The Sun.
London, England, 1823-04-02 00:00:00

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 1323.

Nft

PARRICIDE.
At the Enniskillen Assizes, (which closed on Friday the 2lst
ult.) John Key.s,wal indicted for the murder of James Keys,
his father, on the flid of April teat, at tifutnes in this county.
The tirst witness called was Atm Keys, examined ,by Mr.
Ron Eire Jourtsp3x.—Decased was father, and prisoner is
brother, of witness prisoner' and deceased went out on the
the morning of the 23d of April last to make a ditch ; they came
home and dined together that (lay ; they,kwought out spades
with them in the morning; deceased did not return in the even.
in g, but prisoner did, and had two spades with hint ; the family
asked prisoner where the dt.lceased was; he said he went a little
above the house to look fora oat; prisoner supped with the
family and went to bed ; the fan* sat up later thro usual
waiting for the deceased to come in ; he never returned; the

,
famili'became alarmed the day before the sed ot decea we
found ; witness told prisoner the day before that there would be
more about it ; Prisoner replied he did not value hei. It was a

little distance front the ham where the body- ass band ; could
not look at ,it ; prisoner was not present at finding the body ;
witness has another brother (Thomas), who is not at }wane, and
had not been at home for fple \seeks before that; witness and
family were afraid to make a noise about deceased, lest the
landlord should come and distrain for the tent.-
Cross-examined by Mr. ROLLESTON.-15 sister to vri-
soner ; knows h&j"; on trial for his life and that he has but

48 hours to live if he be convicted ; has strong. feelings of sor-
row in her mind surely as to prisoner's state; deceased and the
priSoner worked in the fields together for years; on the day tle-
ceased was missed they were working as usual ; deceased was
a strong, but not a large man ; prisoner was above 2l ; had an
elder brother whq was a favourite with her father; deceased

. . .
gave part of his land to prisoner to live on ; her eldest brother
did not stay with her father, but went to the army ; deceased
was kind enough to prisoner. It was the hallowday Use of
November) Wore deceased was missing that prisoner got the
land the sisters were well enough pleased at prisoner's getting
•the land ; her elder brother had never appeued.sincethe-death
of her father; prisoner lived in the house with deceased for
years (except odd days), and they dined, breakfasted, and
'supped together until :the time accented disappeared;- theyap-
peared friendly when they came home to dinner on the day de-
ceased was missing; went, out friendly enough after dinner ;
there was some „ conversation about a goat ; prisoner said the
'deceased had gone. up the rock to look tor the goat; it was not.
night-fall.when prisoner returned front the fields; witness saw
,some one on the rock, thought it was her father, but her little
brother said it was he ; her little brotheris about 13 years old;
witness told her sisters that she thought the person she saw on
the rock was like her father ; prisoner brought home two spades,'
his father's And his ',own ; he came in, sat down, and talked as
usual ; had opportunities enough of running away the next
day; he dined and supped as usual next day and the clay After
'instiller worked some days with other people, but slept every
night in his lather's house, and had every opportunity of going
away.

