urate 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 a