A Horrible Tragedy. MURDER BY MOONLIGHT IN KERRY.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 238, 21 January 1888, Page 7

A Horrible Tragedy.

MURDER BY MOONLIGHT IN KERRY.

; Early on November Bth, a brutal murder j was committed by a party of moonlighter at a small farmstead at I.iscahane, near Ardfert, in County Kerry. The farm was held in tenancy by Patrick Quirke, an aged man, of seventy* ' five, who had taken the holding, after it had remained derelict for about- two yeara. Mrs Kirkby, Quirke's daughter,, whose husband had got into difficulties and gone to America, had been evicted from the farm at the beginning of that period, and about twelve months ago old Quirke had taken it at a greatly reduced rent, the arrears due prior to his daughter's eviction being forgiven. He continued to work the farm in the interest of his son-in-law, who was expected to return soon from America, • and two of whoso children were in the old man's charge. The house in whioh Ruirke and his family dwelt is a miserable cabin. At* about five o'clock on Tuesday morning, a knock was heard at the window, ' and Quirke answering it, he was informed • that his cattle were trespassing in the mangolds of one of his neighbours. He replied that he would get up, and immediately did so. A few minutes afterwards a shot was fired through the door, and two men, one of them armed with a doublebarrelled shotgun, entered the kitchen. i Quirke was by this time dressed, and was just coming into the kitoben, when one of the moonlighters said to, him, "Paddy, pay no rent !". He replied, " I'm willing to do anything you want." The speaker said they would swear him, and Quirke's wife, an old woman, who had now appeared, questioned their right so to do, saying they were neither magistrates, poilcemen, parsons, nor priests. The ruffian who acted as principal in the affair then replied, "We'll soon let you see," and thereupon discharged his gun at his aged victim. The shote took effect in the upper part of both the old man's thighs. He did not fall, but cried oub that he was killed. Another, shot was then fired, which struck Quirke on the shin. From the nature of the wound, it is evident that the muzzle of the gun from which the first shot was fired must have been placed quite close, for there is a hole nearly an inch and a half in diameter through tho trousers and the inner portions of the flesh anil the shin bone are frightfully shattered, the bone being laid quite bare and the arteries, of the legs severed. Filled with terror, the old man's wife became powerless,^ and for some tune remained in a semi-consciousstate whilst her husband lay in helpless agony on • the ground. As soon as she could control her deranged, faculties, she gave the alarm to the neighbours, and messengers were despatched for a doctor and a priest. Before tKeir arrival, however, Quirke had succumbed to the shock and hemorrhage, having'lingered in extreme suffering for about ■ two hours and a half. Mrs Quirke states that she belie\ed that there were only two men engaged in the outrage, and that they were both young. The country was - immediately scoured, and several • arrests have been made, though the guilfc , has not yet been fixed on any individual; - The motive for the crime appears uncertain, but the theory of the police is that the murdered man's neighbours were averse to his - taking the farm, for the simple reason thab • they were thereby deprived of the benefit) they- derived ; by using it as commonage while iWas derelict. The scene is two miles from the village of lArdHerb, and about 500 yards from the "public road) the place being reached by a narrow bpteen. , The house occupied by 1 Quirke, h^d a neglected appearance. It) consisted, properly speaking, of, a portion . of the original house, a room 'having beenL reserved by old Kirby for himself and his- - - '' wife, , when their son got married. It . dorjsists, of a bedroom and "kitchen,poorly, furnished. Quirke and his wifewere ,the only occupants of ,the house. > sThey^went to bed on the previous night as usual, v after,, their evening prayers: [Then -- follow the details of the outrage already-*? ' i given,.] „. .;, . When this dee^d was doneVi '.the' perpetrators escaped, and left the aged" • .'wife tq ( assisV .with all the force her feeble*, arms could the .dying, husband , ' 'to hisjfjedCj j.JjTeibher priest nordoctor could u be feegb io^ap Inhere was' no,, person present - 1 tjo pOTprnpi thafc .Christian .office. -A A grarid-s igori 6& Quirke slept next door, , and was iold < to jgo>fpr;sa|e pojice., .Naturally hewafc; - afraid ,at thaj. dark.hour ,to dQpo^bubwhenjv the[d i% i %y T d,a.w'ne<i 'he t informed .thepoliceafoi Ardf,ert, h \ .. ;iV i -^*' h ri'.u' . <? n "Yqjjiyjifttle sympathy seemedjtQ be Ejhowr?-^-; -to; sti^affljptQd woman,, and<onlyionei or, txwow * ufsiendp o:wsab o :w$ab nearf the Mwto w ''dra.;&^er6emjus no; Kgkjj^ittUthat of th&> * 8-moon,j^ v{i tjx§iig I !bchen w^nj S t i hese:iuffiansjt-ft ' seM ( r%n^it|cm^iye - :|tn4jhajsmlegB«old aftaftsoa tM§s *HiNPS^ w^^ th,e--koliS9K f and.*ogt^^ai£ site Wq aoor was wounded by the shot, fired through the door, '