BY the COURT.—It happened on the tad of April.
John- Keys examined.-10, uncle of, the prisoner, and was
brother of deceased ; recollects the time of deceased James
Keys' absence ; ..matle4 search on May-day ; went with others
to the house of deceased at sun-rise ; the door was shut ; went
in and saw Elizebeth, witness's niece ; 'made search -with one
Richard Keys ; prisoner came out of hie, father's home before
witness went to search ; prisoner, said he. had riot
.seen deceased
for eight days before, when he was ditching ; prisoner said de-
ceased went to look fur a goat,
.or to look for his prisoner's)
brother in thournty ; prisoner game out with witness and:his
party e witness and two others were present when the hotly was
found in •a mountain in a newly made ditch, which was about
eight steps long ; there was a march ditch near this, but it had
no connection with'it ; it. was 'useless es alenee ; prisoner at
this time was on a hill in view ; witness brought ,a spade
from the houee of deceased, and fell to dig down the ditch ;
prisoner's sister was present; witness dug down, mei on the
rim of the ground got straw, under which he discovered a
body :sunk naked ; it was his brother's body ; there were nutlet;
of violence between the head anti neck as of blows. As sun as
witness discovered the body Of deceaeed, he pursued prisoner,who
was then °uteri sight; witness saw prisoner walking by. a lough
in,compenv with another person; when witness came up
said
soner jumped into the lough up to. his shoulders, and said he
would drown himself; 'he wetild not come out, and said to wit-
ness "' You accuse me of killin nay father; I will never stand,
on-green ground again, no one shall cast up to me that. I killed
my father." Prisoner remained Upwards of two hours in the
lough ; when witness and those with him would go away, pd.,
sonar would come out to the shore, and when-they would return
he would go in again : witness told primer if he was an inno-
cent man to come out and go seek after his frail, and that he
(witness) would pay his expenEes ; prisoner began to make his
will, he remained in. the lough until William Colluni, who
could swim; came and fetched him out.
Janus Keys sworn.—ls brother of John Keys the prisoner;
reetemeers the day his father *us missing, was in the house
after dinner; did not see prisoner and father go out together in
the Morning ; saw . them go,. but after dinner .1 lived in' the.
house with father's family; weni to watch some goats (bat dey.
Jas. Gordon sworn.—Knew deceased ; was et the place his
body layabout an Weir ortwo after it was found; remained there
nearly tWo hours; prisoner was there all the tune; it was
about nine o'clock in the morning ; went with prisoner to Capt.
Faresett's, the Magistrate; knew prisoner before ; had no con-
versation with him going to the Magistrate's, but had a convert
• sation with him in the Alagistrate'm kitchen ; .the Magistrate
was not present. There was no hope or • expectation of for-
giveness, or threat, held oat -to the, prisoner by witness; had
not seen the Magistrate at the time; there was no constable
there; witness walked behind prisoner going to the .Magistrate's
house. 7 Prisoner said ho had helped at killing his father, that
he was not the worst nor the first upon him. Witness asked
prisoner who was concerned with him ? Prisoner hesitated; then
said, " that his eldest brother Thomas had come to hint the day
hetbre, and that they hid agreed to kill their father next day,
that they might have his property betweeti them l"
John Gorrtgan examined.--. Knew deceased; was one of the.
means who found his body ; prisoner was not then in view ;
the place where the body was found was like a grave, it • was
covered with a cope sod in a ditch • the- body was naked ; saw
prisoner a few hours after in the-lake ; saw nothing -but his
head and shoulders.
Surgeon Leonard examinedeellecollects seeing it body which
he was brought to examine or May-day ; saw it at the place
where it was found; observed marks on it ; there ,were two
wounds, one of which seemed to have been inflicted with a hlttnt.
weapon; the other. with a sharp one e the fennel . a contusion
over the right eye, the latter a wound on the back of flip head
near the neck, one • end of which appeared to be deep; there
were two ribs fractured. These wounds :might have ,been the
cause of deceased's death ; but he has been men worse WOunded
recover.
By the Cot RT.—Thinks the death not occasioned by strand
gulation, • but by temporary syncope, and that the man might
have been bUried in that state although not dead.
John Keys and James Gordon were rectified, and examined
by the Court. Nothing material was elicited.
VOW THE DEFENCE.

Anne Wilson, examined., by :Alt. KEANAI4..—is not related
to prisoner; was in the SAlagistnte's house et the kitchen lire
When the prisoner was brought there ; there were several per.
sons there; Al &MOS (40rii011 was- there; he had been,speaking
as witness went in. Capt. Fan:ma's maid was in the kitchen ;
the maid told the prisoner that if he Would acknowledge, they
would liberate him.
• Cross-examined by Mr. Jo' srsToN.—There was a talk
about prisoner being married to witoeu's daughter ; witness
scarcely knows tiny body's mind but her own ; attended at the
Magistrate's; had cattle grazing With prisoner, and followed to
see what would be done with Willi I" James Gordon in the
kitchen, and in the room writing with Captain Fathiaett ; saw
James Gordon and' prisoner talking together at the kitchen
tire.

