Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1883-06-09 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

THE PHCENIX PARK MURDERS.'  EXECUTION OF THOMAS CAFFREY.  In Dublin, on Saturday morning, Thomas Caffrey was executed in Kihnainham Gaol for the murder 01 Mr. Burke. On the 2nd of May he was arraigned 1 with Patrick Delaney, and both pleaded Guilty. Delaney's sentence was commuted, but in Caffrey's the law was allowed to take Its course. lie offered no explanation or excuse for his guilt, but said that twenty minute' before he was told off to go to the park he knew nothing about the intended murder. He was warned against the consequences of pleading guilty, but persisted in doing so, and said "he did not want to give the gentlemen the trouble of trying him." A memorial on his behalf was presented to the Lord Lieutenant by his mother, but his Excelling law nothing in his case except the plea of guilty to dietinguish it from that of any other of the principals in the crime. He was one of the four men who were driven away on Kavanagh's oar and were specially selotted by Brady to do the deed. He was resigned to his fate throughout, and, tinder the spiritual guidance of the Rev. Canon Kennedy and Rev. Mr. Pinnelly, devoted all the time allotted to him since the sentence to preparation for death. He rose before six o'clock on Saturday morning, and, the rev, gentleman having arrived at the gaol at half-past six, he resumed his devotions and continued in the chapel until the fatal hour approached. There was no demonstration on the part of the people there being scarcely 150 spectators, including officdils,outeide the gaol at the time of the execution. Although Caffrey had been rather dejected for some time, be bore up during the final scene with even more nerve than his comrades in like circumstances. He made the responses in the last religions @orris:* in an audible voice, and walked firmly to the scaffold. A Sew minutes past eight o'clock the black flag was boated to indicate that all was over. A woman in the wird, as on former occasions, recited some prayers int of a book, and the people present knelt down and Win them, but the spectators dispersed in a short Caffrey made no formal confession or statemeat ; but on leaving the chapel after hearing MAN, he acknowledged the justice of his sentence, and expressed a hope that his death would be a warning to young men to have no connexion with secret societies. At ten o'clock the Inquest was held, when Dr. W. A. Carte deposed that daath was caused by asphyxia, produced by hanging, and the usual verdict was returned.  NMI  Caffrey. who Is the fourth man who has forfeited his life for this crime, was 24 years of age, lie was a widower, and had one child.  On the night before Ills execution Caffrey wrote the following to his mother :  " Kilmainham Gaol, June lit, IEIB3, hall•past eight o'clock p.m. "Dear Mother,—l write you these few lines for the last time in this world, and hope you will our up all your sorrow along with my sufferings in atonement for crime and all the sins of my past life. I hope you Will forgive all who have done me harm in this wend, as I forgive them from the bottom of my heart; a. I expect forgiveness from my merciful Father in Heaven.  "Dear mother, lam just fter receiving the Holy Saerament of contirmagon, abd I am quite prepared, with the help of God, to go before the judgment east of justice. Make sure to mind your religion, yourself and the child, and I hope to meet you one day in Heaven, where there will be no more parting for all eternity; and there, in the company of our blessed Mother and all the Sainte, we will praise our blessed Redeemer for evermore. Tell all inquiring friends that I hope no one will ever throw a slur on my child, or any one belonging to me, for the death I have to suffer, and I hope you will never have cause to blush when my name is spoken, as I am paying the full penalty of my mime in this world, and I hope I will net have to suffer in the next. Whenever you use this letter pray for me. No more in this world (roar your loving son, Moues Cerran. "Larry, Mary, Catherine, Katy, Jenny, Michael, and Lula pray for ma. Lord have many on my and."