Irish barbarity

IRISH BARBARITY - ENNIS — Timothy Reilly, a tailor, was put to the bar, on a charge of having aided and assisted in cutting out the tongues of Lynan and Thomas Doyle, on the l9th of December, at Dromally, herds of Ralph Westropp,Esq.

Lynan Doyle; I lived December twelve-months, in Dromally, with my brothers Thomas and Michael Doyle. I was driver and herdsman to Mr. Ralph Westropp. John Magrath was in my situation before me. Between the hours of one and two o’clock at night, I heard a noise outside the door, when, shortly, the door was kicked in and broke. I was just after lighting a wisp of straw, when my hand got a blow ofa gun, and they beat me about the house, and then dragged me out on the road, bare and naked, of a frosty night, and put me on my back, and, with their thumbs, forced my tongue out and cut it from the string out (a thrill of horror pervaded the court); there were a great number there. After they cut out my tongue, they fired powder into my breast; the gentlemen of the county saw the state I was in. They then brought me in and gave me a kick, which threw me flat near the fire, where I remained bleeding. As I was coming into the house the party was dragging out my brother Thomas, who lay in one bed with me; my brother Thomas they served the same way which they did me. The party stopt some time longer, and gave us more blows; they said to me not to be here on tomorrow night, but quit the house; I said there was no occasion for them to say that, as I was sure I could not have life; I said this as Well as I could. (The witness exhibited to the Court the mutilated state of his tongue). It was a bright frosty night, almost as lightsome as day.

Thomas Doyle corroborated the statement of his brother the preceding witness. He deposed, that the prisoner at the bar had come to his bedside on that night; the witness knew him by eye-sight, as he had often seen him, but was ignorant of his name, until very recently. Prisoner said to him, “Get up, you robber, get out of bed." “Upon which be dragged me out of bed, and I was taken out to the yard, before which he gave me a blow of a stick, and cut my ear; he pulled me out at once; I had an opportunity of seeing the prisoner well. As I was going out, I met my brother coming in bleeding, upon which I fainted, and fell senseless, and knew nothing of what occurred to me until the smarting of my tongue from the cutting. My brother Michael hid himself under the bed, and is here to-day; there was scarcely an inch of my body which was not cut."

This witness underwent a long cross-examination, the drift of which went to establish his being mistaken as to the person.

Michael Doyle deposed to his having seen the prisoner from under the bed, where he lay concealed.

John Halloran deposed to the prisoner having been at Dillon's child’s wake, on the night of the atrocity; the prisoner left the wake-house at ten o'clock at night, in company with M’Grath, who had been hanged for this offence.

The witness had absconded from his usual residence since this transaction.

An alibi was set up, which occupied two or three hours in investigation.

Verdict Guilty. The prisoner was sentenced to be hanged, and was left for execution.