Murder of the Rev. Mr. MULQUEEN
The following is a literal copy of the Inquistion,
held on the body of the lamented Rev. Jno.
MULQUEEN, Parish Priest of Ballinvana, &c. (as
stated in our last), with the depositions of the witnesses
examined thereon:
County of Limerick to Wit.} An Inquisition taken at
Fantstown, in the county of
Limerick, the ninth day of
November, on thousand eight hundred and nineteen,
before Charles BENNETT and James BENNETT, Esqrs., two of the Coroners of our Sovereign Lord
King, for the said county, on view of the body
of the Rev. John MULQUEEN, Parish Priest of
Ballinvana, then and there lying dead, on the
oaths of
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Samuel ADAMS,
William SARGENT,
Michael WALSH,
John O'DONNELL,
William GUBBINS,
George MARKS,
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Henry DULMAGE,
John SANDERS,
Gerard FITZGERALD,
Joseph WIGGINS,
Dennis CARROLL,
Thomas WELDON
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Good and lawful men of the said county, who being
duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists, and
charged to enquire, and find, for our said Lord the
King, when, wher, how, and by what means the
said Rev. John MULQUEEN came to his death,
do say and find, that the said Rev. John MULQUEEN
was wilfully, and unlawfully murdered on
the lands of Killbreedy, from gun-shot wounds,
he received on the left side of his breast, about the
hour of nine o'clock in the afternoon of the eight
of November, instant, from some person or persons
as yet unknown.
In Witness whereof, as well the said Coroners
as the Jurors aforesaid, have hereunto put their
hands and seals, the day and year first above
written
[Here follow the signatures of the above highly
respectable Jury.]
Taken before us the day and year aforesaid.
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Charles BENNETT
James BENNETT
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Coroners
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The deposition of James CLIFFORD, taken the
9th Nov. 1819, before us:--Deposeth & saith, that
on the evening of the 8th instant, at about the
hour of between 8 and 9 o'clock, he met an armed
party of men near Kilbreedy, of about five or six
persons who desired him to clear the way, upon
which he and a man of the name Wm. CLIFFORD,
who was with him, went to one side of the road;
in a few minutes after, the Rev. John MULQUEEN
overtook them, and asked this deponent if he
knew who they were that passed, and upon this
deponent saying he did not, he, the Rev. John
MULQUEEN said he would go and find out who they
were, upon which he followed them---and in a
short time they heard a shot fired; and found that
the Rev. John MULQUEEN had received two gunshot
wounds on the left side of his breast of whiuch
he died in about an hour.
James CLIFFORD.
Deponent bound in the penalty of £25 to prosecute
the above, at the next assizes for the
County of Limerick.
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Charles BENNETT
James BENNETT
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Coroners
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The deposition of Nancy RYAN, taken before
us this 9th day of November, 1819:--Deposeth &
saith, that on the night of the 8th instant, as she
was getting her supper, a party of men came to
the door of her house abd desired her to put out
her light, or of she did not they would have her
life; upon which, through fear, she did so; in a
short time after she heard two shots fired, at a distance
from her house---that in a short time after
this deponent heard that the Rev. John MULQUEEN
was shot on the lands of Kilbreedy, a distanc of
about 50 perches from her said house.
Nancy (her X mark) RYAN
Informant bound in the sum of £20, to prosecute
those, her depositions, at the next assizes for the
County of Limerick.
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Charles BENNETT
James BENNETT
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Coroners
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The several other persons were examined, that
might be supposed to throw light on this subject,
nothing has come out to lead to the discovery
of the persons concerned. Subscriptions, in that
neighbourhood, to the amount of £300, have already
been entered into; and in a few days, will
be considerably augmented; and from the exertions
of the neighbouring Magistrates & Coroners,
Charles and James BENNETT, Esqrs., no doubt can
be entertained of the final success of their apprehension.
This lkamented Gentleman was in the
habit of reprimanding and advising the idle and
dissolute of his parish, to change their line of conduct,
and actually died a martyr to the good of
his country.
Further Particulars.
We have been creditably informed that the remains
of the above lamented Gentleman, have been
truly shocking to the eye of the most hardened
beholder; the wound on his breast has been very
large, a musket ball having passed near his heart;
and below said wound was another of less magnitude,
inflicted by a slug, which originally was
part of the handle of a spoon.&mbsp; We trust from the
subscriptions set on foot, and the well known zeal
of the deceased, that every man who respectsa his
God, and has any veneration for the Ministers of
the Gospel, that they will join hand in hand in bringing
to punishment those sacrilegeous wretches.
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