San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-04-20
IRISH SAVAGERY.
TIE OLD HIBERIAN BELIEF IN
KELPIES,
Causes Preparation of One of the
Most Awful Crimes In the
History of the Age.

caught her, held her down, and
compelled her to drink noXious
fluid.
Then, after swinging her for
nearly an hour, the woman mean
time screaming fearfully, they held
her over a kitchen fire, where she
was slowly roasted to death.
Details Of the terrible affair hav-
ing come to the knowledge Of the
police, eleven persons were arrest
ed.
The body of the woman was
found buried about two feet in the
DOGGY bottom Of the dyke. On
turning the body it was found that
one side was dreadfully burned
from the face down to the legs
The eyes were staring open, and
the face wore a peaceful happy
look.
The right hip and thigh and por-
ton OF the abdomen were charred
and burned, with the internal or
gans protruding through the
burned apertures. The right hand
was also burned, the fingers CHAIR
ed and contracted. There was also
found the same condition Of burn
ing on the left side and back Of the
hip joint, but not so severe. The
left hand was also burned, the
fingers charred. The muscles on
the lower end Of the spine were
charred and burned, and the bones
exposed. There was gold earring
on the left ear; what remained Of
the body seemed to be well nour-
ished; there was an abrasion on
the inner side Of the lips at the
right side Of the mouth, and the
tongue at that side was slightly
lacerated; on opening the neck
the tissues were slightly discolored,
but there were no great marks OF
violence; on removing the scalp
eXtravasatiOn of blood was seen on
the top of the head; the vessels OF
the brain substance and the lungs
were slightly congested, and the
left lung adhering to the chest
wall the spleen was ruptured the
stomach was found healthy in ap-
pearance.
Its appears that Mrs. Cleary was
young woman about q, good
looking and industrious. Her hus-
band is also good looking, and car
ries on the trade Of cooper. Mrs.
Cleary was we'll liked about the
neighborhood, and the greatest in
dignation and horror have been
excited by the statement of the
ill-treatment to which the poor
creature was subjected.
Mrs. Johanna Burke, who al
leges that she was kept prisoner
in the house Of the Clearys while
the murder was being committed,
gave a CirCumstantial account Of
the barbarOus treatment to which
the unfortunate victim was sub
jected by her husband and some Of
the other men who assisted him.
She related a conversation which
she heard between the murdered
woman and her husband, in which
he accused her OF having kept CON-
pany with fairies, which she de-
MED. He put certain tests to her,
asking her in the name of God was
she Bridget Boland, his wife. He
required her to eat bread and jam
three times, in order to see whether
she was human being or a fairy,
and on some failure occurring on
the third time, he seems to have
become convinced that she was
not mortal. Whereupon he at
tackled her and jumped on her chest
while she lay on the floor. He
then stripped her, and, after she
had been placed over the fire by
himself and the other men, they
made other efforts to drive out the
fairies, addressing her from time
to time and repeating the ques-
tion, whether she was his wife. He
threw paraffin oil over her and, as
sisted by her father, he placed her
on the fire, which was on the
hearth, and witness became sick,
and escaped to an upper room in
terror. Witness brother tainted,
and they poured Easter or holy
water over him to revive him.
Looking down into the kitchen,
witness could see that the place
was full Of smoke, and that the
deCeased's body was lying on its
face with the legs drawn up in
agony. On looking a second time
she saw the body stretched on its
back, and it was then desperately
disfigured and burned. She screech-
ed horribly while they were tortur-
ing her, and witness and others
had endeavored to escape from the
house, but they were prevented;
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