ed in the morning. When they came to this gap, a man jumped suddenly from the other side, and handed a letter to Mr Torrance; when Mr Torrance began to open this letter, the man took a stone from his breast, and the laws and the public institutions. Your property is in danger; and if you resist the plunder of your property, you are threatened with torture and with murder-the law must put them down, or they will put the law down. People are obliged to live as if in gar-flung it at him; another man then leaprison-the Judges are compelled to travel with military escorts. Gentlemen, this is a state of things not to be endured. With a resident gentry, 1 do not, gentlemen, despair of the public safety-I do not fear your being unable to put down this formidable, although contemptible, insurrection; but, gentlemen, before I proceed to the particular circumstances of the present case, allow me to make this one observation, and that is, that nothing connected with the present disturbed state of the country may be brought unfairly against the prisoners, but you may contrast the mild and just laws of the country with those dreadful acts of violence and insubordination which have so frequently disgraced this county. "Gentlemen, Mrs Susanna Torrance was the wife of Mr Torrance, a native of another county, but who resided in the liberties of this city. In the month of March last, his house was attacked by an armed banditti he resisted them, and, assisted by Mrs Torrance, succeeded in beating them off; he did not give up his arms; it is supposed that many of them were wounded on that occasion; and Mr Torrance, conceiving that it would be dangerous to remain there, removed to the town of Adare, a little beyond which he took a farm. He used to return at night, gentlemen, to the town of Adare, under the protection of a military escort. On Sunday, the 10th of June, he was returning from his farm, in company with Mrs Torrance; they came by a public path which led through some fields, and had to come by a stone gap which they had pass ed over the wall, and struck him with a stick. In this conflict Mr Torrance was unarmed; they both fell, and Mrs Torrance tore the fellow from off her husband's body. Mr Torrance was stunned-he lost his senses for some time, but when he came to his recollection, he saw his wife engaged at some distance with the man who leaped over the wall with the stick. I mention no names now, gentlemen; it will be for you to draw your conclusions from the evidenee. When Mr Torrance saw his wife engaged with this man, he perceived a stick in her hand, but does not know how she came by it-whether from the extraordinary courage with which she was animated that induced her to take it from him, or whether she found it on the ground. Mr Torrance then engaged with that man, and they both came to the ground-many blows were given, and many wounds received; the man was more than once senseless, and Mr Torrance was so also. Mr Torrance repeatedly struck this man with a stick on the shins, until he at last broke the stick. Mr Torrance then looked round, and saw the other man in conflict with his wife. He who had been in conflict with Mrs Torrance said to the other man, "Tom, come away;" he appeared to be wiping something which he held in his hand. Mr Torrance got up with difficulty, and the wretched lady in a few minutes ran towards her husband; she was scarcely able to speak, and her bosom was bloody; some cattle were drawing near them in the field where they were, and Mr Torrance lifted her over the wall into the adjoining field, where, in a short time, she expired. Mr Torrance had received fifteen stabs; he was wounded in the shoulders, the arm, and the loins, and he received one wound in the throat, through which his breath came; he walked in that state towards the town of Adare, to endeavour to get some assistance for Mrs Torrance, who he did not think was then dead; he went to the house of a Mr Switzer, where, after mentioning the circumstances, he fell down exhausted; Switzer went to the place described by Mr Torrance, and found Mrs Torrance lying there dead and at full length. I shall now come to the circumstances under which the prisoners were apprehended. As a murder, there have been few worse, -two armed men rushing on two of their fellow-creatures, one of them a woman-we involuntarily shrink with horror when we find an Irishman stained with a woman's blood. But, gentlemen, this murder was but the execution of a sentence pronounced against them by this lawless banditti, for their daring to resist them; but whether you look on it as assassination or insurrection, I trust you will exercise a cool and dispassionate judgment, and give your verdict according to the evidence that shall be adduced before you. If the evidence be satisfactory, I see a class of gentlemen in that jurybox, whom, I am sure, it would be unnecessary to warn against being influenced by fear, or by the more unworthy and ignominious motive of wishing to gain popularity with this lawless banditti." The learned Counsel then recapitulated those points which were after terwards proved by the witnesses : Mr John Torrance was then examined by Mr Serjeant Joy. Witness having been sworn, deposed as follows: Witness lived in March last at Cunnigar; his house was attacked by a great many persons armed; they broke his windows; he resisted them; they went off on agreement; he fired and wounded some of them; they threatened to burn his house; he said if they would, he would keep the wounded whom he had inside, and they should burn with it. On Sunday, 10th June, witness lived at Adare; he had left Cunnigar; he was returning on that day from his farm to Adare; it was then day-light; Mrs Torrance was with him; they went by a common pathway which led through the fields; there was nobody but Mrs Torrance with witness; there are a