The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-03-30 00:00:00

~_~s ~~ IR ix~

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CONFESSIt9NaNto EXECLItION 61. BiLIEN;
DlO3l tuE WATERFOnn Satr.ott, th* 211* atitionsl
' . -....r.- . .
On Thursday,./..ohn Brien, alias Capt rein WheelfiN-
4ras executed in front of the C,'Nunty Jail, persuatit
to his sentence, for the murder of Timothy Collins,
it Ballygarron. ; *His demeanour was .becoming his
awful situation—firm but 'penitent. When he had
finished his -devotions, lie requested the Clergythatt
who attended him to inform the Sub-Sheriff, William
Gardner, Esq. that-he Wished to speak to him. M'r.
Gardner immediately went up to the miserable col prit,
who, on his knees, acknowledged the -justice of his
sentence, and declared that he had never been 'con-
cerned in any murder but that for which he was
about to suffer—that he was suspected of the murder
of Mr. Power, of Binvoy, but that he knew nothing
of .it. He added, that the letter he bad hinded to
the Lord Chief Baron, in Court, contained all the
information he had-tti communicate, and nothing but
the truth. A copy of that letter follows. Of the truth
or falsehood of the allegations it contains, we shall
say nothing. The awful situation in which the Pri-
soner stood When he wrote Shill confession, and tt".
the place of execution, when he confirmed it with his
dying breath,appears to*give it an tioquestionable claim
.to veracity-4iat _Whether true or fal,z, justice bas
overtaken thirstily :4-1-;
TO THE RIG*? HON. TRa LoRQ CHIET 18820:+1.
--a,
M'r Loots m-i beg the attention of fhb Coed.
wliiist I detait the nefarious transaction or which I
now stand convicted. An explicit and public avowal'
of the crime, and the circumstances. leading to it, is
a debt I owe to the dead as well a to the lisiag.—
The melancholy tale shall take uplot*isalittle of 9se
public Omens potsible. - - - . ~. .
Alrut fbur Years ago, I Wits initiated into the i
abominable association of caravatisse. In- it-there
was nothing systematic : we swore only -tis befaith- i
ful to each other, and to assist etieh other in dangerli
for this purpose, we wished to be armed, and evert
one *as to procure himself arms at the'expeoce of;
those who legally possessed them. We had the I
wickedness to declare war against• the industrious
stranger, as' if the laws of mture and of the land,
did not give him an equal right with us, .of earning
his bread wherisocrer, and as he pleased : the dis-
-possessor of the, old tenant was our enemy, because
we had the folly to think the land was at- oar dis-
posal •wheir• the old leases expired, and- that those
only should possess it who obtained our approba-
tion. - From this unlawful association has *ken
my present awful situation—l was, my Lord, with
those who had.. taken • arms at Curraghmore, the
seat tit the Marquiyof Waterford ; these arms were
returned in consequence of Haly's being under sen-
tence-of death in the !County. Waterford Jail, and
the etcneUtion- 'of the sentence depending on the
peaceable' emeaficittr of the county. - Arms-were
taken at Killure; I was Of _the Pasty. About this
time, Mary Collins,: alias -Brien,: the' wife -of John
Collins, of Ballygarron sister to Patrick aid Nor-
, pin 'Brien, to whom, thcfugh of the name,
.I am no
way related, left her husband, in consequence. of
some family dispute, and came tQ her father's (Joh*
Brien) house at Abbeyside. Here; the conspiracy
was formed for the destruction of Collins (her hea-
-1 band) "ad his family. She persuaded me, that in-
! formations were lodged by Collins, her husband,
with Mr. Lee, of Tramore, against me, Morgan
Brien, and Patrick Brien, that we•were of the party
that took arms at Killure. This was not the case—it
was evidently done-in order to implicate me in the
Conspiracy. On Sunday, the 17th of Jane, 1810,
we came to the horrid resolution of murdering
.Collins and his, family. The -property_ of the Col-
linses was to lave been seized on by the Briens, and
, my share of the fruits of the horrid enterprise was
Ito rid myself of an imaginary prosecntor—besides,
it was suggested by ' Mary*Collins, or Brien, and
her mother, that, after her husband's. murder, I'
might live with her ' • for, being already married I
could not become her husband. Instigated by the
Devil, I acceded to these horrid proposals, and, on
the 24th June, 1810 (the, day .fixed for the massa-
cre), I came to Newtown slime, remained there
drinking until two o'clock, met, at Ross (about a-
'
mile from Newtown), Pat. Brien, and, shortly after)
Morgan Brien, who came on horseback, with a bag
filled with tow, containing a gun, joined us. From
Ross, we three went straight forward to Ballygar-
Ton ; the gun was given to me, loaded, by Morgan
Brien—we rapped at the door, and it was my mis-
fortune to have shot instantly dead the man who
opened it (Timothy Collins). Morgan and Patrick
Brien then entered the house. Having again charged
the gun, I followed, and fired it off, at random stip-
-lin the house. I don't know what the effect of that
shot was. A box filled with clothes was opened, its
contents put into the bag that contained the gun, and
carried off by Morgan Brien. The doers were thee
shut by Patrick Brient'ind fire set to the house, inter
we returned satisfied, that the horrid deed was ef-
' fectually perpetrated. * '
It already appears frOm what has been said, and
I-now again most solemnly aver, in presence of that
-God by whom I will be soon judged, and who sees
the secrete of ray heart, that only three, via. Mor-
ten. Brien,. Patrick Brien, and 'my unfortiinate; vac
committed the horrid crimes of murdes-and burning
at Ballygarron, and that the four unfortunate men,
who have before suffered for them; were not, in the
smallest degree, accessory to them. I have put the
cause for' which they innocently suffered death—l
hate contracted it debt of justice-with ftera—and. the
only, and least restitution I can' ake them is, thus
publicly, solemnly, and with death before my eyes,'.
to acquit their memory of any guilt in the crimes for
Which I shall deservedly suffer.
•` I have now only to add, et-this side of the grave
lexpect no mercy ; I deserve none : but I may be
liermitted humbly' to hope, that the- anguish, with'
Weieit my heait uow throbs for my share in those
, 'may obtain mercy for me with my God,
rdligh tie merit's of Christ's' passion : that pay es-
;.
.imay.bil it lesson to all, to av9id dangerous
at
of every sort,nind- to dread' the. ennui.
' 'ureter ittleting the laws. To the commands 61
God, which I liare transcressedc; to the saered•lelle
of my country, which / hare notated ; to the Pre-
epti and imitraetilet of my clew, which I have A-
i 144; LW* vellistuf mat a4llBlpl-iilittin: • : •
• 1101111 lift tElts
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