, 1862-01-09

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murders that we have ever heard or read of took
place in this county on the night Of the LIST inst
A respectable, industrious and no(fcnsive wo
man was, on the night in question, without a
moments warning, ushered into the presence o.
her Maker in a mysterious manner The circum,
stances, as elected at the inquest and elsewhere,
are as follows:
On the night stated, Mr.. and Mrs. Looney were
on visit at the house Of Mr.. Clunas, at Elk
Plains, in this county. The time passed plea.
sanity until man named Michael ShCehan, who
was intoxicated, caused some disturbance, where
upon Looney and Clunas put him out Of doors.
Returning into the house, they sat quietly down !;
the women, Mrs. LOOney and Mrs. Clunas, at one
side Of the fireplace, and the men, Looney and
Clunas, at the other. At about halfpast eight
o'clock, according to the testimony adduced at
the inquest, when the three men were intoxicat-
ed, Sheehan staggered up to Mrs. Looney, and
took hold Of her in an immOdest manner, at the
same time using obscene language. She struck
him in the face with her hand, and called to her
husband to protect her against further insult.
Looney came forward and said to his wife, "What
ails you, Ellen9 what's the matterP" She re.
peated the statement that Sheehan had insulted
her, whereupon Looney seized SheehaD, knocked
him down, and dragged him outside Of the door
and threatened to "cut his d-d CUTS out Of he
came in again" Sheehan, however, came in
again, and, to prevent renewal Of the fight,
Clunas volunteered to assist Looney to take Shee-
han to the barn, and leave him there to lie on the
straw until be would get little sober. This
work they performed together, and, on returning
to the house, found the women seated at the fire
talking over Sheehan's conduct The party had
been seated but few minutes when Sheehan
again appeared at the door. This was the signal
to Looney for another onset and both parties were
more noisy than before. Clunas and the women
tried to reason with them, but in vain. The noise
awOke the children Of Mrs Clunas, who at once
gave them her attention, and, while so engaged,
she was startled by the report Of gun or pistol
in the house. Turning round, she exclaimed,
For Gods sake, what is the matter? You have
killed an innocent womanI" At this moment
the men who were fighting seemed to be in
semicOnsciOus state, not knowing exactly what
had happened
Various were the rumors in town next morn
ing respecting the affair, but principal among
them was one that Clunas had been shot and
then hanged near his own house BY indignant
neighbOrs Until the officers Of justice had taken
him in custody, brought him to town and lodged
him in Jail, this report was generally believed.
The County Coroner, Mr.. Daniel Collins. pro.
ceeded next morning to the scene Of the murder.
where be held an inquisition over the remains Of
Mrs Looney. The jury returned verdict that
deceased came TO her death bya pistol ball shot
from pistol in the hands Of William Clunasn
Il is alleged, how true we cannot say. that the
deceased was pregnant at the time Of her death.
The circumstances, as related by different per.
sons more or less acquainted with them. make
this certainly mysterious and unaccountable
murder, Il 80 Il should prove. A harmless wo-
man shot down bya man on his own hearthstone,
while receiving his hospitality BY invita- ion, on
New Years night, without provocaton, disputa-
ton, anger, or anything else which might lead in
the remotest degree to such catastrophe. il At
present an event insxplicable, unless we deem
the man subject to insanity. We are positively
assured that there was no malice between the par
ties; on the contrary, the most friendly relations,
i is said, had always existed with them, which
nothing had ever occurred to disturb. Wemust
Be content to leave with the law and the lawyers
the task Of probing the matter, and discovering,
i possible, q motive for the commission Of 1
murder apparently 80 unprOvoked.