Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-08-05
DEATH OF AN INNOCENT MAN
IN THE PENITENTIARY.

The following affecting narrative we
find in the Ohio State Journal:
In the year 1868 three brothers by the
name of Shca--Patrick, John and Dem
nis-living in the county Of Donegal,
ireland, having heard Of land of hbcr-
ty, whore the down-troadon and opprcss-
edof all nations are received and well
coined, tore themselves away from their
aged parents, the scenes Of their child
hood and the land of their birth, with
the intention Of making enough money
TO BRING their loved parents to the coun-
try of their intended adoption. Two Of
them were men, bat Dennis, the hope
and pride of his aged parents, was but a
boy of seventeen years, full of youthful
ardorl After receiving the blessing Of
their parents they crossed the ocean and
landed in New York They shortly
started TO find employment. Tho eldest
stopped in New Jersey; the next found
place in Pennsylvania, and Dennis
came to Ohio with an acquaintance, and
found his way to one of our public works,
near Athens, whore there were num-
Der of his countrymcn employed.
Not long after he arrived, on one of
their holidays, two or three citizens were
passing along the road and found Dennis
Shea with dying man, at spring. II.
Dennis had carried him there and was
engaged in washing the face and cooling
the temples of his dying countryman. =
Those who found him in this position
charged him with murder, arrested him
and conveyed him to Athens and lodged
him in Jail. The man diod without be-
ing able to communicate any Of the facts
of the case, and the story Of poor Dennis
was not believed He was tried ct the
March term Of the court in that county
1854, found guilty of murder in the Sc
cond degree, and sentenced to the Ohio
Penitentiary for life. He arrived there
on the 18th of April following, at that
time but eighteen years of age. Imme-
diately after his confinement he began to
dwindle away, and he told the narrator
Of these facts that he could not survive
year, and wished his brothers to be
kept ignorant of his misfortune and dis
grace.
In the month of September following
he took his bed and sent message to
our informant lie wished for priest,
said he could not die without making his
peace with God. Father Meaher was
sent for, and in the presence of the war
den, Mr. Wilson, and our informant, he
told his simple story. The dying boy
was shrived by the priest of his religion
said that he would now die in peace,
and in few moments all was over. lie
stated on his dcath-bed, (and it is sub
stantiated by Lot i. Smith, Esq, a law
yer of Athens, and formerly private
secretary to Gov Medill, } that there ex-
listed an old feud between what they call
the Fardowns and Corkonians- that q
few Of them had mot near the spring on
that day in the absence Of Dennis, and
had fight, when they left this man for
dead and made good their escape. Den.
mis- came along a short time afterwards
and found him, dragged him to The
spring, and, like the Good Samaritan, -
was trying to restore consciousness to the
dying man, when he was caught in the
charitable act, his story discroditcd, hur.
ried through the form of a trial, without
money and without friends, and sontcn.
ccd at the youthful age of eighteen t.
drag out miserable existence within
the gloomy walls Of the Ohio ponitentia
ry-and innocent, too. Who wonders
that he sickencd-- that lie died?
At the request of the dying boy, on
informant wrote to his parcnts, informing
them Of the untimcly cud of their dar
ling child and who can realize or appre
ciate the agonizing, heart-rending sorrol
Of the aged parents, as their "grey hair
60 down in sorrow to the graye?"