GUILTY OF MURDERS

Taranaki Daily News, 20 November 1926, Page 6

GUILTY OF MURDERS

DEATH SENTENCE PASSED. London. Nov. 14, The six days’ trial has ended of Harty Maeeabe, a gardener, on a charge of murdering the six persons whose bodies were found in the burned mansion. La Mancha, at Malahide, Dublin. Accused was found guilty and condemned to death. Six dead bodies were found in a burning house at Malahide, Dublin, on the morning of March 31 in mysterious circumstances which suggested murder and arson. A gardener, Henry Maeeabe, of Parnell Cottages, Malahide, stated that he was passing an old country house, La Mancha, which stood on its own grounds some way back from the Dublin-Mala-hide Road, when he noticed that it was on fire. He said he ran into the grounds, to find that the doors were locked, and, having failed to arouse the inhabitants, he rushed to the Malahide Police Station, where he gave the alarm. The Civic Guards telephoned for the Dublin Fire Brigade, and sfet off at once for La Mancha, which they found in flames. All the doors were barred and bolted, but entrance was gained through a basement window. On the kitchen

floor the police discovered the dead body of James Clarke, a manservant in the employ of the McDonnell family, the owners and occupiers of the house. The body was quite cold, and was wounded badly about the head. A further search revealed five other dead bodies in various parts of the burning house. That of Peter McDonnell was lying naked on the floor of a sitting room, with a singlet and a pair of underpants thrown over the back. His two

sietere, Auuie and Alice, with their maidservant, Alary Magowan, were found burned to death in the upper portion of the house, while. the body of the second brother, Joseph, was also discovered. The body of one of the brothers bore marks of violence. Much difficulty was experienced by the police and fire brigade in removing th? bodies of the three xyomen from the house, as they were burned te ■cinders and were lying under tlie debris of tire

roof, which hail collapsed. There wae UB doubt that Peter McDonnell and the manservant Clarke were killed before the fire began, and, according to tho police, evidence was found to suggest that the fire had been started deliberately. The outbreak was extinguished completely by 1 p.m. ami the six dead bodies were removed. The police found gn empty petrol tin and a blood-stained ' poker in the debris. Petrol had been sprinkled on all the Aoore.