The Dewsbury Chronicle, and West Riding Advertiser. — 1882-12-09 (Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England)

THE DUBLIN SPECIAL COMMISSION. THE LOUGH MASS MURDERS.  The Dublin Special Commission was opened at the Green-street Commission Court at 11 o'clock on Monday morning, before Mr. Justice O'Brien. The grand jury having been sworn, Mr. Justice O'Brien addressed them, alluding to the numerical decrease of crime in the county, the decrease consisting mainly of asses of threatening letters and notices. There was not, however, the learned Judge remarked, any decrease in the amount of undetected crime, as such recent events as the attack on Mr. Justice Lawson, the murder of Constable Cox, and the attempted assassination of Mr. Field would show. Mr. Justice O'Brien further alluded to the ()fleet the inerease in such offences was having upon the trade of the city, which was gradually decaying from those influences, and every one who was able to give up his business was doing so, and fleeing from the city as if it were infected by the plague. Upon all those who depended upon employment for their daily living, whatever remained of hope to the future, depended the due and firm execution of the law. The grand jury then retired, and after finding true bills, the Court proceeded with the trial of the prisoners. Matthew and John Hearn:tan, brothers, and Thomas Brady were convicted of wounding Thomas Mallon, a bailiff, and Patrick Byrne, on the 27th ult., and wore sentenced, Matthew to 18 months, and John Hefferman and Thomas Brady to 12 months', hard labour.  At the Dublin Commission on Thursday, before Judge O'Brien, the trial for the Lough Mask murders was commenced. The accused are Patrick Higgins (Long), Thomas Higgins (Tom), and Michael Casey, who are being separately tried. The first-named was now indicted for the murder of Joseph Ruddy and John Huddy, on the 3rd January last, at Cloughbrack, county Galway. He is a powerfully-built, middle-aged peasant, in dark frieze and red muffler, his hair closely cropped, grey beard, and moustache a stubby, coalblack, setting off with grim aspect a firm, determined, raven-like face. The court was crowded, but the attendance of jurors was not nearly so largo as at the last commission, Some of the Dublin papere have agreed not to publish the names of the jurors, having regard to the state of the city and the attempt to assassinate Mr. Field. Lord Ardilatan eat in court. On the table in front of the Judge was a model of the house of the Higgins, where the murder is alleged to have been committed. From this model it would appear that the house of the two persons bearing that name was situated on a hillside, about half a mile from Lough Mask, and consisted of a small thatched cottage with an outhouse in the corner of the yard, which surrounded the house, and close by ran the road leading away to the lough. The Solicitor-General, Mr. Murphy, and Mr. O'Brien, Q.o.'a, appeared for the prosecution on behalf of the Crown, and the nrisoner is defended by Mr. C. H. Tooling, and Mr. Richard Adams. There was considerable delay in commencing the proceedings. and it was not until 11 30 that Patrick Higgins (Long) was put forward. An interpreter, named Thomas Evans, was sworn, who imparted to the prisoner the fact that he might object to any of the jurors who were then sworn. The clerk of the court then proceeded to call over the names of the jurors, a number of whom were objected to. Evidence was then called, and Joseph Ruddy, son of the elder Ruddy, said his father, who lived at Crewagh, some eight or nine Irish miles from Cloughbrook, left home with his nephew on the 3rd of January, and he did not see them again alive. A number of witnesses proved the presence of the murdered men, and the prisoners in the neighbourhood on the morning mentioned; and Mathias Kerrigan, as a neighbour of Higgins, deposed that Pat Higgins, the prisoner, knooked Joe Ruddy down near his house, and the other two prisoners put shots into him. Flynn then pursued young Ruddy, knocked him down, and Tom Higgins fired two shots at him. The body of the elder Ruddy was put in a basket and carried bylprisoner, Pat Higgins, down the road towards the lake, and young Ruddy's body wee placed head foremost into a sack, and the son of Mathias Kerrigan was made to carry it down the I road for a distance, after which a man named Pat Higgins (Sarah) carried it towards Lough Mask. The evidence having been cprroborated by Kerrigan'a wife and two sons, and the diso.overy of the bodies having been proved, the court adjourned.