Year: 1868

With her terrible secret, but she did not
breathe word either to her husband or her
son, and the next day when taken before a
magistrate, denied all knowledge of the crime.
John Butler also went to the house of his
mother-an old woman-and waking her.
told her that her son had been burnt alive
with all in the Sheas' house. The old wo-
man uttered wall of grief, but, instead OF
Immediately proceeding to magistrate, she
enjoined her son not ever to disclose the
secret, lest she and all her family should meet
the same fate


The next day all that side of the country
gathered round the ruins. Mary Kelly was
among them, and no doubt many of the mur-
derers. The sight was a fearful one, even to
those innocent of the crime. Of the roof only
the charred rafters were left; the walls were
gaping apart; the door was burned to its
hinges, close by it lay sixteen corpses, piled
together those who were uppermost were
burned to the very bones; those below were
only partially consumed. The melted flesh
had run from the carcasses in black streams
along the scorched floor. The first thought
OF all had been to run to the door.


Poor Catherine Mullaly's fate was the most
horrible and most touching of all. In the
midst of the flames she had been prematurely
delivered of child-that unhappy child.
born only to instantly perish, was the eigh-
teenth victim. In trying to save her child
she had placed it in a tub of water, where it
was found with the head burned away, but
the body perfect. Near the tub lay the black
ened body of the mother, her skeleton arm
hanging over the water. The spectators be-
held the sight with dismay, but they were
afraid to speak. Some one whispered sternly,
William German is we'll revengedl ~ Many
at first tried to argue that the fire had been
an accidental one, as no Ribbonmen would,
they said, have ever destroyed so many in
nocent people, merely because they worked
for the Sheas. This opinion gained ground
among persons Jealous of national character,
especially when no one came forward to claim
the large reward. At last. however, it was
discovered that not only was the conhagation
the result of an extensive plot. but that the
whole population round Slievenamawn knew
Of the project and its execution.


For sixteen months Mary Kelly kept the
secret. She did not dare to repreach Maher,
who constantly visited her house, and vet
she shuddered at his approach. Gradually
her mind began to yield to the PRESSURE
She became incapable of sleep, aud used, in
the dead of the night, to rise and wander
over the glen, remaining by the black ruins



then returning, worn and weary to her home
She believed herself pursued BY the spectre
of her unhappy kinswoman, and said, on the
private examination before thetrial, that she
never lay down in her bed without thinking
of the burning" and fancyine she saw
Catherine Mullaly lying beside her holding
her child. las black as a coal !" in her arms.
At length conscience grew stronger. and
drove away fear. She revealed her secret in
confession, and the priest, like good and
honest man. prevailed upon her to give in
slant information to Captain Despaid, JUS
tlce of the peace for the county of Tipperary.


1t was not till 1928 that William German
was apprehended and put upon his trial.
There is no doubt that Shea, the middleman,
had been cruel and oppressive to German, his
under tenant. He had retalated upon him
the seventies of the superior landlord. Cor
man had Leen distrained, sued in the superior
courts, processed by civil bill, totally depriv-
ed of his farm, house and garden, and then
driven out, disgraced beggar to brood over
vengeance.


A keen observer I'VE believe the son Of the
celebrated Curran) who was present at this
remarkable trial, has left terrible picture
of Germans appearance and manner as he
stood at the Clonmel dock " He was evi.
IDENTIFY" he saws, most anxious for the pre-.
servation of his life yet the expression of
anxiety which disturbed his CHASTITY features
occasionally gave way to the exuting con.
sciousness of his revenge As he heard the
narration of his own delinquencies, so far
from exhibiting contrition or remorse saw
age joy flashed over his face; bis eyes were
lighted up with fire as lurid as that he
had kindled in the habitaton of his enemies
his hand, which had previously quiyered and
manifested, in the peculiar movement of his
fingers, the workings of deep anxiety, became
for a moment clenched and when the groans
of his own victims were described, his white
teeth, which were unusually prominent, were
barred to the gums, and though he had drain
ed tie cup of vengeance to the dregs, still he
seemed..to smack his lips and to HEX the blood
with which his injuries had been redressed.u


Immediately after the conviction and ex-
ecution of this monster, q large meeting of
devout Catholics was held at Clonmel to ex-
press horror at his crime, and to consider
some means of removing the cause ef such
outrages. Mr.. Shells speech to the peasant
ry produced an enormous sensation. How
deep stain" ..he said, eloquently,s have
these misdeeds left upon the character of
your country and what efforts should not be
made by every man of ordinary humanity to
arrest the progress of villany which is rolling
in torrent of blood, and bearing down all
the restraints of law and morality. Look,
for example, at the murder of the Sheas, and
tell me if there be anything in the records of
horror by which that accursed deed has been
exceled, and say, you who know it best, you
who are of the same sex as Catherine Mullaly,
what must have been the throes with which
she brought forth her unfortunate offspring,
and felt her infant consumed by the fire with
which she was surrounded. We can but lift
up our hands to the God Of justice, and ask
Him why He has invested us with the same
forms as the demons who perpetrated that
unexampled murder! And why did they
commit it? BY virtue of horrible league
by which they were associated together, not
only against their enemy, but against human
nature and the God who made them: they
were bound together, they were sworn in the
name of their Creator, and they invoked
Heaven to sanctify deed which they con-
federated to perpetrate by sacrament Of
hell.''


AT these same assizes, which seemed to
epitomise almost all the crimes and miseries
of poor Ireland, there were two other cases
which still, after so many years, are referred