•••.• - 1
• Jane Keys is daughter of deceased : recollected the Wti of
April lasts her father and brother, the prisoner; were ditching
that day 'within a call of the hoitse; was within when they re-
turned
to dinner, end was there when her brother returned in
the evening; he returned before "night fall g Beady and Anne,
her sisters, we the house; Anne went out, antl-said when
she came in that she saw her flaw on - the top • of the rock ;
prisoner slept at home that night and ibr eight nights after;
witness has an uncle, John, who would not speak 'to deceased
or prisoner for a year or more .1. he was not in her father's house
for a year before Allot day.
This witness underwent a cross-cxrminaticm by Mr.,Boso,
who produced the deposition rustle- before the Coroner, to Show
that 'her testimony on the trial was quite difThrent ;' but Mr.
rttfite sTweirnes'osb hjear given
lo
her tierei"iiilliof- the deposition, be-
cause testimony tethe COroner otter

the inquisition *agileld, and She . stated that the people bad
given her some sort of sniff, or liquor.; which made, her. drutik,
and she did not know what She said bcforo the Coroner.
William Trotter, the Coroner-, was then produced to
front this withesS, and exaniined:by Busru....PreSitled at
the inquest held on the hotly of decemied Jamea Keys the, last
witness (Jane Keys) did not appear at the Inquest; witness
examined her afterwards upnn . oath, and considered her per-
fectly eober at the time of her examination: • .
The Learned Jtidge (hap) then recapitulated the whole of
the evidence in a very eCeurate and pttsActious manner, com-
menting and explaining as he went along. The .Inry retired
for nearly half an hour, and returned wilt a verdict of Qailty.,
isLordship then addreesed the Prisoner at considerable length,
in terms the most feeling and impressive, expatiating on-the en-
ormity of his crime—a crime rarely to be heard of among the
most barbarous nations, and what is more to be Wondered at,com.;
mitted in a conntytlistinguished in Ireland for its civilization-
exhorted the prisoner to make the hest use of the worttime now allotted to Mtn, to appease his iiitlinided trop by
humble penitence and prayer, and 'erincloded by pronouncing
the awful sentence of the lam •Hi* Lordshipi-spalh44 and elo-,
quent address made a most sensible, impression on the prisoner,
and the whole auditory. The unfortunate Man a,P,Pdaied deeply
effected, and begged in tears to speak' a few words. He Said
his brother-who was accused with hint had ziothing to do in
murder, nor had Anne Wilson or her daughter ever given him
the slightest advice to commit the horrid deed ; he atone can-'
mind and perpetrated it.
ExEctrT me: or' Kevs.—On Monday, about one o'clock,
John Keys, convicted on Saturday of the murder of his own la-
they, underwent the sentence of the law in front ofthe gaol of
this town. From theenement he was tvintived to liia•cell after
condeirmation, till the morning of his execution,- the unhappy-
man evinced the most penitent dioositione, and was incessant
in his supplications for mercy, fully confessing the enermity of
his crime. lie acknoWledged that he had been reared and liVe&
in total Ignorance of all religious knowledge r but diet, since his
confinement in jail, he derived such instruction from the school
taught there, and reading the word of God; as led-hi-Ili to seelt
for pardon-and salvation 'through the Redeemer. Ile was assist-
ed in his devotions by the• Rev. Mr.-Johnstoo, chaplain of the
jail, and the ltev. Mr. 'Whittaker, assistant, and from time to
time by several of thePions inhabitants, *lnovisited hiM for that-
charitable purpose. The' interval of Sunday, and the chief part
of the night previous ;to . his eexecution, were spent in: this_
holy and edifying manner. But the fatal hour at length arrived,
About half-past twelve on Monday, the prisoner appeared on
the platform in front of the gaol, attended by the Rev...lllr.
Johnston,- the Rev. Mr. Ovens, and the, proper 01ficets. lie
seemed perfectly resigned to has fate. There was an immense
concourse of spectators assembled on the occaSion, and he'sPOke
a few words ,to an ecquaintance whom he recognized in the
crowd. He then addressed the people generally, in a firm tone
of voice, repeating circumstantially the confession of his guilt,
and exculpating Pram any participation in the foul deed his bro-
ther and other. persons whose names had been falsely impli-
cated in the transaction. Ile freely forgave his prosecutors,
and concluded by expressing his humble hops of mercy for the
sake and throngle the -.merits. of Christ. The prisoner then
joined, the clergymen and others present in fervent prayer, after
which the executioner pre:deeded to do his duty; and in a few.-
minnies the unfortunate man was launched into eternity. NM-
withatrinding thtlappalling horror of nis guilt, almost tiolkary
for its enormity, there were few who could suppress a feeling of
commiseration for the unhappy criminal, when they considered
his hitter and sine* 'repentance end his extrenie youth.' Ile
was little mere than 20 years old, a circumstance which should
operate as a solemn warning to the rising:generation 7` to re-
member their Cmater in the .days of their youth."—l Erne

