Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1882-11-25 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

ALL THE PRISONERS SENTENCED TO DEATH.  At the Dublin Commission on Tuesday, before Judge Barry, the trial of the Maamtrasna niurdorers was brought to a close. The old limn Michael Casey, at whose house the murderers assembled on the way to Maamtrasna, was placed at the bar the very picture of despair. Tar Malley, his leading counsel, withdrew the plea of not guilty through their interpreter, burying his face in his hands and weeping. He tool: out his handkerchief and hid his isee in it. The remaining four prisoners —namely, Patrick Joyce, Thomas Joyce, John ilasey, and Martin Joyce, all of hell, except one, young men in the prime of hie, tall and stalwart, but their faces ashy pale. aliese also pleaded guilty. .Mr Malley said after what had transpired in the agonising and lengthened investigation of these cases, it would be useless to observe upon the peculiar features and the degrees of participation of which the prisoners wereguilty. The dark and poisonous effects of that mysterious indnence, which by its terror, and through is instruments, had already disclosed its dreadful workings upon the fears, and probably through the fears upon the minds, of tause _unfortunate creatures, and it was  _ impossible to say to what extent they may have een exercised upon each of the individuals who unfortunately came within their reach. Bearing these matters in mind, and believing that the Executive was ever willing to exercise its prerogative of mercy where mercy could be exercised consistently with the public safety and security of life and property, and appealing to the Bar and the tender feelings of the Attorney-General now that he had faithfully and exactingly discharged the faithful duties of his high position in already vindicating the outraged law of the country by the condemnation of the most prominent actors in this fearful tragedy, he hoped he would exercise what would be a more pleasing task, that of recommending to the merciful consideration of the Crown the reniedning prisoners, ant that his lordship would mercifully endorse that recommendation. The Attorney-General: My duty, my lord, is discharged. Judge Barry, addressing the prisoners, said: Patrick Joyce, Thomas Joyce, John Casey, Michael Casey, and Martin Joyce, you, each of you, have pleaded guilty to the crime of wilful murder. You admit, thereby, that your participation in one of the most shocking crimes which ever disgraced a civilised community. You have now made the only atonement in your power to the offended laws of your country. To those laws your lives are now torfeited, and you stand there a terrible example —an example, .1 hope, which will sink deep into the hearts of your fellow - countrymen. of the consequences of joining secret societies. It is not impossible nor improbable that, as your counsel has suggested, some at least of you were upon that dreadful occasion led to the scene of carnage unconscious of what was to happen, and that some of you were induced to join in the dreadful deed through apprehension of consequences to yourselves from your directors; but no distinction could be made by the jurors between the guilt of any one and any other who was there, for it would be absolutely impossible to do so. Those who were proved to have broken open the door of Joyces' house have been convicted, and their lives forfeited. You are now in a position which is clearly the result of your having joined unlawful societies, and assisted in the operations directed by the organizers of these associations. I hope it will be perfectly understood that those who join in operations of this kind are each and everyone responsible for the acts of the others of the party. As regards the eloquent appeal made on your behalt by your counsel, the granting of that appeal rests with the Executive. I wish only to say that personally I shall be very glad if those with whom the decision of life or death rests see their way to a merciful conclusion. The Judge then sentenced them all to be hanged in Galway on the 15th proximo, the same day as the others. The Attorney-General said he would bring the matter under- the notice of the LordLieutenant.