Horrible Murder by Moonlighters

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 29, 19 August 1886, Page 3

Horrible Murder by Moonlighters

A caretaker named Patrick Taugney, who was in the service of Mi Going, landlord, Tipporary, was shoi in the legs on June 10 by two disguised men, and died a few hours afterwards. The deceased was firsi placed on his knees and asked if he had paid his rent, but the discharge of the two guns at once followed. A later account states tkat when the moonlighters visited Doherty's house they ask for the old man. He got up, put on his clothes, and came into the kitchen, and one of them wanted him to go outside the door, where it ie thought they intended to murder him, not i* the presence of his wife and daughter : but the latter said that she would not let him out. Taugney asked what reason they had to molest him. One of them, who afterwards shot him, said, " I thought you would not bring us this way any more. Were not you selling: a bog last week ?" Taugney denied this and his wife and daughter appealed to them not to kill him, and one of the two said, "We will pardon you this time," but the gang outside the door urged them to shoot him. One inside then ordered his son-in-law, his wife and the wife of the deceased to go up to the room or they would shoot them. The two latter cried loudly, End when the deceased's wife wanted to shield her husband, a gun was pointed at her breast. The poor woman said she would "leave it all to the Blessed Virgin," and they all went into the room. The smallest of the two men then said, " One, two, three" in rapid succession, and discharged the contents of the gun at Taugney, whiea took effect about twe inches above the knee. At the time the moonlighters entered the house a night police patrol were on the road, less than a quarter of a mile away. They did not hear any report. Continuation of reading matter on MJipag