Fi um the LON N GAZETTE, Aprit 1.

BANimuPrrcv ENLAIICIED

CireA Tatecr-itreet, wilier-Merchant, froth A prl
6 to Aprlll9, at ten, utile Court of Commissioners.

BANKRUPTS.

J. Mundell, Liverpool, draper, to surrender April :23, 24,
and May 13, atone, at the Vein-bre Inn, Liverpool A ttornies,
.Mr. Lowe„ Southampton.liuildings, Chaneery-lanc ; Loudon ;
and I\lessrs. Orred; Lowe,'and 'Hurry, Liverpool.
'l'. Crawford, ,Liverpool, ship-chandler, April 23, 21, and
May,l3, tot ane, at the Mice of 411 r, Bewlinson, Liverpool.
toniey, I\lr. Itowlinmon, Liverpool.
.1. Jackson, Ifolborn-hill, wine-inerehants April it, 13, and
' 11lay 13, at tWelve, At the Court of Contmoners. Attorney,
Mr t'ike, New Boswell-court, Lineoln's Inn-tields, London.
J. Smith, Newbury, Berkshire, baker, April 24, at six, '25,
and May 13; at eleven,' at the Three 'nine Itin, 'Newbury.
Attornies, 111t# Hears, ;Newbury ; and Mews. E. ,W, Ash.
field and Wright, 'I okenhouse-yard, Lontlen.
F. Fredricks, Criekhowell, Breconshire, banker, April 17,
111, mut 11ay,13, at one, At the White Lion Inn, Bristol. At-
tornies, Mr. W. L. Clarke,. Bristol ; and Messrs. Jenkins,
Janie's, and Abbott, New Inn, London.
Iledgson, Dover-street, Piecallillyf'hotel-keper, April 54
12, anti May 13, at eleven, at the Court of Carunitssioners. 'At.
torney, Mr. J. Cole, Furnival's Inn. London.
Whiddon,' F.Xeter, grocer 7, April I, 16, and May 12, lit
eleven, at. the Globe Tavern, Exeter. Attornies, Mews.
Collett and Co., Chancery-lane, London ; and Mr. Z. Turner,
Exeter.
J. Squire, Kendal, Westmorlanti, watelunaker, April 21, at
six„ .22, and, May 13, at eleyett,'at the King's Anna Inn, Ken.
aid.• 4ttornies, Mr. Addison, Verulam-buildings, GrAy's
London; and Mr. 'Wilton, Kendal.
Flack, Shepherd-street, Oxford-street, eabinet,maker,
April h, 15, anti may 13, at eleven, at the Court of Conunis.
stoners. Attornlea, Messrs. Timbrell and Roberts, Maccles-
field-street, Soho,
Hellicar, Andover, Hampshire, linen-draper, April 8,
15, and :flay 13, at. twelve, at the Court of Commintoners,
London. .Attornies, Messrs. Walker, Rankin, and Richards,
Ilsainghall-street London.
J. Green and 3. Ofeen, jun. Warminster,Wiltshire, brewers,
April 14,15, and May 13, at eleven, at the Angel Inn, War-
minister. Atomics, Mr. Barton, Warminster ; and Messrs.
Nethersoles and Barron, Essex-street, Strand, London.