The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1883-01-20 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

THE GILWAY EXECUTIONS.  The three Lough Mask murderers have this week been executed at Galway. Fortunately, the hangings have been unaccompanied by sensational incidents such as recently afforded voracious newspaper correspondents excuse for interviewing the ever-volabie and philosophical Mr. Marwood. Tic men died alter the fashion of their kiLd, but it is not authentically reported that they expiated their atrocious crimes by making a definite confession. The story of their misdeeds is a fearful one, but, in view of the way in which Mr. Biggar. and other " patriots " have endeavoured to excite sympathy on behalf of the . authors of the Joyce massacre and antipathy towards the Lord-Lieutenant because he left those unhappy men to go to their doom, it is, perhaps, es well that it should be repeated. On the 3rd January last an elderly man nam,hl Joseph Huddy, who was a b Alf onsthe estate of Lord Ardilauu, in the county of Galway, left his home, accompanied by his grandson, John Huddy, early in tee in miing, for the purpose of serving a number of processes upon tenants on Lord Ardilaun's estate. His destination. was Cloug,hbrack, a townland on the borders of Lough Mask. This place was in the centre of a district, which, unfortunately, had acquired a very terrible notoriety. Among the processes which Huddy had with him was one which it was his duty to serve on Patrick Hig4ius,the prisoner, described as Patrick Higgins (Long), the adjective added to his name being to distinguish him from a person of the same name in the same district. They had served several processes, and were proceeding  .•&A  along a lane, and when near O'Kerrigan's house, Pat Higgins (Long), Tom Higgins, and a m.in named Flynn came behind the Huddys, and when they had just reached the corner of the house Patrick Higgins with a stone felled the old man to the ground. Shots were fired into him from pistols by Thomas Higgins and Michael Flynn. The younger lad fled for his life. He was pursued down the bonen and knocked down by Michael Flynn, and Michael Flinn and Tom Higgins despatched him as they had previously despatched his grandfather. The murder was witnessed actually by Kerrigan himself. It was also actually witnessed by Kerrigan's wife. Two sons of Kerrigan's, one of them a boy of eleven or twelve years of age, and the other an older lad of fifteen or sixteen, were also present during part of the occurrence. It would appear that neither one or. the other of them saw the murder of old Joe Huddy, but they came on the scene immediately afterwards, and saw the body placed in the clove, a sort of basket used in carrying turf. Pat Higgins (Long) took the cleve on his back and went off to the lough. About the time the assassination took place the culprits were seen on the spot by two other persons named Elalloran, father and son, who, hearing shots, went out and took a rapid, stanled, and ; terrified glance at what was going on. , Pat Higgins having gone on with his bur- ' den, the body of the younger Huddy was placed in a sack at Kerrigan's house, and then occurred a transaction of a most extraordinary character, indicating a determination on the part of those who were engaged in it, in broad daylight, that as many as possible should be ; brought in contact with the bloody work. The elder of the two young Kerricans was seized and the body of young Huddy placed upon his back. He was compelled to carry it towards the lough. Shortly afterwards another lad named Mannion, also the son of a tenant in the same neighbourhood, was stopped and compelled to carry the body until he fainted or fell under it at the corner of the barn. Then it was placed on the back of another person who had come up, named Pat Higgins (Sarah), and by him carried in the direction of the lough. Twentythree days afterwards the bodies were fished up out of Lough Mask.