The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1882-08-26 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

MURDER NEAR KILLARNEY.  Another horrible murder was committed at one o'clock on Monday morning at Scarleen, near Killarney, on the person of a respectable farmer named Daniel Lt-ahy, late bailiff on the Kenmare estate. He was dragged from his bed by a party of disguised men, who fired several s'bots, killing him on the spot, The following particulars are given :  Leahy was an aged man, and had a large and respectable family. He was formerly employed as a driver or rent warner on the estate of Lord Kenmare, but had given up that position in order to turn his attention to the cultivation of the several farms which he and members of his family possessed. It does not appear that in the discharge of his duties as rent warner he became an object of popular enmity or dislike; on the contrary, those who knew him describe him as a good-natured sort of man, never inclined to harshness or unfair dealing. Leahy was in Killarney on Sunday, and returned home at eight o'clock. Tnere were in the house his son John, his daughter Hanora, and his wife, together with three male? servants. His son shortly aferwards left the house to visit his brother-in•law, Daniel Daly, who resided a mile away, The household went to bed, leaving  the door unlocked till the retnrn of the young man. The husband and wife were sleeping on the ground floor in a room off the kitchen, and the daughter and servants upstairs. Mrs. Leahy, while awake, awn ting the return of her son, heard a person enter the kitchen and in a Peremptory manner order her husband to get out of bed. In tt few moments men entered the room and dragged Leahy °lit of bed. Mrs. Leahy estimates the number of marauders at between twelve and fifteen. They were fully armed, but undisguised. One man, who apr eared to be the leader, ordered her husband to be plar d on his knees in the kitchen, afid addr,ssing his ()Rowers called on "No. 1" to fire. Despite tt frantic efforts of the wife, who placed hersei, ...etween the doomed man and the assassins, the order was obeyed, and Leahy was badly wounded. The captain then called on "No. 10" to advance, and another shot was fired. "No. 14" was then summoned and his was the last shot fired, though a bayonet-thrust was made at t',e prostrate old man. Miss Leahy, leaning over the staircase, asked the wretches to desist, but the person in command only replied with a brutal threat against her own life. When the assassins had finished ;their work they searched for young Leahy. Fortunately he had not returned from his brother-inlaw's hbuse, and they took their departure. Mrs. Leahy then went away in the dark across the fields and brought assistance. When the medical man and the priest arrived Leahy was dead.  The funeral of Mr. Leahy took place on Tuesday, and an immense assemblage of the people of the district attended, a proof that he was not unpopular. The deceased never kept any firearms in his house, and from this circumstance it is thought he had no apprehension of danger. About twelve months ago Mr. Leahy resigned the position of rent-warner on the Kenmare estate, and this possibly induced the opinion that he had no need to dread violence. Mr. S. M. Hussey, agent to Lord Kenmare, said of him that a more inoffensive and upright man did not live in the county Kerry.