The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — 1825-06-13 (London, England)

MURDER OF MR. HURST.  We have, since our last publication, been furnished with &statement of ;additional circumstances attending the death of this lamented gentleman, whose character for charity and benevolence was highly estimated in his neighbourhood. An inquest was held on Saturday, at Ballinacarriga, by J. Cox, Esq. one of the County Coroners, in presence of a number of magistrates and gentlemen from the vicinity. Amongst the former were John Waller, Esq. of Castletown ; Briton IValles, Esq. of Busby Island ; Edw. Fitzgerald, 'Esq. of Backfield; and Thomas P. Yokes, Esq. Chief Magistrate of Police. A most respectable Jury was impannelled, when, after an anxious and patient investigation, a verdict of Wilful Murder was returned against P. Kirby, alias fererick, aided by Margaret Dillon, who were both secured by the exertions of chief constable Laurenson of that district, to whose unwearied zeal and activity, in conjunction with Captain Baldwin and Messrs. Hill, of Alount-pleasant, the magistrates are much indebted. The two prisoners were on Sunday. committed to the county gaol, to abide their trial at the ensuing twice. Kirby is a very ill' looking fellow, and a man of notoriously bad character in the country—but the woman is rather of an engaging person, and handsome features. Her appearance, in fact; is altogether pre. possessing. A mutual attachment was ascertained to have existed between both for some moths previous to this dreadful crime. The actual scene of the murder is represented as truly frightfuL Mr. Hurst was found prostrate on his back, in a thick coppice adjoining the house, his head shockingly mangled, and the bones of the skull literally best ins the grass around him was horribly disfigured, and red again with a profusion of clotted blood and detached parts of the brain His hat, cane, watch, and keys, lay at his side. To this secluded part of the plantation it is now perhaps to) well known, the infatuated victim of female duplicity was Intentionally allured by the arts of the woman, ilargamt Dillon, and there the assassin came upon unawares, and inflicted those deadly blows with a hatchet which produced such effect. Kirby was known to have had this weapon. and it was found in his house the day subsequent to the murder, clean and recently washed; the blunt end of it, on application to the head, fitted the wound exactly. At the Inquest he was brought forward to see and touch the body, to observe whether it would make any impression on him, but not in the slightest degree did it produce the wished-for effect; and he conducted himself on the occasion with the most perfect indifference. Kirby was in custody last Assizes for a rape, but bills were only found for an assault; and he was also charged with stealing two sheep from Mr. Hurst. By a further investigation before the Magistrates on hlonday, it was satisfactorily proved that this diabolical outrage was concerted some months ago, and 1.113 t it emanated from a conspiracy, in which the pyjamas were ascertained to be principals. The shock sustained by the afflicted family and immediate relatives of Mr. Hurst cannot well be described.; suffice it to say, that the dreadful catastrophe has inflicted a deep mental wound upon one of thas family. already suffkring under a painful illness.— Limo f'hroaide of Walrirday.