Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1886-05-08
JNEQUALLED CRIME.
The Adage that "MUrder VIII
Out" Again Confirmed.
Questions Raisedby the Discovery of a Ter.
"ible Triple Tragedy in Ireland

The result of trial which recently ter
minated in Cork, Ireland, adds confr-
nation to the old adage that ''murder
will out" William sheehan was convict
ed Of the murder of Catherine, Hannah,
and Thomas Sheehan, his mother, sister
and brother The crime was committed
in October, 1877, but was not discovered
till the summer of 1884. At that time
farmer named Broderick discovered at
the bottom of we'll seventy-two feet
deep the bodies of the three Sheehans.
They were fully Unidentified by their old
neighbors by their clothing and articles
in their pockets. The skull of each was
broken, clearly showing that they were
not drowned, but had been thrown into
the we'll after they were murdered. 1t
was known throughout the neighborhood
that the four Sheehans were living on
farm belonging to widow, near rela-
i tive, during the fall of 1877 On GER
tain day there was no one living in the
! house but William, who stated that the
remainder of the family had left for
America, which was to be their future
, home. Their friends thought it strange
! that they should leave without saying
anything about the matter, and the won
der was increased when neither they nor
certain relatives living at some distance
from the farm received any letters from
them. William affirmed that they left in
the manner they did bee eause they object
ed to his marrying a, Miss Browne, the
daughter of neighbofing farmer. The
night after the alleged departure of the
three Sheehans for America William gave
musical party at the house, which Miss
Browne and her brother attended. In
few days William married the girl, and
continued to live on the farm till July,
1883, when he was evicted for non-pay-
ment of rent I.c then left with his wife
for Australia
After the finding of tie three bodies in
the wei, John Daune, who with his wife
and son were working for the Sheehans
during the month of October, 1877, was
arrested on suspicion, and being thor
oughly frightened, related the story of
the murder He stated that he and his
family lived in cottage on the farm, and
that on the morning of the disappearance
he saw William Sheehan, accompanied
by David Browne, brother of the future
Mrs. Sheehan, strike Thomas Sheehan to
the ground with blunt instrument, 10
.caIly called "griffaun," /" after which the
two men entered the house and killed the
women in the same manner. The three
bodies were then taken to the barn ana
the door locked. David Duane son of
John, confessed that on the night of the
musical party he was attracted to the
house by the music and desire to have q
good time, that he quietly seated himself
beneath a window, where he could see
and hear without being observed. He
remained in his place till the party broke
up and the visitors went away. Not
wishing to be discovered then for fear of
being reproved, he still sat quietly. Soon
he saw William Sheehan, David Browne,
and man he did not know go to the
barn, open the door, take out three bod
les, drag them to the well on the next
farm, and throw them in.
The officials being in possession of this
evidence traced William Sheehan to
Auckland, New Zealand, where he was
arrested and brought to Cork for trial
On his passage home he told many con-
ficting stories about the disappearance of
his relatives Els father-in-la law attempt
ed suicide as soon as he heard of his ar
rest Sheehan was conyicted chiefly on
the testimony of the two Duanes, but
there was much circumstancial evidence
to coToborate their testimony.
This remarkable case serves to raise
some interesting questions. A numerous
family drank for SIX years the water fur
nished by well that contained the bodies
of three human beings. Its tastes and
smell finally became SO offensive that they
were obliged to clean out the well or t.
fill itup. How many wells in this coun-
Try that have been abandoned and filled
up on account of the condition OF the
wxter they furnished contained hu
man bodies1 The three persons WHOSE
bodies were found IN this well suddenly
disappeared, and it was reported thar
they had gone to distant country. How
many persons that suddenly and myster
iously disappear without any apparen
cause, and from whom 40 tidings eve
come, are murderedf Unless body
: Is found under circumstances that serv'
70 make /. probable that murder wa