good many walls and stiles, or gaps, on the pathway; as witness was going to leap over a small wall, first one man and then another, came suddenly against him. The first man handed a letter to him; witness had not seen him when he came to the gap; he must have been lying down on the grass, or by the wall. He called to somebody else to come over, and then the second man came. After witness took the letter, the man who gave it to him, put his hand into his coat, as if for something; he then threw a stone at witness, which he took out of his coat; witness darted on him, and grappled with him. Whilst engaged with him, the other came behind him, and struck himwith a stick; witness and the man whom he was struggling with both came to the ground; witness was stupified; the man who threw the stone fell with him. When witness recovered a little, he found himself disengaged, but he don't know how ; he then saw Mrs Torrance struggling with the other fellow, about forty or fifty yards distant, in the middle of the field; Mrs Torrance had a stick ; they were then armed with stones; as they were going to fling them at witness, when they came within three or four yards of him, he jumped in on them; thinks he was then engaged with the man who handed him the letter; he was not entirely engaged with him, but was for a considerable time; he was also engaged with the other; he then received a stroke of a stone, that struck fire out of his eye; when he was capable of looking round, he found himself on his knees; he still held the man fast by the thighs; witness was uppermost; he had got the stick from Mrs Torrance, and struck this man repeatedly on the legs and shins; the other then came up and beat him unmercifully; Mrs Torrance called out, "Save his life;" the stick was by this time broken by witness, and he threw it in the man's face; he then became insensible, and when he recovered, he found himself lying on the man he had been struggling with; the other called out, "Come away, Tom," he was in the field, and appeared to be wiping something; witness felt as if he had been asleep; the man was still under him, and he thought that if he (the witness) had any activity, he could knock his brains out; attempted to raise his arm, but was not able; he then drew himself away; Mrs Torrance was at a considerable distance off at this time; she came up to witness, but did not speak until she came close up-she then said, " Have they murdered you ?" and lay on him; she was in a very bad state, but witness did not know it then; she rolled off witness; he (witness) then raised himself on his arms and looked at her; she was all blood from her breasts to her knees; witness said, "Preserve me, have they stabbed you?" she made no answer; he raised her up; there were some cows in the field, about thirty or forty, that were annoying them very much; they came crowding round them; witness supported her, and she walked a little way, but when near the wall her feet could support her no longer; witness laid her down inside the wall, but still in the field; having some doubt that she would recover, he put his arms under her, and raised her over the wall; he first thought she was in a faint, but afterwards thought it was more than a faint; saw her countenance change; there were some houses a little way off, to which he went for assistance; he left her lying at her full length, to all appearance as if dead; he still hoped she was but in a faint; witness went to the house, at the end of the field, where the family of a man of the name of Switzer lived; they were very active in rendering assistance; they put witness to bed, and sent out for Mrs Torrance; witness received many wounds; some were stabs of some sharp instrument; he also received bruises from a stick, and was a considerable time ill from loss of blood; the doctor said, he had received fourteen or fifteen wounds, most of them inflicted by a sharp instrument; very few people thought witness would live a week; his eyes were also affected; witness now sees the man in Court who handed him the letter on that daythat is the man-(here the witness put the Sheriff's rod on the head of John M'Namara, the prisoner); witness saw McNamara in about thirteen days after, in Mrs Stephens's house, at this town, (Limerick); witness was not so well then as he is now; he could, with help, get out of bed, but thinks that he was not able then, from the state of his health, to make up his mind to him; witness saw him afterwards in gaol; he was in the yard, and witness was above in a room; saw his person and manner of moving; he was then brought up alone, and got almost irritated at something witness said; one reason why witness could better swear to him this time, than on the former occasion, was, that he gave a particular look at witness; it was exactly the same as when he was góing to throw the stone at him; wit ness said in his mind, "that's the man ;" saw him afterwards at the assizes; when he saw him in the dock, he was of the same mind; witness can now take on him positively to swear that he is the man; witness saw the other prisoner, Molony, after the death of Mrs Torrance; saw the man the other called Tom; believes he is the same; saw him in gaol; he was brought to him; had a clear idea he was the man; if there was any difference as to witness being more certain of the one than the other, he is most certain as to McNamara (Here the witness identified Molony, by placing the Sheriff's rod on his head.) expect no better from county Limerick blood-hounds." The Solicitor-General then inform ed the Jury that the prisoner, Molony, confessed that M'Namara was the actual murderer of Mrs Torrance, and that he (Molony) was present. From the circumstances under which this confession was made, it would not be legal evidence on the trial, and the Solicitor-General informed the Jury of it then