The Sheehan Murder Case.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5050, 20 March 1885, Page 2

The Sheehan Murder Case.

At the Auckland Police Court, when this case was called on, Sergt. Dunnay, produced the depoiitions taken in Ireland. The most important was that of a young man named David Duane, who deposed— I remember some years ago when I was living with my father and my mother at, Carrigdowning. My father was in the employment of old Mrs Sheehan, and we lived in a house, on her farm, about two fields from her house. I knew Mrs

Sheehan and her sons William and Tom,

and her daughter Hannah. I remember that Mrs Sheehan and her daughter, and her son Tom were said to hare gone away out of the place one day, and they never came back again. I remember the night

after they left I was out late outside

my own house, when I heard the » music of a concertina in Mrs Sheehan V^ house, and went down to a wioket

in the garden behind the house to listen. ' I was there for a long time, I

think near two hoars, when the music

ceased and the lights in the house went oat. Soon after I saw William Sheehan come out and go to the stable, and bring

cut the horse and put him to the cart in

the yard. At the time William Sheshan came out I saw David Browne standiug at the door of the dwelling house. William " Sheehan had brought the horse, and they put him to the cart, and they both went - then to the stable and brought the cart near the door. They both went into the stable, and brought out three persons' bodies. One was a man, and the other two women. They (that is, Browne and . Sheehan) carried them between them, and I saw their legs and heads hanging down. I was not near enough to see who they were. I was behind the wicket door, and about four spades off. The door was broken, and I could* see through. it. I saw a third man inside the stable door while they were bringing out the bodies. He came out afterwards. I did not know him. When the bodies-were in the cart,' they all went off in the direction of the old limekiln, and from that through James Sheehan's land and over to the old well in David Broderick's land. There is a passage the whole way. I followed them j behind the ditch. I kept a good way behind and outside, the ditch, so that they could not see me. When they got to the well, I was behind the gate in James Sbeehan's land, about a hundred yards from the well. . I could see.them plainly. I saw William Sheehan take off the sticks that were on top of the well, and then he and David Browne got into the cart and lifted out,the bodies and threw them brer the little ditch, and then they took them one by one and threw them into the well. I heard 7 them falling down. The third man was by, but I did not see him do anything. I remember he had on. a tall white hat when the bodies were thrown down. I saw William Sheehan put the sticks over the well again. They then took out the horse and turned the cart round themselves, and put to the horse again, and then all three went back to the house. I followed them, and when they got to the yard they took the tackling off the horse, and turned him out into the field, and William Sheehan went for some water and washed the cart. David Browne held it up for him. The three of them then went into Sheehan's house. Then came out again after a few minutes, and went off in th« direction of Browne's house. I did not see them any more. I then went home, but I did not go in. I slept in the hay in am out-house of John Sheehan's close by. I did not go into the house till next morning, after my father had gone to work. I told my mother I had a great fright the night before, but I did not tell her any more about it, nor did I tell any one after. Some time after, I heard William Sheehan say. ing they were all gone to Newagh.. I heard my father say after he had got a pair of boots from William Sheehan that

had belonged to his brother Tom. I saw him wearing them afterwards.

After all the eTidence had been taken, Mr Napier addressed the Court in defence. He questioned the jurisdiction of His Worship, and commenting on the evidence referred to the fact that the only state* ment upon which the accused could be remanded back to Ireland was that of the lad David Duane. He discredited the evidence of this youth, who was, he said, a poor, ignorant, half-demented creature, whose word was not reliable. <He quoted authorities to show that very clear evidence was necessary before a prisoner could be remanded to another country under the Fugitive Offenders Act, and held that in this case the evidence was not nearly sufficient. His Worship (Mr H. G. Seth Smith) said the prisoner would be committed to Mount Eden Gaol to await his return to Ireland on a charge of murder. He would not, however, be surrendered for'fifteen days, and in the meantime he might.apply for a writ of Habeus Corpus, and test the questions raised before the judge yrf the ! Supremo Court. Prisoner was then removed from the dock. We (Star) understand that Mr Napier has decided to applet to the Supreme Court for a writ of Habeus Corpus in order to further test the point* raised. '" ,