The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-21 00:00:00

IRISH_ SPECIAL COMMISSION.
(From #,S'a7trylerN'g New:: iay.)
CONSPIR AC Y r1:0 I 3 ft . AN O 11IE~
CAPITAL CONViCTION.
ENNIS, TUESDAY, JAN. 18.—le The ease of the
Queen against Michael _'_'Mahon, for conspirin: to
incite John Perry and others to murder, or ibscri!le
Money for the payment of the murder of Mr. Matthew
Bolland, the following evidence was eli..:lted for the
prosecution after I dispatched my letter this morning
by the mail :
This case was looked upon al one of the most im-
portant on the calendar, as from its. nature it was
considered more calculated to arrive at the rciot of
the secret system adopted by criminals to perpetrate
the barbarous murders which have taken piece in
this and the adjoining counties.
Michael Hawkins—l know the prisoner and Mr.
holland. The prisoner came to to a-.d !poke to me
about him. Ile said he wanted some to make
up 9/. for a party who was to shoot Akttliew
holland. Ile said Bolleed Nr.V, the first man who
prevented them from getting their diet on the works ;
he also said he had a great many farms, and it would
be better if the poor people got them ; he said some
of the 91. was paid, but not all; that there was some
promised. The prisoner then desired me to go to
Michael Morony, and ask him to subscribe to the
money that was wanting. When he asked me to do
that, I said I would. I did not go to Morony imme-
diately, but I did afterwards. The Morony I went
to was not the man who was on the table, but his son.
The prisoner also told me that JaMes Driscoll was to
pay part of the money. He was speaking to me in
this way for a fortnight. I was getting in dread of
God and man, and I went to my clergy and told my
pastor, and he advised us all not to join in any bad
business; I then gave it up. When I was telling
Morony of it the prisoner passed along.
Cross-examined by Mr. O'Hea—l was never se-
cretary to a meeting, or to any treasonable society. I
was never connected with anything dangerous to my
soul or body. I had no quarrel with Mr. Bolland,
but
," he had an oddity of a form with me." He was
a committee man pn the board of works. I asked
hini for work, and did not get it. M'Mahon got on
the works. The "oddity of a form" existed before
this time. I could not tell the cause of our difference.
All the difference was, that we did not speak. I
remember the time of the Terry Alts, 1831. I know
Clonarkin Hill. I never gathered a thousand Terrys
there, or served any threatening notices at that time.
James Driscoll, examined by the ATTORNEY-GE-
NERAL—The prisoner lived about a mile from me.
He came to me last November and asked me for a
subscription of money to shoot Mat Bolland. The
reason he assigned was, that Mr. Willand was not
dieting the men, and was not giving himself em-
ployment. He also bid Ine ask James M'Enery,
of Tyrivanat my brother-in-law, to subscribe, and
said he would speak himself to Pat M'Mahon and
Mick Alorony, and get money from them. I requested
the prisoner for God's sake to drop such wicked
business, and refused to subscribe.• He said I believe
it is as good to drop it.
Cross-examined by Mr. O'Hes.—l am no relation
of John Morony, but my wife is; she is first cousin.
Bolland got a farm I was looking for; the one Hines
had. I never said he ought to get a bullet through
his body. If Bolland was dead somebody should take
it at a fair price, but its no bargain now.
The case for the Crown having closed,
Mr. O'HEA addressed the jury for the prisoner, and
contended that the indictment was not proved. His
client was charged with conspiracy with others
named in the indictment to murder the first witness
produced for the prosecution, or to procure his assassi-
nation ; but that case was not made out, therefore lie
should be acquitted.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL replied on behalf of the
Crown, and submitted that the indictment was fully
sustained, as it was not necessary to bring home the
crime to the other persons whose names were set out
in it.

The CHM JUSTICE charged the jury, who con-
victed the prisoner of the conspiracy, acquitting him
of the solicitation to murder. He received the an-
nouncement with apparent indifference.—On Wed-
nesday sentence of death was recorded against him.
In pronouncing it, the Chief Baron spoke of the
atrocity of the prisoner's crime, which he said was
calculated to uproot society to its very foundation by
encouraging a system which, if carried out, would
corrupt the entire population of the country.
ATTACKING A DWELLING-HOUSE AND ROBBERY or
Amis.— Daniel M'Namara, John Slattery, John
Rochfort, Michael Murphy, Denis Kennedy, 'Thomas
Hogan, and Michael Kennedy, were indicted for
having, on the 25th of September, 1847, attacked the
dwelling-house of Michael Hennessy, at Ballyhoy, in
this county, and unlawfully obliging one Thomas
Hennessy to deliver to them a gun, his property.
Some of the prisoners were charged with the former
offence, and others with the felony of arms.
The jury convicted Murphy, 111`Namara, and Slat-
tery, acquitting the other three.
His Lordship then pronounced sentence on them
as follows : Slattery, 14 years' transportation ;
Murphy, seven years' transportation; and M`lga-
mars, 12 months' imprisonment.
ENNIS, WEDNESDAY, JAN. 19.

