Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-12-18
HARRTGAN AGAIN SPARED
THE 8OYERNoR REts.ITES HIM
FOR THEE YEARS.
Governor stockley, In Response to
Further Appeal for Executive
OIomency, Respites jeremiah Har.
riRan for Three YeErs.

Sheriff Ford, Yesterday sftsraoon week,
received q notification that Governor
Stookley had respited Jeremish HarriRap,
uoder sentence Of death for numbering
Denis Shea, until Dsoembsr, 1887 ;
three yeArs from the dsts Of the expirS
tion Of his previous reapite.
This Ia the fourth tine that Hsrrigan's
execution has been stSSed by executive
olemeuoy, once by Governor Hall and
three times by Governor stookley. His
last respite was granted Just about one
year ago, and expires to morrow, when
had the law been permitted to take its
coarse Hsrrigan would have been hanged.
The respite yesterday vas fully expected
and no preparations had been made for
the execution,
A respite will be . disappointment to
Harrigan, as be had his mind set on
full pardon, and had hoped to have been
turned out Of Jail year ago. He is
restive In his small cell, and complains
considerably at being continued in Jail
instead Of regainiDg his freedom. Harri
gan is In good physical condition, even
better than when looked up. For man
over whom sentence Of death has been
hanging for three years, he ia rather
oheerful, considering his naturally irrit-
able disposition.
The crime for which jeremiah HArrigan
was sentence to death was the killing Cf
Denis Shea, his wife's cousin.
HarrigAn hauled kaolin In Lsoy's yard,
near Hookessin, and lived half a mile
from the village and about the same dis.
tanoe from the Chester county line. Here
he had sold whisky, more or less openly,
for many years his proximity to Penn
sylvanis enabling him TO skip promptly
over into that state when the officers Of
the law came alter him, as they OCCASION
ally did.
Shea had only been over from Ireland
about year and for q time had lived
with Harrigan, but having been over
heard by the latter making some derogA-
tory remarks about him TO Mrs. HarriRan.
Shea had been ordered from the house by
Harrisan and warned never to enter Il
again II he valued his life. Harrigsn
always had the reputation of being "on
the shoot" Ugly stories had been told
about afrAys in one Of which he was said
to have killed his man. He had lost his
right arm BY premature explosion while
blasting rock, but he had learned to
handle pistol with dexterity with his
left hand.
On the night Of September 10Th, 1881,
s-ea,i in company with three other young
lrishmen, went to HarriRAn's place to get
some whisky. Shea remained outside Tor
few minutes, but, his companions
lingering, he went In TO see what was
keeping them. Hsrrigan, in 6 furious
rage, ordered them ali ont, and, as they
left, he ran up stairs and got his re-.
volver. Following Shea into the road he
called to him Shea stopped and few
words passed between the two, the exact
pnrport OF which the others did not hear,
Hsrrigan then fired and Shea fell and
died In q short time.
Harrigsu WAS tried at the following
term Of court. The defense was-insanity
caused by drink and suspicious Of
criminal intimacy between Shea and Mrs.
Harrigan, the latter ground Of defense
being negatived, in the minds Of the Jury,
ty HsrEigan having, while awaiting trial,
denied entertaining such suspicions. He
was convicted and sentenced to be hanged
on Friday, April 14th, 1882.