Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-07-27
Death of an Innocent Man in the Peniteutiar

Death Of an Innocent Man in the Peniteutiary
The following affecting narrative We find in
the Ohio State Journal:
''ln the year ISIS three brothers by the
name OF Shea-Patrick, John and Dennis,
living in the county Of Donegal, Ireland, tore
themselves away from their aged parents.
the scenes of their childhood and the land OF
their birth, with the intention of making
enough m"ney to bring their loved parents Ia
the country of their intended adoption.-
Tw" ol them Were men, but Dennis, the hope
and pride OF his aged parents, was but boy
ri seventeen years, full Of youthful ardor.--
They crossed the ocean and landed i'll New
York. They shortly started 10 find employ
ment. The eldest stopped in New Jersey; the
next found a place IN pennsy wanna, and
Dennis came /" Ohio with IN acquaintance.
and found his way to one of our public works,
hear Athens. where there were number ot
his countrymen employed.
Not long after he arrived, two or three cit
lzens were passing along the road and found
Dennis Shea, with dying man, ut sprung.
Dennis had carried him there and was EN-
gagged i'll washing the face and cooling the
temples OF his dying countryman. Those
VIII" found him in TIN. position charged HIM
with murder. arrested him and conveyed HIM
To Athens aud lodged him i'll Jail. The man
died without being able t. communicate any
al the facts Of the case, and the story oi poor
Dennis WAS not believed. lie WAS tried NJ
the March term Of the court IN that county,
lSj4, found guilty of murder i'll the SECOND
degree, aud sentenced To the Ohio PenlteutIa-
~ for life. He arrived there on the lth "t
April following, 1T that time but eighteen
years OF age Immediately after his coniine-
nIrut he began to dwindlc away, and he
told the narrator of these facts, that he
could not survive Il year, and wished his
brothers to be kept ignorant ut his misfortune
and disgrace.
In the month Of September following he
took To- his bed and sent Il message t. our IN
iormant. llewished for priest, and said he
could not die without making his peace with
God. Father Meaher WAS sent TOR. and i'll
the presence of the warden, MIR. Wilson, and
oar informant, he told his simple story. The
dying boy was shrved said that he would
now die in peace, and i'll few moments I'LL
was over. lie stated Oh his death bed, (and
it is substantiated by Lot l.. Smith, esq, II
lawyer Of Athens, and formerly private Sc
cretary Of Gov. Medill,l that there existed
an old irud between what they call the Far
downs and Curkunians-that few Of them
had met near the spring on that day IN the
absence of Dennis, and had Il fight, when they
left this man for dead and made good their
escape. Dennis came along Il short time al
forwards 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 i'll the charitable
act, his story scredited-hurried through
the form of Il trial, without money and with
out friends and sentenced. ut the youthful
aye Of eighteen, to drag out miserable exits
tence within the gloomy walls of the Ohio
penitentiary-and innocent, too, Who Won
dcr~ that ho sckencd-that he died!
At the request Of the dying boy, our in
formant wrote to his parents. Informing them
of the untimely end nt their darling child,
aud who can realize or appreciate the agoniz-
ing, hcart-rcnding SORROW ofthe aged parents
as their grey hairs go down in sorrow to
the grave"