The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-08-30
Robert Em,net,n Execution

>~N~~~~SS"
Recently all old man died in the
workhouse at Ballina, Mayo county,
Ireland, and two days later was con-
signed to pauper's grave. His name
was Barney Moran. He was native
OF Dublin, and as long as he was able
to tramp about he made a livelihood as
professional itinerant ballad singer.
He believed himself at the time Of his
death to be about ninety-nine years of
age. On his death bed he made a sim
gular revelation Of the Workhouse. He
told them that he was one Of the band
OF soldiers who, on the night Of May
1S, 1898, accompanied Majors Srr and
Swami, to the house of Mr.. Nicholas
Murphy, the feather merchant, No. 1863
Thomas street, where Lord Edward
Fitzgerald was concealed, and effected
the capture Of the rebel chieftain. Bar
ney Moran avowed that in that terrible
business he faithfully discharged his
duty as loyal soldier Of the British
Crown. But his most startling rcvela-
tion was to come. This was that he
also was the executioner of Robert
roborated since Moran's death by a
most respectable gentleman of Ballina,
who states that for many years he was
aware Of the unpleasant secret, but was
pledged not to divulge 1t till Moran
was beyond the reach of the oblouuy
sure to fall upon him. Moran's state
ment was to the effect that he was on
Intv ar Pnrfs.hn1Io hor o1< a.
evening Of September 10, 1903, when an
emissary from Maj SIR came and Of
fcred him considerable sum if next
morning lie would oHlciate as hangman
for Emmett. Barney Moran was quite
willing In this also to prove bis "Ioy-
atty" by work strangely out Of keeping
with soldiers true vocation. But the
history of TINT awful time attcsts that
British soldiers In too many cases lost
all sense Of honor and took ticndish
delight in tho performance Of any
bloody deed, the victim of which would
bo an Irish rebel or suspected person.
And so on the morning Of SeptoEber
20, 1903, Barney Moran (having been
conveyed thither in civilians clothes)
stood on the platform in Thomas street,
directly opposite St. GATHERINGS church
with Emmet beside him, pinioned and
standing beneath the gallows. The
story runs that Emmett expected res
cue and gazcd about him long and visit
fully as If trying to read hope In the
upturned faces Of the crowd. He pro-
tracted his arrangements rs long az
possible. Even with the halter around
his neck, In answer to the executioner's
question whether he was ready, he
several times exclaimed, "Not yet, not
yet" At length the executioner
weary of waiting, turned him off, with
the words "not yet" coming from his
lips. Moran admits that he was the
man who did this deed, and after the
hanging severed his head from the
body and held 1t up to the gaze of the
spectators with the stereotyred formu-
In. "This is the head of traitor"
After tho execution Moran was con-
vcyed by some Of Major Sirr's under
lings to the castle and then sent back
to his military duty. He kept the Sc
cret, for all knew the tempest of hatred
and adherence which would gather
round his head were it once known
what he had done. His ill-got gains
did not prosper. He quilted the army
and after wandering life of hardship
and privation for half century, ex-
actly scventy-five years after Emmet's
death, his executioner has found a pau
pcr's death and q nameless grave. And
thus there is one enigma the less for
the historical student.