merely to satisfy their minds as to the justness of their verdict. This witness was cross-examined by MICHAEL MORAN, &C. FOR MURDER Richard Creagh Odell, Esq. but his testimony remained unshaken. A number of witnesses were examined, in corroboration of the statement of the Solicitor-General and the evidence of Mr Torrance. Baron M'Clelland then recapitulated the evidence with minuteness and perspicuity; and concluded by telling them, that if there was a reasonable doubt on their minds, they should give the prisoners the benefit of that doubt; and, on the other hand, if, from the mass of evidence that had been laid before them, they were of a different opinion, it was a duty they owed to themselves, to their country, and to the offended laws of their country, to return a verdict of Guilty. The Jury then retired for about twenty minutes, and returned with a verdict of Guilty against both the pri soners. Baron McClelland then pronounced sentence of death on the prisoners, and their bodies to be given to the surgeons for dissection. The prisoner, Molony, entreated his Lordship for a long day. On sentence being pronounced, the prisoner, MacNamara, exclaimed, "I knew how it would be when we came here; we could OF THOMAS MANNING. Limerick, Dec. 18. Michael Moran, Michael Halloran, and Michael Fitzgerald, were placed at the bar. The prisoners were arraigned for the wilful murder of Thomas Manning, on the 16th of August, in the second year of the reign of his present Majesty. The prisoners pleaded Not Guilty. On the panel being called over, they challenged twenty. Ayre Massey, examined by the Solicitor-General.-Witness belongs to the police establishment; was on duty at Inchy Rourke, between twelve and one o'clock at night, on the 1st of August; it was dark; heard two shots fired; heard some persons talking in the wood, and afterwards saw a number of persons in white shirts. There were a great many; witness's party challenged them; they called out, "Who goes there?" The other party then challenged them; witness's party said they were the police, and told them to surrender, in the King's name; they on the instant fired five or six shots at witness's party; the police returned the fire, on which they immediately fled; one of the police, Thomas Manning, fell as dead-he fell before witness's party fired; two men came up then; they made prisoners of them; witness took Fitzge rald (Here the witness identified the prisoner, Michael Fitzgerald, as being the man, by laying the Sheriff's rod on his head.) Fitzgerald was then dressed in a white shirt, which he wore over his other clothes; he took hold of the bridle of his horse; Mr Hobart then came up, and two more men were taken (Here the witness identified Halloran and Moran, as being the two other men who were then taken.) Halloran had a white shirt on, and was mounted also; the third man was on foot; a gun, a pistol, two pieces of scythe with handles, and a spit, were found at the place. Thomas Doolan examined by Mr Townsend.-Witness is chief constable of police; was out with his party on the night of the 15th of August; heard shots fired; there were fifteen or sixteen policemen; witness ordered the men to load, but not to fire without directions; there were a great number of persons there, principally mounted; witness saw them; thinks there were about 200 in all; there could not be less than 60 or 70 mounted; the cavalry and infantry mixed together; a great many of them had white shirts over their other dress; one man wore a large white robe, that came down to his ancles; witness's party called out to them to surrender in the King's name, saying, that they were the police, and that any man that would stir would be shot; they then fired at witness's party; witness was in the front, and he retired to the left of his party, who returned their fire; witness heard that one of his party was down; the others then ran away; three were taken prisoners; witness saw one of them taken; they were all taken within a few yards of the place; Fitzgerald wore a white shirt; Fitz gerald did not seem to come from the party who fired; he appeared rather to have been placed as a sentinel. A number of other witnesses corroborated the above testimonies. The case having closed, Judge Moore recapitulated the evidence, and charged the Jury, who retired for about forty minutes, and returned with a verdict, finding the prisoner, Moran, Not Guilty; and the prisoners, Halloran and Fitzgerald, Guilty of the felony charged against them. Judge Moore then proceeded to pass sentence of death on the prisoners, Halloran and Fitzgerald, which he did in nearly the following words: "It is ever a most painful duty to be the medium of communicating sentence of death to any human creature ; the facts connected with the present case are not such, however, as may awaken the sympathies of our nature; they arise from the disorganized and turbulent state of the country. These remarks particularly apply to your case, Michael Halloran, and yours, Michael Fitzgerald. You were not instigated to the commission of crime by any feeling of personal hostility, but were led to it by that savage and ferocious disposition, which would not hesitate to sacrifice any individual, that might be pointed out to you as a victim, by this wretched banditti. They roam about the country, issuing their commands, and the misguided men obey their directions. This is a state of things that must be extinguished, by a firm, temperate, and merciful administration of the laws. We cannot suffer the tribunals of the country to be overthrown by these unknown conspirators. You, Michael Halloran, and you, Michael Fitzgerald, have been found guilty of inflicting death on a man, who was authorized by the laws of the country to protect the public peace. And why? Because those men, in the discharge of their duty, dared to |