John Murray

343

Maureen Withey on 19th June 2024

Close of the Commission. The Commission closed yesterday, when the following persons received sentence…. John Murray, for manslaughter. The Learned Judge (Burton), pronounced a most impressive address previously to passing the sentence in law, which was that should transported for life. Saunders News-Letter, 7 Nov 1826. DUBLIN COMMISSION, Saturday Nov. 4, Murder of a Wife. John Murray was put to the bar, indicted for the wilful murder Elizabeth Murray, his wife, at Dawson’s Grove, on the 19th July last. Anne Doyle, niece of the deceased, deposed to having seen her aunt at five o’clock on the evening the day mentioned in the indictment; she appeared then to be in good health, but somewhat intoxicated ; at ​? o’clock on the same evening she saw her corpse in Mr Dawson’s gate-house, in which deceased and her husband resided; the corpse had a large wound on the head and another on the arm, and appeared all over marked as if by blows of a stick ; the house was empty when witness first entered it; after the prisoner at the bar came in, witness asked him did he kill her aunt; he said he did, and would kilt her also, and instantly made a blow at her with his clenched fist; witness, however, escaped from the house ; prisoner on this occasion appeared in a dreadful passion, was much agitated, but in liquor.—Witness, her cross-examination, admitted that her aunt was much addicted to drink, which caused her, in some measure, to neglect her family, and produced frequent quarrels between her and her husband, who would, on some of those occasions. be provoked to raise his hand to her; he also frequently remonstrated with her and exhorted her leave off her propensity to drink; witness on the whole considered the prisoner a kind-hearted husband. Nicholas Easterby, a peace-officer, deposed, that he apprehended the prisoner at ten o’clock on]the night of the fatal transaction. When he entered the house, the prisoner was alone, sitting at the fire, in his shirt, with his sleeves turned up, a waistcoat lying on the floor besmeared with gore; the corpse lay stretched the bed, in the condition already described. Witness found a bayonet near the fire; prisoner exclaimed, that that was not the weapon with which he had killed his wife, but that there it was, pointing at the same time, to a large stick lying on the floor ; the same now shown to witness. On his way to Kilmainham, prisoner attributed the cause of his having killed his wife to drunkenness on his own part, he expressed the utmost sorrow for what had happened, frequently ejaculating, Lord, have mercy on her soul and exclaiming what would become of her children. Surgeon Green, son of the Recorder, being sworn, stated, that he had examined the body of the deceased, Elizabeth Murray, and considered the wounds and contusions he found on it as sufficient to cause death. For the defence, several witness were called to character, with most of whom prisoner had lived at service. They invariably bore testimony to his industrious habits as a servant, but generally agreed that there was something odd in his general demeanour. One witness designated him a half natural. Here the case closed, and the Jury, after a most luminous charge from Baron Smith, returned a verdict, acquitting the prisoner of the murder, and finding him guilty of manslaughter. Belfast Commercial Chronicle, 11 Nov 1826.

343

Maureen Withey on 19th June 2024

Irish Convict Database by Peter Mayberry. John Murray, age on arrival, 40, per Countess of Harcourt (4) 1827, Tried 1826, at Dublin, Life for Murder, killing his wife. DOB, 1787, native place, Kildare. Single. Widower, 2 children. Catholic. Trade, Gardener.