The Express. — 1848-02-02 (London, England)

MURDEII BY • YOUTH OP SIXTEEN.—The Cork paper received to-day contains the following :—Murder near Donereile.—An inquest was held on Thursday last at Doneraile, on the body of Johanna Murphy, a widow. It appeared in evidence that Richard Ryal of Streambill, who is only about 16 years old, called on Benjamin Penn, a pensioner in Doneraile, on last Monday morning to any he could give information against the persona who stole Mr. White's cows, and asked his advice as to what he should do. Penn advised him to report the matter to Mr. White; he said be would, and left the house to go there. Ryal called on Penn on the Wednesday after, and told him that he saw his father murder the widow Murphy, on Monday, by striking her en the head with a shovel, and that he afterwards rummaged the house, and gotbut 7d., and that if his father was searched the key of the padlock on the widow's door would be found in his boot. Upon Penn's saying he would not believe him, in consequence of his having told so many lies about the stealing Mr White's cow, he replied, if you doubt me go up and you will see her sitting dead on a chair. Penn reported the matter to head constable Bentley, to whom Ryal gave the same amount. Both then proceeded to the widow's house, and found the door locked with a padlock. They broke the staple, and on entering the house found her dead in the position described by Ryal, and a gardener's spade, together with a billhook, near her. There were several wounds on the forehead and face. Bentley suspecting that Ryal was the guilty party afterwards searched him and found the key of the padlock in his pocket.—Catherine Collins examined; I Proved that, on her way to Contrails, about 1 o'clock on Monday, she went into the widow's house for a drink at water; the prisoner (wham she identified, and never saw before) and the widow were the only persons in the house at the time.—Patrick Ryal, a boy about 9 years old, deposed that, about 9 o'clock is the morning of the day of the murder, he saw his brother, the prisoner, put • bill-hook (which belonged to his father) into his breeches Pocket, and cover the handle of it with his coat. Did not see him after until late in the evening of that day, when he banded witness 7d. to buy meat. His brother bad no employment, nor any way of getting money. He did not see the bill-hook after until he saw it in the police barrack.—Norry Ryal, a sister of the prisoner, corroborated the evidence of the last witness—Ellen Shanahan, Mr. White's lodge-keeper, examined, stated that the prisoner, on last Tuesday week, came into the lodge-house, which is next to the widow Murphy's, and acted her if there was any person living in the house with the widow. She said not, but that persons were sometimes with her at night.—Doctor Reardon, being examined, stated that the injuries inflicted on deceased were the cause of her death. The jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against Richard Ryal, who has been transmitted to the county gaol, and the father, who was in custody, was discharged.—The only motive that could be assigned for committing the murder was to get possession of some money which it was reported deceased got from her daughter, who is is America. It appeared that the prisoner, having been supported m a mown witness, prosecuted persons to conviction about a year ago fee stealing milch cows, for which he got a large reward, and it is supposed he was induced by a similar hope to prefer unfounded charges in this ease.