman as awful beating,
and yet embody could be got to prosecute her, fearing that
she might bewitch themselves or their children. So steads
the case at present. Mrs. Dobeey was remanded. She is
apparently about 40 years of age, with a good-looking face,
ada mouth particularly expressive of conning and iotelli.
geom.