CHRONICLE. 



45 



upon which Walter sent all the 

 females into one apartment, and, 

 seizing a pitchfork, bade tliem 

 pray to God for iiraceto strengthen 

 them. He then inquired who 

 were outside, informing thcni, if 

 they attempted to break in, he 

 would kill them if he could. 'Jliey 

 answered by firing a shot through 

 the door, and immediately forcing 

 it, it fell inwards. One of them 

 then stepped in, whom Kei^ghan 

 stabbed with his pitchfork in 

 the breast. The misguided wretch 

 fell on the door, exclaiming, 

 " Oh, Jemmy, I'm murdered !" 

 Two shots were instantly tired 

 into the house without effect. A 

 struggle now ensued about se- 

 curing or withdrawing the bcidy 

 of the wounded man, in which 

 Keoghan got a blow from the 

 butt-end of a gun, and lost 

 the prong of his pitchforl., but 

 secured a hat and black mask. 

 They then carried the wounded 

 man into the garden, and firing 

 in at the window, slightly wound- 

 ed the brave Keoghan; and about 

 fifteen minutes afterwards, when 

 he looked out, another shot was 

 fired, fortunately without taking 

 any eSTect. A great quantity of 

 blood was found on the door and 

 floor, and traced next morning to 

 different spots, at short distances, 

 wliere it is supposed the wounded 

 man had rested. Keoghan's horse, 

 whicli they took fiom tlie stable, 

 returned at .seven o'clock that 

 morning, with blood on both 

 sides. It appeared that Walter 

 had a brother lately married, and 

 that the robbers thought i;e \uu\ 

 come home to his motlier's iiouse, 

 as they rejieatedly demanded Ins 

 fortune. 

 25. Laat night a dreadful fiie 



broke out between 11 and 1'2 

 o'clock, in the house of Mr. Ma- 

 coa, at the west side of St. Ste- 

 phen's-green, which raged with 

 unabated fury until tlic entire of 

 tlie building was destroyed : the 

 most prompt exertions were made 

 to stop the progress of the de- 

 structive element, imt unfortu- 

 nately there happened to be a 

 scarcity of water, and, notwith- 

 standing all the efforts made to 

 obtain it from the ailjacent houses, 

 they could not possibly supply the 

 engines. Serious fears were for 

 a long time entertained of its ex- 

 tension, as the rafters and a con- 

 siderable portion of the adjoining 

 house, were on fire. It was an 

 awfully grand and terrific scene, 

 an ovej'whelming chaos of fire 

 from the top to the bottom of 

 the house. It is witli the most 

 poignant feelings of regi'et we 

 have to mention, tiiat there is 

 much reason to apprehend some 

 lives have been lost. An old gen- 

 tlewoman, of the name of O'Neill 

 (a relative, we understand of 

 Earl O'Neill,) who w.'is deprived 

 of sight, is, among others, miss- 

 ing. It is said the fire broke out 

 in hei- apartments. A Mrs. Hare, 

 who also lodged in the house, is 

 missing; and the proprietor of 

 the house, Mr. Macoa, we learn, 

 is not to be found. Mrs. Macoa 

 was dreadfully scoiched, but ef- 

 fected her escape by .jumping out 

 of tlie two pair of stairs window. 

 A servant woman, who was far 

 ad\ anced in a state of pregnancy, 

 also jumped out of the window, 

 and is seriously injured. The 

 Lo; (1 .Mayor and Siieriffs rej)ai)-ed 

 to the spot on the first alarm, and 

 lemained tliere the entire night. 

 Doctor 'iurncj', one of the police 

 magistrates, 



