Star. — 1824-08-24 (London, England)

MITA, AND  6111INING OF ITS INIIASITSSTS. William and Darby Maher were put forward, charged with this horrible crime.  John Mullally, knew one Patrick Mullally; he is dead, and saw him dead ; witness knew Edward Shea, and saw him dead; Shea's house eras burnt all to the shell ; witness took notice of the dead bodies; saw the holes where balls had entered into the bodies (4 Edward Shea and Patrick Mullally; Patrick Mullally was witness's son; Shea was witness's nephew ; knew Edward, Shea's body, because be had a lame leg; the house was burnt in Nuvember, 1821 ; in the morning early witness saw the bodies; saw the house on the day before; witness could see the house from his own house; witness's house way in the satne direction, opposite to Shea's. Mary Kelly was examined at considerable length, and gave a full account of the horrible transaction of the attack on the house and the burning of the family, as appeared in the public papers imrfiediately after it took place. James Phelan corroborated the evidence regarding the firing and words between Philip Dillon and people on the hill. And Daniel Butler, brother of John, corroborated the same. This witness said he had given informations before a Magistrate six or seven weeks ago; and had not given them before, because he was afraid of being murdered, and because also he had been told not to do it by his mother and brother.  Alice Butler sworn.—Lived within two or three fields of Shea's; the night of the fire her son John came and told her the house was burned, and that Darby Maher was concerned ; on which she cautioned him not to tell that to any one, or he would be destroyed. In about an hour after the fire, her son asked if her brother Mick was within? when she told him he was not, he said she never would see any more than his burnt bones! She had another son, Edmund.  Cq.ptain Drought, of the Police, examined.—Said' that he had a conversation with the prisoners in jail ; that he cautioned the prisoner that whatever he said should be entirely optional, as he, Captain Drought, would feel it necessary to give it in evidence ; no hopes were held out, or threats to the prisoner. The prisoner said to Captain Drought, that he had a blunderbuss, and gave it away to the Priest. Francis Despard, Esq. was examined touching the investigation at Cloncen immediately after the burning., None of the persons there examined, among whom were Mary Kelly and John Butler, said they knew any one concerned. The only questions put to Mary Kelly were relative to the persons that had been drinking at her house. The case for the prosecution closed here—when Philip Ryan, a tailor, came up and swore that he slept at Darby Mather's the whole of the night of the burning, and in the same bed with him ; and that Maher could not go out without his knowledge; the evidence of this witness was very far from sufficient to produce a favourable effect on the Jury. Philip Burk was next sworn—and he was a man of fair repute ; for William Maher he deposed that on the night of the burning, William Maher left his house to go sleep in an adjoining barn ; witness locked the door after Maher went out to the barn.  Other witnesses were examined, when the Jury, after deliberating for an hour and five minutes in their Jury Room, returned a verdict of Guilty against both of those most guilty and most unfortunate men. The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE addressed them in langnage at once calculated to bring them to a sense ofi their enormous crime, by alarming their guilty fears, and of exciting hopes of mercy, by pointing them to a most merciful REDEEMER, who is ever willing to grant that mercy which they refused or did not shew to the victims of their horrid crime. They are to be hanged on Thursday next, in this town, and their bodies to be given for dissection. Shortly after the prisoners burst into sobs and tears, in which they indulged for some time. They are both rather well-looking men, very cleanly in their appearance, and are cousins. They were removed to the jail under a very strong guard.