IRELAND OLD NEWS

Freemans Journal
11th August 1795
'Richard Boylan, found guilty at Dundalk assizes of setting fire to the stable and barn of Mr. Joseph Morgan, at Moore-town, was executed yesterday, pursuant to his sentence.'

'At the assizes of Dundalk last week, the following persons were tried before the Hon. Justice Crookshank: -
Bernard Grimes and Owen Maguire were found guilty of the murder of Thomas Wade, on the evidence of James Thornton - who was an accomplice in the murder, and turned approver.
The circumstances are nearly as follows: -
Grimes, Maguire, Thornton, and the deceased, went together on the night of the 20th of July 1794, in order to commit a robbery at Longstones. - They had previously concerted a plan to murder Wade, to prevent him from prosecuting some persons who were confined in the jail of Drogheda, at the following assizes. - When they came to the river of Drumthallen, Maguire knocked down Wade with a blunderbuss - and the other two held him under the water until he was suffocated. - They then took him out - each struck him on the head with large stones, and threw him into the river!
Some time after the murder was committed, Thornton was taken up in a robbery, of Mr. Gray, of Ardee, near Tullyhesker hill, and lodged in the gaol of Drogheda. He there discovered the murder and swore against Maguire; on his being transmitted to Dundalk, he implicated Grimes.
When the jury returned their verdict guilty, Grimes called on Maguire to declare the truth - and Maguire positively declared Grimes was not at the murder, but had given them arms to commit the intended robbery.
They were both executed on Thursday, and their bodies sent to the country infirmary, where they were dissected, and afterwards interred in the gaol yard.
Maguire acknowledged the crime for which he was to suffer; Grimes has left a confession after him, in which he solemnly denies his guilt as to the murder, but says he committed several robberies - and was led through malice to prosecute Messrs. Bird, Hamill, Delahoyde, Read, and others, for High Treason, at Drogheda, at Spring Assizes, 1794.' [See 20 September 1794 - Drogheda Assizes and other references]


Submitted by Brendan

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