The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-28 00:00:00

THE CONVICT DELAHUNT.

This wretched man, as we have already said, made a
full confession of his horrible crime some days since.
The following account is given in the Dublin Morning
Register of Monday :
" The Governor, when making his usual inspection of
the prison on Saturday morning, visited the prisoner,
about nine o'clock. After referring to his interview with
his parents on the preceding day, the Governor said he
had heard that his father had given him some good ad-
vice, and expressed a hope that he had profited by it, to
which he replied in the affirmative. The Governor then
said he did not wish to press him to make any commu-
nication, but if he was desirous to make a voluntary
statement to him he was prepared to listen to it. Dela-
hunt then made the following statement :—He said, that
for about a month previous to the commission of the
crime, he was nightly oppressed with the feeling that he
sh ould commit murder, but then formed no definite purpose
with respect to his victim, except this, that he intended it
should be a child, as it would be less able than a grown
person to offer any resistance to his murderous designs.
He said that he endeavoured to shake off the feeling that
thus oppressed him, but it clung to him with such tena-
city that he was unable to expel it from his mind. Hav-
ing procured the knife at his brother's house, as stated
on the trial, for the purpose of committing the murder,
he wandered about the streets during the day, in search
of his prey. At length he perceived the boy Maguire
playing with some other children, in the neighbourhood
of Plunket-street, and his attention was particularly at-
tracted to him by observing him make several inef-
fectual attempts to jump on a coal-cart that was pas-
sing through the street. He called to him on the
pretence that he wanted to send him of a message,
and promised to reward him for his trouble.
They proceeded together to the several places
stated on the trial, with the exception of the public-
house at the corner of Capel-street, where it was de-
posed on the trial they were seen taking coffee together.
He said they were not there, and they did not take any
coffee, for he had no money to pay for it. At length he
brought him to the lane near Pembroke-road, and there
perpetrated the bloody deed. It appeared on the trial
that a large stone had been used in committing the mur-
der ; but on being questioned' about it he denied
having made use of the stone. He was then asked
how it occurred that there were no spots of blood
on him, and he said that on committing the murder
he had guarded against such result. He seized the
boy by the forehead, and having -pressed his back
forcibly against his thigh, drew the knife quickly across
his throat, and then flung him from him. The boy
made no resistance, and, he believed, was unaware of
his intentions. He then ran away, and did not hear the
boy scream or give any other indication of vitality.
When questioned as to his motive for bringing the boy
to his sister-in-law's house, he could not account for it ;
but it is probable he was waiting until night, to enable him
to effect his object with greater certainty. He was then
asked if he intended to implicate the boy's mother in the
murder ? He said he did not, that he did not know her ;
and, in describing the dress of the female by whom he
alleged the murder was committed, he did not mean to
implicate her or any other person. It will be recollected
that, in the former statement, he said his object in com-
mitting the murder was to be taken care of in the Lower
Castle-yard, and to prosecute some person for it • but,
on the present occasion, he denied being actuated by
any such motive. The Governor said he hoped he was
telling him the truth ; and he declared he was doing so,
as sincerely as if he were making the disclosure to his
spiritual atlyiser."