The Sun.
London, England, 1834-08-07 00:00:00

DREADFUL MURDER.

LivEnrooL, AUG. 4.—lt is our painful duty to record
the particulars of a shocking murder which was committed
in the streets of this town on Thursday morning, by an
Irishman, named Patrick Brogan, on the body of another
Irishman, named Peter Swiney. It appears that the deed
was perpetrated from a spirit of revenge on the part of the
murderer against his victim, originating in the Irish
factions, who committed such excesses in the riots of
Atherton-street, about three months back, for which
several were tried and convicted at the sessions. The
particulars of the shocking occurrence will be learned
from the inquest, which was held in the Court-house,
before Mr. Crosbie and a special jury. 'Flie first
witness called was Moses Johnson, who stated that he is a
shipwright, living in Kitchen-street ; he knew the deceased,
Peter Swiney, and on Thursday night last, about half-past
twelve; was in his company with two other men, named
Stockman and Lillie, in King-street, when they met the
prisoner, Patrick Brogan. They all sat down on some
steps in King-street, when Lillie went away to a house in
King-street-lane. Brogan then began to talk of a fight
which had taken place between himself and a man named
Davis, who was a friend of Swiney's. Swiney said that he had
nothing at all to do with it ; and on witness making a re-
mark, prisoner said that he had nothing to say to him (wit-
ness), but that he would have his revenge on Swiney. The
prisoner then asked witness if he would go home and sleep
at his house, when Swiney said that he should not, as he
(witness) had a good home to go to of his own. They all
then got off the steps, and witness asked Swiney if he was
ready to go home, at the same time telling him that if he
did not go, he (witness) should bid him good night. Swi-
ney and the prisoner then went away towards the house
where Lillie was, and Stockman and witness stood in the
street watching them. Immediately afterwards they ob-
served the deceased and prisoner standing still, apparently
talking, and they saw the prisoner's hand in a striking po-
sition thrown towards Swiney's body. Did not perceive
anything in the prisoner's hand. They might be standing
about ten yards from witness, and he heard Swiney call
out, " Moses, I'm stuck !" and the prisoner then ran
away. Witness and Stockman ran to the deceased,
and found his shirt covered with blood in the part where
they had observed the prisoner strike him. Witness as-
sisted Stockman to lead deceased to a watchman in Pa-
radise-street, who gave an alarm, and the prisoner was
shortly afterwards apprehended and brought to them by
another watchman. Deceased then said to the pri-
soner, " You are the man that stuck me," and prisoner
said " Yes, I did stick him." The prisoner was taken
away in custody of the watchman, and witness and others
took deceased to Marshall's, a surgeon, in Duke-street,
and Mr. Leather, his assistant, saw deceased ; witness then
carried him home to his residence near the Salthouse
Dock, and Mr. Leather accompanied them ; witness went
home about four o'clock in the morning, and saw the de-
ceased again that day ; he appeared very ill ; saw him
again on Friday very bad, and on Saturday saw hint dead.
Several other witnesses having been examined, the Jury
expressed a wish to retire, and after an absence of about ten
minutes they returned a verdict of Wilful Murder against
Patrick Brogan ; and the Coroner forthwith committed
the prisoner to Lancaster Castle, to take his trial at the
ensuing assizes. The prisoner did not appear in the least
affected, nor scarce conscious of the awful situation in which
he stands. He is a man about forty years of age, five feet
five inches high, dirty and ragged, but has nothing in his
countenance indicative of a ferocious disposition.