SENTBNCIC urox Cnowz.—John Crowe, the man
who was convicted for conspiring with the two con-
victs Patrick Ryan (Small), William Ryan (Puck),
James Hayes, and others, to murder the late Mr.
James Watson, of Ballycgrney, having been placed
at the bar to receive the sentence of the Court,

The Clerk of the Court asked him the usual ques-
tion, whether he had anything to say why sentence
of death should not be pronounced against him.

The prisoner, who appears to have suffered con-
siderably since his conviction on Monday, judging
by his haggard countenance, said in a weak and
unsteady voice—l have only to say, your Lordships,
that there was not one word of truth sworn on the
table, but what was sworn as to my going to Mr.
Arthur to speak to him about the cattle. Everything
else which was stated was perjury, for I never saw
the nen lam charged with to my knowledge. lam
innocent; and I hope the Court will grant me a long
day, and let my body be buried with my parents.
That is all I have to say.
The Judges having put on their black caps,
The CHIEF BARON pronounced the extreme penalty
of the law, observing that the crime of the priso-
ner, who was a man far above the lower classes of
society, was of a much deeper die than that of the
men who actually perpetrated the murder which
he hired them to execute. His Lordship concluded
by naming the 19th of February for his execution.
The prisoner left the dock without making any
further observation ; his step, however, and general
appearance, displayed the utmost degree of fear and
cowardice. His unfortunate wife and children were
all within hearing of the sentence, but they listened
to it in perfect silence, as if they expected nothing
else but the last penalty of the law.
MURDER OF MARTIN M‘MAllON.—Thomas M'En-
nery, Patrick Gearan, Charles Healy, and John
Griffin, the first of whom was convicted and the other
three of whom pleaded guilty of the murder of Mar-
tin M‘Mahon, having been called to the bar, sentence
of death was recorded against them. The Chief Ba-
ron, in pronouncing it, stated that they would have
been sentenced to death were it not th it it appeared
that they did not contemplate murder, although death
ensued from their conduct, and also from the fact that
the arms which they carried were not found to be
loaded, and no shots were fired.
POSTING THREATENING NOTICES.—JaMeS Herse,
James Duggan, Lawrence Shanahan, and John
M‘Mahon, for posting a threatening notice on the gate
of Colonel Crofton Vandeleur—twelve months' impri-
sonment each.

ATTACKING A DWELLING-HOUSE.—Thomas King,
Martin Malony, and John Duggan, all very young
men, under 25 years of age, were indicted for having
on the 4th of December, 1846, at Tullagh, in this
county, assaulted the dwelling-house of Patrick
Burke.
The prosecutor deposed that he was a blacksmith,
and that about twelve o'clock on the night in ques-
tion his house was attacked, but he defended it, and
would not let the assailants in ; he could not identify
the prisoners.
Patrick Cunningham (an informer) identified all
the prisoners as persons who accompanied him in the
attack upon Burke's house.
Some corroborative evidence having been given of
a very strong character,
The CHIEF BARON charged the jury, who convicted
all the prisoners. His Lordship sentenced them to
be each imprisoned for eighteen months with hard
labour.

ADJOURNMENT OF THE COMMISSION AT ENNIS.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL, in moving the adjourn •
merit of the Commission, referred to the cases which
had been tried during the week. Their Lordships
were sitting in Clare. He said that owing to the
dreadful state of crime in the country there were no
less than five men sentenced to death, and five against
whom sentence of death was recorded—towards
whom it was most probable the Government would,
upon the recommendation of the Court, extend
mercy. There were also fourteen or fifteen prisoners
sentenced to banishment from the country, and not
a single case was tried in which some of the parties
charged were not found guilty after the fullest and
fairest investigation—the prisoners in all instances
obtaining the benefit of the slightest doubt that could
be entertained as to their criminality. The Learned
Gentlemen implored of the people to abstain from
crime and to deliver up their arms ; and, in conclu-
sion, moved that the Commission should be adjourned
to the 7th of February, in order that in case the law.
was violated in the mean time, that the most speedy
justice should be done.
The CHIEF JUSTICE said, he and Lis learned
brother fully agreed with the Government as to the
propriety and necessity of adjourning the Commis-
sion upon a full consideration of the cases which had
come before them. The state of the country was