MURDER CONSPIRACY IN IRELAND.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3300, 30 October 1883, Page 2

MURDER CONSPIRACY IN IRELAND.

One of the most extraordinary cases perhaps ever heard, came before Captain L-rngburne R.M., at Bruff, County Limerick, on August 24 Dr William Patrick Connolly and his brother, Thomas Connolly, the latter an operative baker in his father’s establishment in Bruff, were charged on remand with conspiracy ; to murder John Carroll, also residing in B'ufE. There was a further charge against the prisoners of attempting to ad minister, or to cause to be administered, certain deadly poisons to Carroll and his sister. Michael Dineen who said that he was nearly 21 jmars old, stated that about the beginning of January in the present year, he was in Connolly’s bakehouse about half-past nine in the morning, Tom Connolly was there, and in five or ten minutes after the doctor came in, and when he did so Tom said that Mh'k would be the man to do the job. The doctor said that it would be hard to depend upon him (witness) Tom said he might depend his life on him. The doctor then said “ Very well,” and Tom went out of the bakehouse and went upstairs, and brought down a Prayer Book, on which witness was sworn to do away with John Carroll, and “not to divulge.’’ This was all he could remember of the oath. Witness was to shoot Carroll, and he was to he done away with himself, if he did not obey the Connollys’ order. He was to get £SO for doing the job. The doctor said he would get it from Dublin, from the head centre. On the following night the doctor gave witness a revolver. There were three different places at which Carrol might be shot,according as opportunity might servo. The doctor was to bring Carroll up to where witness and Tom Connolly were lying in ambush, and witness and Tom were to shoot Carroll. Witness was to fire the first shot, Tom the second, and the doctor the third. The doctor said that when the three bullets would be in him he would swear against two boys of the town. He would swear their lives away. Witness got into Carroll’s employment on the recommendation of T"m Connolly,and after that witness and Tom lay in wait several times for Carroll. The signal was to be given by the doctor —a loud cough if all was clear and a low cough if there were people in the way. On one occasion the doctor and Carroll came up to where witness and Connolly were lying in ambush,and the doctor gave the wrong signal. He gave a loud coueh, and witness put out his head from the ditch and saw a woman coming after them. In consequence of that they did not fire. On another occasion, in the middle of March last, the doctor came up close to where witness and Tom Connolly were lying in ambush. He described what he had done to get Carroll to come along—that he bad caught him by the collar, but the devil could not pul! him up any further. The doctor told witness to follow Carroll back, and to fire a ball at him whenever ho should meet him. Witness refused, and asked Dr Connolly why he did not do it himself, when he had the opportunity. Witness wanted Tom Connolly to go back with him, but the doctor would not allow him. Wit-

ness would not go back to shoot Carroll because the houses were too near. Witness used to go to old Connolly’s house, and when the doctor came in while witness was there in the evening, the doctor would say “God is good to-night.” That was a signal if there were any people there. Witness used to change his coat and his hat at Connolly’s before they went out at night to lie in ambush. When in old Connolly’s at night,witness used to road and play cards with the doctor and others. On two occasions he brought goods from Killmallock to the doctor, which the doctor said were revolvers. The doctor on one occasion showed him a document, which he said was a forged will of Carroll’s. The doctor arranged to put either chloroform or vitriol on a handkerchief, which witness was to throw in Miss Carroll's face, but witness refused to do it. The witness further testified to Tom Connolly having asked a stranger to go to Dr Casey’s medical hall and get what was in a paper —a prescription, but the man refused. He then asked another man, who went and got it. Connolly said it was a prescription purporting to be signed by Dr Downes, of Kilmallock, but that he (Connolly) had written it himself. He gave witness the bottle which the messenger brought back, and asked witness to put it in the teapot at Carroll’s where witness was then living, and it would give them a long sleep. Witness dashed the bottle against the wall, refusing to do what be was asked. Witness in June last, heard a conversation between the doctor and Tom Connolly in the father’s bakehouse, about putting something into a loaf of bread. After that the Carrolls ceased to get bread at Connolly’s. On June 27 witness was again at Connolly’s and the doctor told bis sister to go upstairs for the bottle. She did so, and when she came down tliey asked him to take some of it, but he refused, and then endeavoured to force it down hia throat. He told everybody he met of it next day. In cross-examina-tion the witness said he and Tom Connolly had laid in ambush about three dozen times. The case when the mail loft stood adjourn d.