The Alleged Murder In Ireland.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 23, 27 December 1884, Page 3

The Alleged Murder In Ireland.

THE ARREST OF WILLIAM SHEEHAN. THE PROCEEDINGS IN COTJRT. At the Auckland Police Court on Tuesday, before F. Maguire, J.P., and W. B. Waddel, Mayor, William Sheehan -was charged with the Castletown Roche murders. Mr W. J. Napier appeared for the defence. Inspector Thomas said : — In this case, your Worships, I may state that the present proceedings have been token under the 16tn section of the second part of the Fugitive Offenders Act of 1881, which was passed by the Imperial Government m 1881, and brought into force m this colony by proclamation of the Governor on the 31st October laßt. The circumstances connected with the arrest of the prisoner are brifly these : On 2nd November last I received an intimation from the head of the department m Wellington that a cablegram had come to hand from Earl Derby requesting the police of the colony to keep under supervision one William Sheehan, who, it waß supposed, had come to New Zealand with his family, as be was suspected of murder. In consequence of this intimation I took steps to learn his whereabouts, and to place him nuder supervision. From further information I received I believed him to be m the Bay of Islands district, and I accordingly despatched Constable Herbert from the Thames, as he was unknown m the north. He proceeded there m disguise of a gumdigger, with Bwag, billy, and gum spear, and after being there a day or two he ascertained the prisoner's whereabouts. He. was found to be working for the Hon. Henry Williams at Pakaraka. Herbert obtained ' work on the road contract close by m order that he should have the prisoner under close supervision. It appeared that he was under engagement for a term of twelve months, aud at the expiration of that term, which was then near at hand, he came down to Auckland. He had previously intimated his intention of goiug on to Sydney, and therefore increase vigilance was rendered necessary here. As soon aB his arrival here had been made known, he was placed lander the strictestßupervision, which was maintained, quite unknown to himself, night and day. I had a written report supplied to me every morning, giving information of his movements from the time he 1 made his appearance m the morning until he blew out his candle at night. About a fortnight ago he entered into negotiation ■with a man naraed Burgess for the purchase of a small farm m the Waitakerie ranges. The bargain was struck, and he took possession of it a week later. All leoulddo'meantimewastomaintainsupervision over him, as I had no instructions to arrest unless he were leaving ' the colony, As a means of providing against this, Detective Walker some time ago laid an information before the Resident Magistrate, and obtained a provisional warrant to arrest him under the section already mentioned, and enabling us to hold prisoner until the arrival of the endorsed warrant and duly authenticated documents to authorise hia conveyance to the country .within which the alleged crime was committed. On Sunday, last I was directed to effect his arrest as soon as possible. Accordingly, I proceeded yesterday to Waikomiti with Detectives Wai- ! kor and Twohey, and Detective Walker, j by virtue of the provisional warrant, arrested the prisoner. Without going into the details of the murde, which, I BUgpOße^aro now familiar to most persons,! may say, that the circumstances of the alleged murder are briefly these : On th Y e 17th October, 1877, prisoner's mother, Kate Sheehan, •. hia brother, Thomas SSeeban, and his sister, Hannah Sheehan, suddenly and mysteriously disappeared from their farm, which adjoined prisoner's farm. From what prisoner stated at the time it was generally understood that the prisoner's relatives had gene to America, and nothing more was thought of the matter until the early part of September last, when the remains of three human beings, two women)and a man, ware found m a well on an adjoining farm, about half a mile from the j house formerly occupied by the prisoner's missing relatives. The police have since then been investigating the matter, and eventually such evidence was obtained as to justify them m issuing a warrant for prisoner's arrest on a charge of inur- I dering three persons. In connection with this, I uudnrstand that a detective officer, armed with a warrant, is now on his way hither, and if he has not yet arrived m the colony he is expected daily. Under the provisions of thiß Act I have now to apply for a remand for the usual term of eight days, pending the arrival of the warrant issued by the Imperial j authorities. In farther justification of my application* l may state that the prisoner, after being duly cautioned, admitted that he was Wm. Sheehan, that he had lived at Castletown, Roche, m County Cork, and that his mother, brother, and sister had gone to^ America. It seemed to be a relief to him to talk after the surprise of the arrest was over, and the statement he then made was as follows:— "My mother (Kate Sheehan), my brother Tom, and my sister Hannah, left on the car about that time for Ferinoy. The farm was six miles from Ferraoy, four from Castletown, and twelve from Lismore. They bade me good bye when they were leaving. They said they were going to Fermoy. They had spoken before about going to America, but I did not know they were going then. 1 never saw or heard of them after that. I did not kill them. We always lived on good terras. We had sixty acres of land rented from Misa Olipbant at £2 per acre. She was a hard landlady. If she had been married it may be I should be there yet. We had a servant called Mary Reilly. She •was out for cows when they left m the car. Ido not know who was the driver *, it was a Derby car. Duane was at the house at the time. It was between 11 and 12 o'clock m the morning. They had told me they were going to America, to stay about a fortnight, and come back again. Broderick's farm was the second farm from ours. I know the ■well 6n it ; it was 40 or 50 feet deep. It was a mile and a half from our house to the well. My brothers- John, James, and Edward, are still m Ireland. The farm has never had a tenant since I left it. I had a letter from home about six months ago. If Duane knew anything he could ■ not keep it so long as this ; he would let it out m five minutes. I was married to Mary Ann Brown m November seven years ago. My mother never was against my marrying her." That is about all that it is necessary for me to state on the present occasion, and if your Worship? think it, necessary to put Detective Walker m the box to prove the arrest- it can be done. I understand that Mr Napier, who appears for the prisoner, does not object to a remand. &X Napier, while offering no objection to the 1 application made by Superintendent Thoitison, pointed out to the Bench that this information had simply been laid by Detective Walker upon hearsay evidence. However, he did not intend to raise any objection on this ground, as , the prisoner was anxious to clear himself from the charge. He had not changed his name, and he had made no effort to conceal his identity ; circumstances, therefore, went to show that he waß an innocent man. Pending the arrival of the warrant, however, he had to apply for the prisoner's . liberation on bail. Mr Napier went on to urge that the liberty of any man, however humble J

"V . ■ ■ ym sacred, and that it should hot lightlj be ; interfered with. Superintended Itwmpson strenuously opposed the application, pointing out as he did so thai it would be both strange and exceptional were the man liberated. The Bench then remanded the prisoner till the 31stj when he is to appear before the R.M.