Widnes Examiner. — 1887-11-05 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

SHOCKING MURDER BY MOONLIGHTERS.  Early on Tuesday morning, a brutal murder was committed by a party of Moonlighters, at a small farmstead, at Liscahane, near Ardfert, in the county Kerry. The farm was held in tenancy by Patrick Quirks, aged 75 years, who had taken the holding, after it had remained direlict for about two years. Mrs. Kirkby, Quirke's daughter, whose husband got into difficulties, and had gone to America,had been evicted from the farm at the beginning of that period, and about twelve months ago, old Quirke had taken it at a greatly reduced rent, the arrears, due prior to his daughter's eviction, being forgiven. He continued to work the farm in the interest of his son-in-law, who was expected to return soon from America, and two of whose children were in the old man's charge. The house, in which Quirke and his family dwelt, is a miserable cabin. At about five o'clock, yesterday morning, a knock was heard at the window, and on Quirk answering it, he was informed that his cattle were trespassing in the inangolds• of one of his neighbours. He replied that he would get up, and immediately did so. A few minutes afterwards a shot was fired through the door, and two men, one of them armed with a double-barrelled shot gun, entered the kitchen. Quirke was by this time dressed, and was just coming into the kitchen, when one of the moonlighters said to him "Paddy, pay no rent 1" He replied, "I'm willing te do anything you want." The speaker said they would swear him, and Quirke's wife an old woman, who had now appeared, questioned their right to do so, saying they were neither magistrates, policemen, parsons, nor priests. The ruffian, who acted as principal in the affair, then replied, "We'll soon let you see," and thereupon discharged his gun at his aged victim. The shots took effect on the upper part of both the old man's thighs. He did not fail, but cried out that he was killed. Another shot was then fired, which struck Quirks on the shin. From the nature of the wound it is evident that the muzzle of the gun from which the first shot was fired must have been plaeed quite close, for there is a hole nearly an inch and a half in diameter through the trousers, and the inner portions of the flesh and shin bone are frightfully shattered, the bone being laid quite bare, and the arteries of the leg severed. • Pilled with terror, the old man's wife became powerless, and for some time remained in a semi-conscious state, whilst her husband lay in helpless agony on the ground. Is soon as she could control her deranged faculties she gave the alarm to the neighbours, and messengers were despatched for a doctor and a priest. Before their arrival, however, Quirke had succumbed to the shock arid hemorrhage, having lingered in extreme suffering for about two hours and a half. Mrs. Quirke states that she believes there were only two men engaged in the outrage, and that they were both young. The country was immediately scoured, and several arrests have been made, though the guilt has not yet been fixed on any individual. The motive for the crime appears uncertain, but the theory of the police is that the murdered man's neighbours were averse to his taking the farm, for the simple reason that they were thereby deprived of the benefit they derived by using it as commonage while it was derelict.