When she was gone, a neighbor of hers, who was present, came forward, and made an accurate and affecting statement of the circumstances connected with the death, or, as he termed it, and as we fear it was the murder of her son.

“The poor, lovin’ boy’s mother,” he proceeded, “the heart-broken Christian woman, that you all seen and heard this night, was not long after a fit of sickness.  She was barely able to move about, but not to work or do anything in the house.  When they came out to take away their property, she had two cows, but only one of them gave any milk.  They wor axed to take the dry cow and any other part of the property they might think proper, but, ‘for God’s sake!’ said the boy, ’as my poor mother is only risin’ out of her illness, lave us the cow that can give her the drop of milk; the black water will kill her if you don’t.’  But no, this they wouldn’t do; but what did they do?  Why, they left the dry cow behind them, and tuck away the one that gave the kindly drop o’ milk to the sick widow and her poor family; they then brought off—­ay—­swept away—­six times the amount of what she owed; which they bought in for a song.  It’s well known that of late Purcel and his sons swore that they’d execute every process in the sevairest and most expensive manner upon the people, and as they kept their oath I hope too we’ll keep ours.  Well, it was when the poor boy saw the drop o’ milk, as he said, goin’ from his poor mother, that he opposed them.  You all know the rest; he was shot stone-dead bekaise he loved that mother.  The case is now in your hands, and this is all I have to say, barrin’ to ask you, gintlemen of the jury, to take a look at this, and think of him it belonged to, that’s now laid low in an airly and untimely grave, through Mat Purcel and his sons.”

He then placed a lock of fair and beautiful hair, which had been taken from the youth’s brow, in the hands of the foreman, and resumed his seat.

Oh, human nature! especially Irish human nature, what a mystery art thou!

The foreman, on receiving it, held it in his hands for some time, and so completely was he touched by the beauty of the tress, and the affection of him to whom it had belonged, that the tears gushed from his eyes; and as these men, who were then in the very act of trampling upon the laws of God and men, looked at it, one by one, there was scarcely a dry eye among them.  As water, however, is frequently sprinkled over fire, in order to enkindle it into a more scorching heat, so did the tears they shed add fresh strength and fury to the vengeance which smouldered within them.

This closed the case for Captain Right, and the judge asked if there was any one present prepared with a defense for Mat Pur-eel and his sons.