BALLINA CHRONICLE Ballina, Co. Mayo Wednesday, August 28, 1850 BARBAROUS MURDER IN CLARE On the evening of Sunday last a revolting murder was committed in the parish of Killofin, Barony of Clonderlaw, County of Clare, under the following horrifying circumstances: A labouring man named Patt Furey, residing in the townland of Slievedooly, resolved to seek employment at harvest work in one of the neighbouring counties, and left home on Saturday evening, giving his wife three for four shillings, which was his all, for her support until his return. His house was in one yard with a man named John Quinlivan, between whom and the deceased there existed some enmity; previous to Furey's departure it was agreed between himself and wife that two children, belonging to a neighbour named Shaughnessy should sleep with her, she having no family of her own. About nightfall on Sunday, when these children came to take up their abode with Mrs. Furey, the door was locked against them and they were terrified to hear groans, as if from some person in distress, insuing from the house, they ran in a fright and told their father, who promptly repaired to the spot, broke open the door, and to his horror found Bridget Furey apparently a corpse, the floor covered with her blood, her clothes and person so besmeared with the crimson flood of life that her identity was for a while doubtful. Shaughnessy asked for some person to accompany him for the police, and the person since accused of the commission of the crime with an effrontery and daring (worthy of a Ryan Puck) said he would go and he did go, to Labasheeda, but on their arrival there the Constable and some of the party were absent on other duty. Sub-Constables Hoye and Hickey went immediately to he spot and found Mrs. Furey not dead but unable to articulate one word, her brain was protruding from two frightful chasm, one in her forehead. The police seeing her perilous position adopted every possible stratagem to cause resuscitation, and as if Heaven willed that the assassin should not go unpunished, she rallied for a time, and declared in the presence of the police that it was John Quinlivan murdered her! The Police placed him at her bedside and asked her a second time to look up, and state who struck her, she opened one of her eyes, the other being broken in her head, looked at her murderer and said, "it was he killed me with a hatchet." She gave a dying shriek, fell back, and after a light tremor soon died of the ghastly wounds. Cathy Joynt Labath Ireland Old News http://www.IrelandOldNews.com/