Darlington & Richmond Herald. — 1874-12-24 (Darlington, Durham, England)

THE CONDEMNED MAN IN DURHAM GAOL.  Hugh Daley, the man who lies in Durham Gaol under sentenee of death for the murder of Philip Burdy, at Bashi)lades, near Dipton, is an Irishmen, his parents, it is said, being poor but respectable peeple. His brother, Simon Daley, the eldest of the family, oame to this country seventeen or eighteen years ago. Four years later Hugh Daley, the condemned man, came to England, being followed at a short interval by two brothers, John and Peter, and a couple of sisters. Hugh seems to have gone to live with his brother Simon, at Bushblades, where he became acquainted with Mary Ann, a younger sister of Mrs Simon Daley, the result of that intimacy being the birth of a son. Hugh Daley, however, married her a year later, the ceremony being performed at the Brooms ' Chapel, Leadgate. La terly, their firstborn appears to have been an object of suspicion to Daley, who, when under the influence of liqu r, often accused his wife of deceiving him with regard to the paternity of the child. Burdy, the deceased man, had been on intimate- terms with the Daley family for a considerable period anterior to the murder, but we have been assured by Mrs Daley herse'f that there is not the slightest justification for the statements that have been made to the effect that jealousy was the motive which induced Daley to commit the horrible deed. The family of the murderer consists of five, two lads (the eldest of whom was eleven years on Sunday last) and three little girls, the youngest of whom is seven months. Mrs Daley is a poor, thin, innocent-looking creature, and appears to have been brought up respectably for their station in life; their father and his ancestors having, it is said, been connected with the mining industry of that district for generations. The murderer has been described as a hard-working, honest, and industrious man, but such, unfortunately, was not the case. He was frein one of these bouts no one, not even his own brother, dared go near him. Burdy and he occasionally went "on the spree" together. Mrs Daley could tell when her husband had been in Bnrdy's company, as her husband, on his return home, usually commenced to taunt her about her eldest son, whom Burdy described to the murderer as being "somebody else's bairn." Daley usually ended by striking his wife and the lad, if they did not leave the house, and thus escape his violence. Hunger seems to have been no stranger to the poor woman and her family, Daley being frequently in the habit of spending the whole of his earnings in drink. From inquiries made by our informant when at Bushblades, it would seem that Mrs Daley, knowing the quarrelsome disposition of her husband, endeavoured to have Bardy removed from her house before the former returned. Mrs Daley and her family are receiving relief from the parochial autheritiea, but they are nevertheless in great distress. Simon Daley is unable to assiet her, the colliery at which he is employed working very badly. So much is their poverty, in fact, that they have not been able to pay the condemned man a visit since his condemnation. The only members of the family that have had an interview with him are two brothers, John and Peter, both of whom are employed as miners at Haswell Moor. Daring the interview the unfortunate man expressed a wish to see his wife and family, and this having 'since been communicated to them by one of the brothers. The Rev. Can( n Consett, of Durham, has been desired by the convict to say that "My present nositien is solely occasioned by drink. I took to it constantly since I was fifteen years of age, and it has led me to the end I am now awaiting."