BALLINA CHRONICLE Ballina, Mayo, Ireland Wednesday, May 1, 1850 EXECUTION OF THE CONVICT MURPHY - At one o'clock this day the execution of the unfortunate man, William Murphy, convicted at the last assizes of murder, took place in front of the county jail. As usual on the occasion of such edifying spectacles, immense crowds of people thronged the roads near the jail. The Sub-Sheriff, Mr. Johnson, and a number of the police, with a body of the hussars and infantry, were in attendance. The unfortunate convict, when brought out and pinioned, appeared quite firm, although weak from sickness and walked with perfect steadiness. He was attended to the drop by the Very Rev. Thomas Barry, the Rev. J. O'Brien, Rev. J. Begley and Rev. Thomas Walsh, and the culprit appeared to listen to the prayers with the most profound attention. He made a declaration in Irish, which was interpreted by the Very Rev. Thomas Barry, amounting to a full confession of the murder, and expression of the deepest penitence. The rev. gentleman remained by the prisoner until after he had been placed on the drop and the cap adjusted. Scarcely a moment then intervened before the drop fell, and after a few short struggles the unhappy criminal ceased to live. After the usual time had elapsed the body was cut down.--Cork Examiner. SUICIDE OF TWO SOLDIERS - A tragedy of a most revolting nature took place in the military barracks of this town on Monday evening last, the particulars of which are as follows: - A private soldier of the 74th Highlanders, stationed here, named William Williams, a native of the county of Sligo, while labouring under a bit of temporary insanity, put a period to his existence by shooting himself through the head, the ball going in at the temple and passed quite through the skull and out the other side. The horror of this occurrence had scarce subsided, when on the following morning, about a quarter past seven o'clock, whilst the men were on parade, a repetition of the same dreadful deed took place, the unfortunate suicide in this instance being another private of the same regiment, a Scotchman, named Durcan Lovejoy, made a tailor, who also drove a musket ball through his skull, entering one side and passing out the other. Two such melancholy occurrences taking place in the same regiment, in space of a few hours, is, we believe, without parallel; and what makes the matter strange is the fact that the two unfortunate men had no acquaintance with each other. We understand that one of them was a man particularly characterised for sobriety, good conduct and military discipline.--Clonmel Chronicle. A BOY CONSUMED IN A LIME KILN - Last week an inquest was held near Thomastown, by T. Izod, Esq., coroner, on a few burned bones, all that remained of the body of a young lad, twelve years old, named John Ryan, who it appeared, came by his death under the following horrible circumstances: - Some little boys were roasting potatoes on Mrs. Ryan's lime kiln in Newtown, near Thomastown. As it was intended to "let the kiln out" no fresh layers of lime stone had been put on, and the lime was about two feet from the top of the kiln. The boys were afraid to venture on the kiln to get their potatoes, when John Ryan, who was in the habit of throwing a large stone one the centre of the kiln, and sitting on it, volunteered to get them for them. He threw in a large flag which remained on the centre of the kiln, and then jumped on the flag. Immediately the flag and he were swallowed up in the burning lime which closed on him-no part, but one hand, as the children stated, remaining above the lime. The workmen, alarmed by the children's cries, ran up and saw a cloud of dark smoke accompanied by a most intolerable stench continuing to issue from the kiln for more than half an hour; and when all the lime was drawn from the kiln, about a handful of bones, principally ribs and one heel bone, was all that remained of the little sufferer. By the heel bone, Dr. Stirling, who examined on the inquest, identified the remains to be those of a young person. A verdict of "Accidental death" was returned.-- Kilkenny Moderator. DISTRESSING OCCURRENCE IN CONNECTION WITH THE LOSS OF THE ROYAL ADELAIDE - One of the unfortunate victims in the wreck of the above-named steamer was a poor man named Canavan, who had been a servant in a gentleman's family, near Passage; his loss was rendered still more bitter to his unfortunate family from the circumstances which caused him to be in the vessel on the night she was lost. An officer who belonged to a regiment lately ordered off from this, having seen this poor man's daughter, who was a very pretty looking girl, set about his base purposes with regard to her, and eventually persuaded her to go off with him. The poor father, immediately on hearing she had left where he had placed her in Cork, understanding where she went, set off in pursuit of her, and lost his life in endeavouring to save her. Thus the conduct of a gentleman has plunged a poor family in ruin and disgrace. It is mournful to think on the fate of the unhappy girl herself.--Cork Examiner. Cathy Joynt Labath Ireland Old News http://www.IrelandOldNews.com/