Star.
London, England, 1821-09-25 00:00:00

LIMERICK ASSIZES.

MURDER OF THOMAS HOSKINS, ESQ..

The trial of Thomas Gallivan, for the murder of
this unfortunate and lamented young Gentleman,
took place in the County Court-house, on Monday
sennight, before the Hon. Baron PENNEFATEIZR.-
The Court was very much crowded.
Cornelius Crowley, a boy who did not appear to
be more than 14 years of age, was the first witness
called ; he did not know his own 'age. The Learned
Judge took infinite pains to ascertain whether the
witness was capable of knowing. the value of an oath,
and after several questions, having expressed himself
satisfied that if he swore false he would certainly be
punished hereafter, &c. he was examined by Mr.
QUINN. He identified Thomas Gallivan, the prisoner
at the bar; he knew the late Thomas Hoskins, Esq.
he saw him on the 27th July last; be was with him
on that day, the day he was murdered at Barnhill,
county of Limerick; he was in company with him
between the hours of five and six o'clock in the even-
ing ; le carried a bundle of his clothes; they were
returning home to Newcastle; Mr. Hoskins rode en a
mule, witness was on foot: they came over the little
bridge; after they passed two shots were fired; Mr.
Hoskins looked round and exclaimed " 0, Goo .1
what's this?" Hartnett, the sportsman, was present ;
Mr. Hoskins then galloped on towards Newcastle;
after the two first, there were three or four more shots
fired; witness saw the persons who fired the second
set of shots; they were fired from between the two
crosses on the road ; Mr. Hoskins's. mule received
the shots in the shoulder; the mule turned round
short, and he jumped off: the sportsman urged him
to get up again ; he did not get up, but jumped over
a ditch and dykes off the road ; the sportsman, who
was mounted, galloped off, Mr. Hoskins ran between
the two cross roads; two fellows immediately jumped
up before him, one of them then fired a blunder-
buss at him, and he fell on his face and hands; one
of the fellows came behind him, stooped down and
fired through his body and head; " all along;" the
same man then turned him on his side, and took the
watch out of hi; pocket, and put it into his own
coat-pocket; he then took some silver from the de-
ceased; then turned him on his face and hands again.
The witness was now asked, whether the prisoner at
the Bar was the person he alluded to? The bey stood
up, and, in a collected firm tone, impressively said,
placing his eyes stedfastly on the prisoner, de Upson
my oath that is the man. who fired the last shot at Mr.
Hoskins, and who took the watch, &c. out of his
pocket ;" after that, the same man asked him from
whence be came ? be replied, that he came ham Ab-
beyfeal, and was going on a message to Newcastle,
from one police-man to another ; he told him fur-
ther, that Mr. Hoskins and his sportsman had been
coursing, and had given him ten-pence to bring the
bundle for him; Gallivan ordered witness to give
him the bundle; his reply was, " Here it is, hit or
miss," and gave it to him; prisoner then said to wit-
ness, " There he is over, shot ; and you w—e's son,
I'll do the same to-you that I did to him." While the
murder had been perpetrating he had been seated on
the road ; he was sitting on the grass, and could see
Mr. Hoskins.
Cross-examined by Mr. O'Cotatat.L.—He said, that
he sat because he was frightened ; they came from
the bog road ; they two that talked to witness were
facing out towards Mrs. Browue's Hill; there was a
ditch at each side of the road; witness had been all
the day with Nlr.Holcins, the deceased, who had slept
at Mr. Haye's the night before; he had breakfasted
there the morning of the day he was killed; Mr.
Hoskins took a snack at a house in the mountain;
tri,tness had eaten and drank also ; they staid there
an hour; they travelled a good deal of the mountain
looking for hares ; witness did not hide himself when
the shots were fired ; he was not in the regular em-
ployment of Mr. Hoskins; he had been in the service
of Mr... Walpole, one of Mr. Going's police ; left him
on Saturday before the murder; he had also been in
the service of Mr, David Dooly ; served for nothing;
remembers that Connoly, his predecessor, had been
accused of stealing the case of a silver watch from
his employer ; he had not stolen it ; was not accused
of stealing it ; he was more than a month at Dooly's,
who gave him a coat and turned him away.
Here the witness burst into tears, and said, Mr.
O'Dell, the Attorney for the prisoner, was whispering.
Mr. O'Connell, and " makinr, faces" at witness.
The Court suggested to the witness that he should
answer Mr. O'Connell.

The Counsel for the Crown complained that Mr.
O'Dell had been making significant faces at the boy,
and the Judge censured it.
Witness's parents are poor ; they live on charity ;
he begged with them ; heard that a reward was of-
fered for bringing the murderers to prison ; Mr. Hos-
kins, senior, gave him the clothes he wore ; lodged
first information before Mr. Yokes, five or six weeks
after Mr. Hoskins was shot ; swore informations be-
fore Mr. Blennerhasset also; saw Hennessy, and
though he had a cut on his face as well as prisoner,
he said that he was not the man ; witness swore at
the Inquest, he put his mark to the informations, as
he could not write ; saw Messrs. O'Brien senior and
junior, at the Inquest; remembers no other person;
swore once before Mr. Yokes, then at the Inquest ;
then before Mr. Vokes again, and, for the fourth,
time, today ;at the time the murder did not know
the man's name who had killed Mr. Hoskins, and
had taken the bundle from him ; did tell the man a
lie to save his own life; if he told him he was a ser-
vant of Mr. Hoskins he might have been killed ;
never knew where prisoner lived, and does not re-
collect having seen him before the 27th of July,
when Gallivan was taken ; said. before Mr. Hoskins,
senior, and Mr. Vokes, that " that was the man ;"
did not swear against him until the day that the pri-
soner was taken to Limerick ; cannot say what time
intervened between his arrest and removal to Lime-
rick ; several of the workmen asked witness if Gallivan
was the man? to some he said yes, to others he said it
was not ; he did so to avoid being teazed—(Witness'
complained again of Mr. O'Dell.--The COURT, " Sit
doWn. Mr. O')ell.")—Did not say Gallivan was the
man before he was brought in or taken up.
From a Juror--" Were the men disguisedr—They
had yellow paint on their hands, faces, and the necks
a their shirts or cravats; Gallivan, when in his old
clothes, looked smaller than he does now ; but pursued
witness, " it was the same man, for when he came
itosune to strike me, the blood rose up in bis face,