Connecticut western news., 1882-09-13
THE JOYCE MURDERS.
Ten Men Arrested for the Terrible Crime - The Evidence Against Them

Ten m6n Arrested Tor the Terrible
 Crime The Evidence Against
 Them.
 The Dublin correspondent of the Lon don Daily NeWs gives the following account of the evidence given at the inquest in the case of the murder of the Joyce family, near Cong, Ireland :-
 It is said that the village where the murders occurred had the reputation of being one of the best in the district, but that on the opposite or north side of the valley, into which runs the northern spur of Lough Mask, were to be found 8 class of men of the very worst descrip- tion. This latter district is known as Derrypark, and is on the borders of the County of Mayo. It was the scene of the last stage in what has become known as the Oarraroe process-serving cam- paign in January, 1880. The men in custody charged with the murder all or nearly all belong to the Derrypark dis trict. The men who have come for ward as witnesses. and to whom the knowledge of the affair came in the most providential manner, belong to the Maantrasna side of tho valley. The story which these men-three in mum. Der, the evidence of fourth witness being circumstantially corroborstive - tell is to the following effect: The first witness, who lives about four miles from the scene of the murder, was awakened about midnight by the barking of dogs.
 He looked out because, as he subse- quently stated, he thought there was bad work going on or likely to go on. On looking out he saw six men coming from the Derrypark side. He ran round to the side of his own house, where, al- though concealed himself, he was able to see the men who passed. He lay down fiat among the potato stalks in his own garden, and unobserved was able to dis tinguish the men who passed. They were not more than three or four feet from him. Fearing that it was his brothers house that they were going to attack. which was only short distance of, he ran down through a potato field and reached his brothers house before the men. He reused his brother and his brothers son, and then resumed his watching pursuit, never losing sight for more than few minutes of the gang. The three men then followed at a safe distance, but still in view; crouch ing along the fields in such 8 way that while they themselves ran no risk of being discovered, they could yet keep 1n view the men whom they were watch ing.
 When the latter reached the house of a man named Casey, about three miles from the scene of the murder, they en tered the house and remained short time. Meanwhile their pursuers took lup their places beside Casey's dwelling. In 8 few minutes they came out, not six men but ten. Leaving Casey'o house they proceeded across the fields in a zigzag direction, as the map of the route taken by Sub-Inspector Phillips shows, for the purpose evidently of avoiding inhabited houses for they did not in the whole of the remainder of the jour- ney come at any time within two hun dred yards of any house save one, and that one was not inhabited. Meanwhile the three men who were pursuing them kept at safe distance, but never lost sight of the gang, and at one part of the way they were able, from behind 8 ditch, &o ho uh01 ~e% few yards.
 At this point, about quarter of 8 mile in direct line from the scene of the tragedy, the intending murderers branched of again. To avoid passing close to any houses they made detour which nearly doubled the distance, but the witnesses by this time probably guessing the object of their vengeance, went straight toward Joyce's house, which they reached before the others. They concealed themselves behind the hedge which is only few yards from Joyce's dwelling, and which forms as it were one of the boundaries of his farm. yard, and remained there until the murderous gang came up. They heard the shooting, the bludgeoning and the screeching which followed. Being un- armed and being three against ten they made no attempt to interfere, but almost immediately and before the murderers came out of the house, they left the scene, anxious to escape with their lives and rejoicing, no doubt, that while they had not been in position to prevent the massacre, they were in 8 position to bring the miscreants to their deserved doom.
 The ten men who have been arreste are described by the people of the dis trict as "the biggest devils in the coun- try" They are small farmers, who the people say have long been the terror of the neighborhood. The information of these witnesses was taken before the resident magistrate in the presence of the accused. The witnesses gave their evidence with the greatest firmness and without hesitation. All of them have known most of the prisoners for many years, and one of the witnesses has known some of them for thirty-five years. The night was not moonlight one, but was not dark, and the witnesses state that they are perfectly able to recognize the prisoners and to identify them in the most positive manner, as in the investi- gation which has taken place they have done.
 The witnesses are all staying at the hotel at Cong under the protection ot the police, but if the feeling of the peo pie is to be gathered from what occurred