Date: March 6 1822

Limerick Chronicle
co. Limerick, Ireland
Wednesday, 6 Mar 1822

County Limerick Special Sessions, Saturday 2 March

Thomas SHAUGHNESSY, an able stout man, was put to the bar, charged with
being an idle and disorderly person under the Act, having been out of his
home at half past ten o'clock on the night of the 28th ultimate.

William JOHNSON, one of the Adare Yeomanry, deposed that he saw a house
burning belonging to Mr. FOSBERY on the 28th ult; when he first saw the fire
he was two miles distant from it; accompanied by a detachment of the 42nd
Regiment, and a policeman hastened to the place; when he arrived there, it
was all in flames, being a thatched house; there was one woman in the house
at the time it was set on fire; and she was got out; some of the 42nd from
Kildimo had arrived there before his party; he and his party then searched
the adjoining houses to see it the inhabitants were within; they went into
SHAUGHNESSY's house and saw an old man sitting by the fire; while they were
interrogating the old man the prisoner rushed in from the back door in great
heat, as if after a chase, and on being asked where he was, he said that he
was feeding the cow, upon which witness to ascertain the truth and found the
cow in the yard without any food before it, but saw another man in the
stable, where there were two horses; the distance from the back door to the
cow was not more than eight or nine yards. (The prisoner addressed the
witness from the dock, denying having said he was feeding the cow, but that
he was feeding the horses).
Daniel ROSS, a soldier of the 42nd Regt. was in the house of the prisoner on
the night stated, and saw him come through the back door; he seemed in a
great heat, as if after running-the witness put his hand upon the Prisoner's
side, and felt his heart palpitate.
COURT: Witness, you know what it is to run after an enemy, and not from
him-was it a state of heat similar to that he was in?
WITNESS: smiling-"Yes, my Lord, as if he was after a chase."

Prisoner told witness also, that he had been feeding cows. Francis MAGINAS,
a soldier of the 42nd deposed that prisoner told him after he had come in,
that he was feeding horses; Prisoner said that after the yeoman and soldier
had interrogated him
The Prosecution closed, and for the defence was called Patrick SHAUGHNESSY,
brother to the Prisoner, who stated that he was not long in bed when the
army came in; that he had given directions to his brother to put the cow in
the stable; his brother was not long gone when the soldiers were searching
the house. On his cross examination, he could not tell whether four or five
minutes or three or four hours in bed, before the soldiers had arrived, but
he believed four or five minutes; he had no watch and how could he tell.

The case closed, and the Magistrates and Court consulted, and the Prisoner
was promptly found Guilty, and as promptly sentenced to seven years
Transportation. The Court and Magistrates were fully of opinion that the
Prisoner was at the burning of Mr. FOSBERY's house. The Court observed, that
a report had been currently circulated that New South Wales was a
comfortable place to be transported to, but the Prisoner would find, and the
Public may be assured, that an Island not so comfortable would be selected
by the Government.

Murtock SULLIVAN, an aged man, was put to the Bar-he was the person found in
the stable of the last Prisoner, hiding behind the door at the tail of the
horses, and the door fastened inside. He had the appearance of fresh mud on
his feet and legs; his case was a short one, he could offer no defence and
it was equally presumed that he had ran in there to hide from the soldiers,
after the burning of the house. He was found guilty and sentenced to seven
years transportation.