these ruffians, and was therefore devoted to
destruction. A conspiracy was immediately entered
into to deprive him of his life. Villains from
the north, from the south, from the east, and
from the west; from the counties of Monaghan,
Louth, Cavan, and Meath; all combined in a
diabolic conspiracy to assassinate the man who
had dared to appeal to the laws of his country for
protection and redress. It was a remark worthy
of attention, that religious parties had nothing
to do with this most horrible transaction. The
murderers and the murdered were of the same
religion—all Catholics. It was founded solely
upon an utter abhorrence of all law, of all
distributive and impartial justice." After giving a
résumé of the evidence of the approvers, the
serjeant said: "But soon the devouring flames
became general, the cries and lamentation were
heard no more, silence ensued—it was the silence
of death. The assassins now thought and boasted
to one another that all was safe, that they were
secure from all future punishment. Vain
delusion! Idle boast! There was an eye that saw
them, and the hour of their punishment was at
hand. How could they think to escape the view
of the God who fills all space! But they were
seen by their fellow-mortals. The very fire which
they had lighted for their infernal purpose had
spread so strong a glare on their countenances,
marked as they were with the character of crime,
that they were fully displayed; and all who
beheld them received such forcible impressions
as nothing can deface. The wretches themselves,
having glutted their revenge, closed the
scene with malignant huzzas!"

The three first prisoners, M'Cabe, Keeran (the
man with the black wound), and Campbell, were
first found guilty. They received the sentence
of death with a savage and sullen obduracy.

Next day, Craven, Marron, Gainer, Malone,
Lennan, and Butler were also found guilty, and
sentenced to death: the judge ordering their
bodies to be delivered over to the surgeons for
dissection. On the verdict being passed, the
murderers broke out into a clamorous protest
of adjurations and curses. Their hard and cruel
faces showed with how little remorse they would
have thrown the judge and jury into flames. They
would scarcely be pacified or induced to listen to
the judge's address, in which he twice broke
down, overcome by the poignancy of his feelings.
Before the sentence of death was finished,
Malone seized a Testament which lay near him,
and swore in the name of God and the Virgin
that he was innocent. The crier snatching it
from his hand, he broke into shouts and curses
against the judge, the jury, and the police. He
was removed still pouring forth those black,
bitter, semi-Oriental imprecations with which
the Irish language abounds.

The next day, three other prisoners were
also found guilty. During his cross-examination,
Murphy, the approver, confessed that, as a
Ribbonman, he was sworn to obey his brethren
to the utmost of his power, and that if ever
again at liberty he would do the same under
similar circumstances.

In summing up, Judge Fletcher said:

"The crime with which the prisoners stood
charged was perhaps the most enormous which
had ever come before him in his judicial capacity.
How it was proved it was for them to decide.
He knew (he said) that they would fully
discharge their duty." Then, addressing himself
with much energy to the crowd which filled the
court, he said "that the madness of enthusiasm or
religious bigotry had no part in producing these
monstrous crimes. There were not here two
conflicting parties arrayed under the colours of
orange and green; not Protestant against Catholic,
nor Catholic against Protestant—no; it was
Catholic against Catholic. Why do not their
clergy exert their power over these people?
We all know that by means of confession they
possess much information of what is transacting
in the country. Why then do not the priests
perform their duty, and deny the rites of the
Church to all who participate in such crimes, or
who refuse to discover the conspirators? Can
a combination extending over four counties be
yet a secret to all the Catholic clergy in those
counties? They at least see its effects, and it
is their bounden duty to investigate the causes
of those effects. But if they will remain
inactive, surely the bishops should exercise the
authority with which the Church has invested
them, and stimulate the priests to a discharge
of their duty.

"Where was the diabolical scheme planned
and matured? In a chapel. Who conducted
it? The clerk. Catholics were the agents and
perpetrators of the crime—Catholics the
miserable sufferers. Why did they suffer?
Because the unfortunate Lynch and Rooney had
resisted a midnight attack upon their house
with manly fortitude, and had afterwards
prosecuted to conviction those miscreants who were
since hanged for the crime. Yes, their offence
was simply that they had appealed to the mild
and beneficent laws of their country for redress
and protection. It was incumbent on the
Catholic clergy of Louth, Monaghan, Cavan,
and Meath, to vindicate the sacerdotal character.
He knew not whether any of that order
was then present, nor did he care, but he was
desirous that what he was now saying should
be published. It ought to be widely promulgated.
He was known to be no party man, and
he spoke only from the impulse of an honest
indignation. It was his peculiar study to fulfil
his duty to the utmost extent of his knowledge
and ability. He was always an advocate for the
Catholics, and sincerely sought to have their
grievances redressed."

His lordship then exhorted the jury to
consider the whole business dispassionately and
maturely. If they entertained any doubt, the
prisoners at the bar were to have the full benefit
of that doubt. Such is the beneficial spirit of
that law, which the wretched and infatuated
people who have perpetrated the crimes in
question have sought to destroy.

The jury retired for a short time and found
a verdict of guilty.