The National Register.
London, England, 1820-07-31 00:00:00

IRELAND.

WATERFORD ASSIZES.
MURDER.
John M'Carthy was indicted for the wilful murder of
Robert Sheehy, Esq. on the (sth of January last, at
liawisfewit.
Edmund Sheehy, Esq. sworn.—The deceased, Mr.
Sheehy, was witness's father; witness saw the deceased
brought into his house; he appeared to have been mur-
dered ; his skull was CloVell asunder; on witness putting
his hand under the deceased's head, it sunk into his
skull; witness fainted away. The murder happened
on the 15th of January last, at night-fall. About a
week before, witness and deceased distrained the pri-
soner's father, and drove two horses fiom Isis land; wit-
ness, who was a few yards from them, thought the
prisoner was going to strike the deceased. and went to
his assistance, hut the prisoner's father cried out, " Let
him go to the devil and take them;' deceased put the
horses in pound, but they were afterwards hailed ; pri-
soner's father held a lease of souse land from the de-
ceased, and on the life of the deceased; prisoner lived
within a mile of the deceased; had lived there many
years ; the deceased was a kind and benevolent landlord.
Mary Droughan sworn.—Recollects the night Mr.
Sheehy was murdered; saw him that evening near the
door of the house in which witness lodged ; it belongs
to the uncle of the prisoner. Knows the stream; wit-
ness went after Mr. S. and asked bins for !OM money;
he bid her send her husband to him, and he would give
him some; witness was returning when she saw the
prisoner behind the deceased, with a bill-hook or plough
iron in his hand, with which he struck the deceased
behind the head ; the deceased stumbled a few yards,
and cried out, " Oh, murder! Carthy I" the prisoner
followed, and gave him a second blow, by which he was
killed, and he fell within two or three yards of the small
road ditch; witness did not wait any longer, but ran
home through the dikes as fast as she could.
Cross-examined.—Lives at Cloninel with her husband
in the house of Pat. Lonnergan ; knew the prisoner and
the deceased very well; did not tell the Sheehys of what
she knew until with is a few days of Easter Sunday.
The Learned Judge asked the witness what induced
her to swear against the prisoner. She said that three
or four days before she gave the information she met
the Rev. Mr. Casey, between Cloninal and Cloglieen,
told him the circumstance, and asked his advice. lie
told her that she was wrong in keeping such a secret in
her breast; and that, if she persisted in concealment, she
would not receive the rites of the Church ; this operated
r very strongly upon her mind, that she scent and gave
information.
Nicholas Droughan, husband of the last witness, cor•
roborated the tes 1111 l ony of his wife, as far as he was
concerned, and farther remarked, that lie was often
awakened out of his sleep at night, by his wife starting
up and crying out" Oh I murder, Carthy 1"
His Lordship, Baron NPCleeland, summed up the
evidence to the Jury in an able and eloquent manner,
and passed a very handsom.. compliment on the praise-
worthy conduct of the Rev. Mr. Casey, in bringing the
nefarious deed to light.
The Jury, after retiring about ten minutes, returned a
verdict of Goilty.
The prisoner was ex Tined on Thurday at one
o'clock.

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