The National Register.
London, England, 1822-01-07 00:00:00

SPECI.IL COMMISSION LIMERICK.

EXECUTION OF SHAUGHNESSY & MAGRATH,
FOR SEIZING ARMS.
LIMERICX, Dee. 25.—Yesteiday. at a quarter past
two o'clock, these two unhappy men were exeented at
Gnllows•green. Notwithstanding the great interest which
many persons in this neighbourhood might be 'supposed to
have felt upon this event, there weir but few to witness
it, and scarcely twenty of their own elllSB of the peasantry
attended. It is generally supposed that several thou•
sands of the batter classes of labourers and small cottiers
have been implicated in these disturbances, and that they
are afraid to strew themselves in public, for fear of being
recoguised, as guilt is always ti 000 id; it was observed by
many, that during the Commission they kept aloof also,
and were not visible in any part of Limerick, as upon
ordinary occasions. The two unhappy felons were es-
, coned by a troop of the cll. Dingoes' Guards, two cow
parties of the 79111 regiment, and some of Capt. Drought's
City Police, mounted and dismounted. Four Roman Ca-
tholic Clergymen were unremitting in their solicitude for
the future welfare of the wretched ststfeters. Shaughnessy
was greatly altered in his appearance since his condensna-
tion--.Magratli was not. W ben the procession reached
the usual spot of execntion. a ring was formed by both
cavalry and infantry. and the two prisoners knelt on the
ground, and remained in fervent prayer for about twenty
minutes. The hangman, meantime, who is an old, dem'
pid, Iniseratile looking being, and who wore no disguisa
whatever, fin ring it inconvenient to stand in the
which covered the place of eteention, took some hay out
of his cart, and played it tinder Isis feet ,moil the prisoners
..asked dowel to him. The Rev. Mr. Handralian, and
twit other clergymen, then ascended the temporary scaf-
fold. Shaughnessy stepped up lightly, and was followed
by Alagrath, who appealed equally firm and retiree,';
there was not the slightest symptom of fear visible in
either; their demeanour was solemn and contrite; they
appeared to have profited by Isle advice of the lion.
J um ice Moore, who had sentenced them, and also by the
I wholesome coun.el of their attentive confessors, for it
was evident that their thunglias were not on the earth, butt
seemed to soar superior to the find condition of morality;
and happy was it for them, that their minds were fixed
on that impel ishable kingdom, within which all hope fur
habitation.
Shaughnessy spoke as follows, only a few moments be-
fore the fatal signal was given :
My Ft ieuils,—l pray Gud to bless you all; I beseech
you to offer up you• players to heaven for the salvation
of our immortal souls. Refine I die I would wish to con-
y% a we'll of advice to our late deluded associates; I
wish to implore them to have more sense; they never can
hope to accomplish their purposes. whatever they are. I
out guilty. 1 did take the 21111 noun Mi. Sand with; it is
all tine—perfectly true. I forgive my pi osecutois—they
only did their duly. Let all those who have arms deliver
them up to the Magistrates ; unless they do, the tranquil-
lity of the country will he very uncertain. Oh! let them
do it, or they will rue the day. it was not I tln.rt I Oilbl.ll
the officer of his arms—mote I catmot say. God ill hea.
ven bless ye." A clergyman then threw the cap over his
face.
Alsgratit (who had been a smith) said,—
" God tusgive me, they swoie nothing but the truth.
I would not have been mail enough to liaise taken tee
Let Irian the soldier, only that I was in liquor; and so
irked was I at the time, I 4111 !life, that if I had help, I
would have disarmed the la hole party of soldier*. I ant
fully sensible of illy ensue:. Oh! friends give up, sin-
render your arms."
He then resumed his ayers—each of the culprits held
a *Mail eineitix in his right hand, which they with great
lervour pressed to their hi misty. The wretched ;talents
of each of the still...rent were present, and anti the wife of
Nlagrath—their state defies description—the platform
having brew a ithilrawn, they wet e ti militated into another
wend. iNlagratli, although shoo, was a heavy 111411, the
rope that bu.peatted 6iul was lung, and he was dealt
in
uwr 1111/1111.111. Shaughnessy wean light man, and on being
t ned oft, else of• the curds with which his arms had been
pineuited gave was, and he snuggled and writhed rsto-
iii+ltisigly ; lot• Low inure' to raise his left arm twain ils his
head for i.einly four 111111111e6 With considerable energy,
,nit, even at the expiration of six or nearly seven minutes,
.lar•ts limsell up, and appeared to shudder and feel est-
e, ticiatitig agony. The dead bodies were brought back
to the gaol, as was the practice after executions in 1793,
41111 tIIIIIWIIIIIIO a place called Crop pies Hole, where it
had been the pi active to On ow a ipiaidity of quick lane
upon the bodies of those olio L•ad been hanged for high
treason.
The greatest bent tit is expected to result from this
awful example, ler uranc of the wretched creatutes who
had hitherto congtegated for bad imposes, had not it
perfectly clear idea teat it was a capital offence to deprive
another of his arms ; robbery of money, Sc. they very
well knew to be ieluity, but ft om an imperfect knowledge
of toe English language, and also Irani ton great all
aptitude to Intel pret the laws, which many of them fatlyy
themsclved to be well versed in, such hall been the fact in
many instances. Extracts from Whitebuy mad Riot Acts

ere to be liennedietely primed in sheets; and, together
with the admonitions of the Jokes, cud the important
warning Of the Solicitor General, are to he eircalatml ex-
tensively in this district. —Jost as this article was con-
cluded, five prisoners wme h►ongltt in, charged with
crimes tinder the Whieelmy Art.