The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-03 00:00:00

MOST HORRIBLE MURDER.
(From the Leinster Express.)

TOLERTON, SATURDAY EVENING.—I have just
attended an inquest in a case of murder compared to
which in atrocity that of the Mappings sinks into the
shade. It is not usual to have to record such darkly
demoniac traits in the Irish character as that un-
folded in this inquest; especially among the female
portion of our peasant class whose demeanour for
modesty and womanly reserve has elicited warm
eulogium from writers of every class and every
country. The murdered in the present instance was
husband, the murderess wife. She has not only been
pronounced guilty by a Coroner's jury, but has fully
confessed her participation in the terrible tragedy.
In order to give the foul transaction in the smallest
space, I condense the evidence.

Catherine Thompson, an interesting peasant girl,
was wedded some time ago to a person in her own
class of life named Patrick Moore. The marriage
was not a happy one; the wife's prettiness had won
her many admirers; and the result was that a casual
separation took place ; the husband went to live with
a relative of his named Brennan, while the wife re-
mained with her mother at Tulla, in the Ballick-
moyler district. Moore left for America, but on
reaching Liverpool, he could not divest himself suffi-
cienly of his feelings for home to prosecute his
voyage ; so he returned. On Sunday, the 21 of
September, Catherine Moore sent a young woman
named Julia King over to Brennan's to her husband
with a message, the substance of which was that she
wished to see him on that evening. He came punc-
tual to the assignation. Between ten and eleven
o'clock on that night he was seen by two men
leaning against a ditch at the back of his mother-in-
law's house, in company with his wife. After this
night he was not seen or heard of in the neighbour-
hood ; he did not return to Brennan's ; but a rumour
was set afloat that he had left for America ; and the
following Sunday Mrs. Moore left Tulla for the
ostensible purpose of joining him in Liverpool, in
order that they might proceed together to New York.
After she left, vague reports were circulated through
the village, and people surmised strange things, and
ask,d why the wife did not accompany her husband.
These indications of the feeling of the people of the
neighbourhood having reached H. B. Warburton' Esq.,
the Sub-Inspector, at Ballickmoyler, that gentleman
immediately made particular inquiry into the matter,
and had the several coal-pits in the district
dragged but without any successful result. While
he was thus engaged a letter reached from a brother
of Mrs. Moore's, who resided at Dundalk. It pur-
ported that the writer had seen his sister and her
husband off from Dublin on their way to America;
that they were in good health, and seemed perfectly
reconciled to each other. This removed any lingering
suspicion which remained on the mind of the intelli-
gent sub-inspector. Thus matters remained until
word was brought him, on Wednesday evening, that
the body of a man or something like it was seen in a
hole in the centre of the lonely bog of Rossmore, and
that the dogs had been devouring portions of it. He
forthwith proceeded to the place pointed out, on
Wednesday night, and in the middle of the lonely
and wild bog of Rossmore, with the tempest howling
fearfully around him, he perceived, by the fitful
glimpses of the moon, a mangled arm protruding
from the depths of the bog•hole, as if outstretched to
heaven imploring vengeance. A stick being procured,
the body was stirred, when a most revolting spectacle
presented itself. A human head started out of the
water ; the nose and one of the cheeks had been cut
off, the eyes were gone, and the face otherwise fear-
, fully mutilated. On examination the limbs were
found to be very much mangled, end the body in a
state of putrescence and decomposition.
To remove these hideous remains of mortality was
a matter impracticable at that hour of the night, with
the assistance Mr. Warburton had ; so he left his
companion to keep watch while he drove off to Tulla,
which was seven miles distant, it having struck him
that the mutilated body in the bog must have been
that of the missing Patrick Moore. When he reached
Moore's mother in-law's house, he made fresh inquiry
as to where Mrs. Moore and her husband were ' • the
confusion and prevarication that ensued confirmed him
in his idea of there being foul play. He then secured
the attendance of a person who knew Patrick Moore,
and could identify the body if it was his. On return-
ing to Rossmore bog with this man and a reinforce-
ment of police, they raised the body out of the hole,
while doing so it fell into piecemeal, and the loath-
some members had to be placed in bags. The
remains were immediately identified. On being
removed towards Tulla, it was met by a procession of
colliers, who placed the fragments of the body in a
coffin, and bore it onward with marks of deep sorrow
for their murdered comrade.

