TERRIBLE MURDER IS IRELAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 149, 23 June 1894, Page 6

TERRIBLE MURDER IS IRELAND.

The Cork correspondent of the 'London Baily Telegraph,' under date April 23rd Baya:--*A little after twelve o'clock lub •night (Saturday) the wild and rather desolate looking disbricb of Glenlara was the scene of one of the worst murders ever committed in this country, the unfortunate victim being an "emergency "man named James Bonovan. About six months ago Donovan, who had two sons, aged aboub eleven and six respectively, was appointed caretaker of a farm on Lord Cork's property at Glenlara, »from which a tenanb, named James T. Kenneally, bad been evicted. On Friday Donovan was engaged assisting Andrew Shannon, Sheriff's Bailiff ab Newmarket, in making some seizures for rent in the Clonbanin district. On this mission be was accompanied by his elde«b son, whom be lefb With Shannon ab Newmarket on Saturday evening, and returned borne himself aboub dusk. Shortly after arriving ab his residence he went to bed with his youngest aon, who, as previously stated, waa a lad of tender years. The facts 1 am now aboub to relate have been gleaned from the little fellow, so far as they can be ascertained from his rather indistinct recollection of the terrible affair. * Ib appears that some time after midnight the young lad, who was sleeping beside his father^ was awakened by hearing two men entering the room in which they lay. The moon shone brightly through the window as be saw the two men approach the bed. He then easily perceived that both men were perfectly disguised, and that one of them carried a gun. They roughly shook his father, who was now partially awakened, and dragging him oub of bed forced him into a corner, in which position the man armed with the gun fired a shot at him point blank. The lad then screamed, whereupon, he alleges, one of the men struck him with some weapon on the hip, which caused him greab pain. The little fellow then appears to remember no more until his father came crawling into bed, where he lay for the remainder of the night insensible, with the blood pouring from his many wounds. There appears to be very little doubt that after the hapless caretaker was beaten in the room he was dragged out into the yard and subjected to further ill-treabinenb of torrible severity. This assumption is clearly borne out by the various pools of blood to be seen in the enclosure, and the evident traces of a struggle which are abundantly apparent. It is remarkable thab after all the frightful injuries which Donovan received he was still able to make his way back to bed and linger for hours before he succumbed. 'Ib may be here interesting to mention Kenneally's version of the dark deed. John Kenneally states that his brother James and family resided with him. Last night he was in bed, and his brother James was reading by the fire, when they heard the terrible commotion outside. They heard shouting, rattling, scuffling, and other noises in the yard just outside their door, and he jumped out of bed and approached the door, with the intention of opening it to poo what was the matter, when he was checked by bin brother James, who advised him to go back to bed, and nob interfere in any row that might, be going on outside, .as it mighh be drunken parties returning . from bhe market. He followed his brother's advice, and again returned to bed, inwardly concluding that it was only some partios coming to give Donovan a fright, and that if anything serious had occurred Donovan's eldest son would surely call him, as they were close friends. In the morning he roae ab five o'clock for the purpose of taking some cattle to the Newmarket Fair, and he decided to call on his neighbour, fearing that, ahor all things mighb not be right; On enteririg Donovan's"room be was horror (ttricken at the sight which, met his gaze. The'poor man was lying on a pallet, while the little lad was watching by his side. Kenneally immediately summoned his brother James, and both did everything in their power to alleviate the sufferings of the hapless man. All was, however, in vain, and aboub eight 'o'clock James Donovan breathed his lasb. Dr. Verling, of ' Newmarket, bad previously been sent for in hob haste, but when he arrived life was found to be extinct.