A drama, named as above, has been played with eminent success during the
present season at the English Opera House. The plot is founded on the
following horrible occurrence, which actually took place in Ireland in
the year 1813, and which we extract from the columns of an Irish paper
of the same date. The narrative is powerfully worked up in _The
Nowlans_, in the second series of the _O'Hara Tales_, and Mr. Banim is
the author both of the novel and the drama:--
"The speech of George Smith, William Smith, and James Smith, who were
lately executed at Longford for the murder of James Reilly, a pedlar,
near Lanes-borough, has been published. It gives the following
description of the inhuman crime for which they suffered:
"The discovery of this murder, as decreed by the Almighty, was made by
Margaret Armstrong, the wife of Sergeant Armstrong, of the 27th regiment
of foot, on the recruiting service in Athlone. She was going to her
husband, when she was overtaken by this dealing man. He asked her how
far she was going--she answered to Athlone, to her husband, and said as
it was getting late, and being scarce of money, she would make good her
way that night. He then replied, 'my poor woman, let not that hurry you,
I am going to Athlone myself, and there is a lodging at the next cross
at which I mean to stop, be advised, and go no farther to-night, and I
will pay your expenses.' When they came to the house, he asked for a bed
for himself and another for the woman, and called for supper; when that
was over, he paid the bill, and taking out his pocket-book, he counted
150_l._ which he gave in charge to George Smith, and retired to bed; the
woman likewise went to her's, the family sat up till twelve; after
which, when the man was fast asleep and all was silent, we, (the three
Smiths) went into the room where the man lay; we dragged him out of bed,
and cut his throat from ear to ear; we saved his blood in a pewter dish,
and put the body into a flaxseed barrel, among feathers, in which we
covered it up. Take care, and do the same with the woman, _said our
mother_. We accordingly went to her bedside, and saw her hands extended
out of the bed; we held a candle to her eyes, but she did not stir
during the whole time, as God was on her side; for had we supposed that
she had seen the murder committed by us, she would have shared the same
fate with the deceased man. Next morning when she arose, she asked was
the man up? We made answer, that he was gone two hours before, left
sixpence for her, and took her bundle with him. 'No matter,' said she,
'for I will see him in Athlone.' When she went away, I (George Smith)
dressed myself in my sister's clothes, and having crossed the fields,
met her, I asked her how far she was going? She said to Athlone: I then
asked her where she lodged? She told me at one Smith's, a very decent
house, where she met very good entertainment. 'That house bears a bad
name,' said I. 'I have not that to say of them,' said she, 'for they
gave me good usage.' It was not long until we saw a sergeant and two
recruits coming up the road; upon which she cried out, 'here is my
husband coming to meet me; he knew I was coming to him.' I immediately
turned off the road, and made back to the house. When she met her
husband, she fainted; and on recovering, she told him of the murder, and
how she escaped with her life. The husband went immediately and got
guards, and had us taken prisoners; the house was searched, and the
mangled body found in the barrel." The three monsters were, it is
mentioned, ordered for execution from the dock.
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