I omitted to mention that in the morning the Sub-
inspector had placed the mother-in law, brother-in-
law, and sister-in-law of the deceased man under
arrest. A jury having been collected, the body was
viewed by them, and after a minute examination by
Dr. Samuel Edge, it was consigned to mother earth.
The assistance of the coroner, Thomas Budds, Esq ,
could not be procured until to day (Saturday), his
duties in Mountmelick and elsewhere having pre-
cluded his attendance at Tolerton sooner. The jury
having been sworn held the inquest at Grave's public-
house. Several witnesses were examined, and from
them were elicited the facts just stated. The most
remarkable part of this dark tragedy remains to be
told. Never were the mysterious ways of Providence
made mote manifest in bringing retribution home to
the heartless'imurderer than in this case. On the
morning of the inquest who should return home
from Liverpool but Catherine Moore ; she
had come home with a pitiful tale of how
her unnatural and brutal husband had deserted her
on the Quay of Liverpool, leaving her a lonely and
unfortunate woman to beg her way home. Her
astonishment—her horror on hearing of the discovery
of•the mutilated remains of her husband, operated so
strongly on her feelings, that she confessed her guilt,
and all the appalling circumstances connected with it.
It seems Moore's brains were beaten out on the night
he was last seen with his wife, and that on the next
day the wretched woman and her mother dislocated
the limbs, so that they fitted on an ass's car ; being
concealed by straw, they then proceeded to Itossmore
bog, which was seven miles distant; and in the
loneliest part of that lonely place they flung their
gore clotted burden into an unclean hole.

The jury, after some brief deliberation, found a
verdict of wilful murder against Catherine Moore and
Bridget Thompson, mother and daughter.
Mr. Budds drew up a committal for them accord-
ingly; and they are to be transmitted to the county
gaol at Maryborough, there to await for trial until
next Spring Assizes. The principal evidence against
these wretched women will be supplied by two per-
sons connected with them by the closest ties of con-
sanguinity.
In closing this report, so illustrative of how far truth
may be stranger even than fiction, it is but justice
towards the sub-inspector, Mr. Warburton, to remark
that his exertions in pursuing this horrible tragedy
through all its dark details deserve the highest corn•
mendation. On expressing our astonishment at the
coincidence of the woman, after an absence of nearly
four weeks, returning to the very spot where twelve
men were holding an inquest on the putrid remains
of the man whom she had murdered, we were in-
formed that Mr. Warburton, nct being able to dis-
charge from his mind the impression of Isloore's
murder, wrote to the man with whom he had stopped
during the previous trip to Liverpool, and who had
been a friend of his, to ask if he and his wife arrived
safe, and inquiring if he was aware of their getting
off to America, as the neighbours were anxious to
hear of their welfare. Mrs. Moore happened to be
at the time an inmate of this very lodging. house at
Liverpool. The man read the letter for her. She
expressed her uneasiness, and said she should return
home, as something must have happened to poor Pat.
She accordingly left Liverpool for Tolerton, and
reached at the very crisis when her presence was
necessary for the fulfilment of the ends of justice.

MADAME DULCKEN'S PIANOFORTE MATINEE, AT
BRIDPORT.—This accomplished and distinguished
pianiste visited Bridport on Monday last, and gave a
musical matinee, at the Town-hall, to a select and intel-
ligent audience. It was a rich treat to the person of
taste, to the musical amateur, to every admirer of
superior talent. The precision, the power, the exquisite
finish of Madame Dulcken's playing commanded but
one feeling of admiration. The Grand Fantasia, by
Schulhoff, she played with surprising ease and energy.
The fantasia from Lucia, by Liszt, charmed the audience.
The " March of the Croates' " by Blumenthal', was
exquisitely performed. "La Cracovienne," new fan-
tasia, by Wallace, was executed by Madame Dulcken
with finished beauty and power. The genius of a first-
rate artist was observable in all her performances.
Hausmann's playing on the violoncello was very supe-
rior. A new fantasia by him was exquisitely given.
De Kontski's performance on the violin was surprising.
His "La cascade capriccio" and " Le-Pizzt-arco-
capriccio," with a new effect for the violin, were most
powerful in their effect, and his playing on one string as
he did astonished the assembly. He is the only pupil of
Paganini,•.and has much of the air and enthusiasm of
his great master. Herr Schonoff, and Mademoiselle
Sophie Schloss, first soprano of the grand festivals in
Germany, sung several pieces with great taste and
beauty.
The entire performance gave peculiar satisfac-
tion, and Madame Duleken, by her bland and winning
manner, excited the interest of all.
Mr. Thai() Cochrane seems likely to become as
distinguished a member of the literary world as he
already is of the senate. His new work, "Ernest Vane,"
appears to have been put forth as a picture of existing
society, in which, according to report, many portraits
from living originals, have been introduced, with a
degree of power and truthfulness that cannot fail of
making a due impression on the reader. Particular re-
ference has been made to the characters of Lord Elvers-
fort, the diplornatist—Luttrel, the man of fashion—
Leslie, the millionaire—Michel, the Jew—Percy, the
wit—and at least a dozen others, as likely to bp easily
identified.