All-Hallow Eve; or, The Test of Futurity, Chapters XXX-XXXVI [pp. 241-263]

All-Hallow Eve; or, The Test of Faturity.
ty of Cavan, a reputed Ribbonman.
The cart had belonged to him, but of
course there was no name upon it. The
news of the whole affair had already
spread like fire the moment the people
began to get about; and two brothers
of Fahy's arrived to claim the body
before the inquest was over.
Jamesy Doyle was the principal
witness "before the fact." His evidence was like himself all over. Having, been sworn by the coroner, he did
not think that sufficient, but began his
statement with another oath of his
own-the reader knows by this time
what it was. The coroner checked
hfm, and reminded him that he was
already on his solemn oath, and that
light swearing of that kind was very
unseemly, and could not be permitted.
Hie advised him to be cautious.
Jamesy had sense enough to take
his advice, although he seldom took
Winny's upon the same subject.
"When first I heerd the rookawn,
I got up, an' dhrew on my clothes, an'
cum round the corner of the house. I
seen three men stannin' at the doore,
an' I heerd wai of'em ordher it to
be bruck in. 1 knew there was but
two women an' wan ould man, the
masther, in the house, an' I knew there
was no use in goin' in to be mur dhered, an' that I could be of more
use a great dale outside. Bully-dhu
was roarin' like a lion in the back
yard, an' couldn't get out. I knew
Bully was well able for wan of'em,
any way, if not for two, an' I let him
out an' brought him to the hall-doore.
The minit ever I let him out iv the
yard he was as silent as the grave,
an' I knew what that meant. Well, I
brought him to the doore, an' pointed
to the deceased, for he was the first
man I seen in from me. Well, with out with your lave or by your lave,
Bully had him tumbled on the floore,
an' his four big teeth stuck in his wind pipe.' That'll do,' says I,' as far as
wan of ye goes, any way;' an' I med
off for the police. I wasn' much out
about Bully, your worship, for the
man never left that antil Mr. Cot
ter an' I helped him out into the
barn."
Cotter was then examined. His
evidence was "that he had found the
deceased lying dead on the kitchen
floor; that the dog on entering lay
down at his head and put his paw
upon his breast, as if pointing out what
hlie had done." That was all he knew
about it.
The doctor was then examinedsurgeon, perhaps, we should call him
on this occasion-and swore" that he
had carefully examined the deceased;
that he had been choked; and that the
wounds in the throat indicated that
they had been inflicted by the teeth of
a large, powerful dog; no cat nor
other animal known in this country
could have done it."
This closed the evidence. The coroner made a short charge to the jury,
and the verdict was "that the deceased, John Fahy, as they believed
him to be, had come by his death by
being suffocated and choked by a
large black dog called Bully-dhu, belonging to one Edward Cavana, of
Ratheash, in the parish, etc., etc.; but
that inasmuch as he, the said deceased, was in the act of committing a
felony at the time, for which, if convicted in a court of law, he would
have forfeited his' life, they would not
recommend the dog to be destroyed."
The coroner said " he thought this
was a very elaborate verdict upon so
simple a case, and disagreed with the
jury upon the latter part of the ver.
diet. The dog could not have known
that, and it was evident he was a fe rocious animal, and he thought he
ought to be destroyed."'
"lHe did know it, your honor,"
vociferated Jamesy Doyle. "Didn't
I tell him, and wasn't it I pointed out
the deceased to him, and tould him to
hould him? If it was th' ould masthler
or myself kilt him, you couldn't say a
haporth to aidher of us, let alone the
dog."
If this was not logic for the coro ner, it was for the jury, who refused
to change their verdict. But the
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