A LETTER To the Right Honourable A. Earl of Essex, FROM DUBLIN. Declaring the strange Obstinacy of PAPISTS, (As here, so) in IRELAND; Who being evidently Convict and Condemned for Criminal Causes, yet at their Death, and upon the Gallows, absolutely deny the Fact; And the erroneous and impious Motives, given by their Priests, by which they are deluded to do it. Joshua VII. nineteen, xx. My Son, give glory to God, confess to him, and tell me what thou hast done. And Achan said, Indeed I have sinned, etc. LONDON, Printed by Tho: Newcomb. 1679. A LETTER To the Right Honourable A. EARL of ESSEX, FROM DUBLIN. Declaring The strange Obstinacy of PAPISTS, (as here, so) in Ireland, etc. May it please your Lordship, ON Sunday last I received yours of February the 25th, and have inquired into the Truth of the Story of an Irish Papist Executed in this Country, who at the Gallows denied the Fact for which he was to suffer; but after he had Hanged awhile, the Rope by accident breaking, and the Malefactor coming to himself, confessed it to be true. The person was one John Curphy a Papist, who, this Lent Assizes will be Seven years, was Tried before Mr. Baron Hene (than His Majesty's Sergeant) for Burglary in the County of Monaghan, and being found Guilty, was condemned to die. At the Gallows this Curphy denied the Fact with great Confidence and Asseverations of his Innocency, and was turned off the Ladder, persisting in his denial; but after he had hanged some little space, the Rope by chance breaking, and he falling down a little stunned, came again to himself, and fell to his prayers, thanking God that he had given him time to declare the Truth, and not to go out of the World with a Lie in his mouth, and then confessed himself Guilty of the Fact for which he was Condemned. Afterwards this Curphy was brought back to the Gaol by the Sheriff Mr. Lucas, and application made to Baron Hene to Reprieve the Prisoner; but he telling the Sheriff that the Judge had done his duty, and the Sheriff must do his, Curphy was Executed. This Account I write from Mr. Baron Hene's own mouth, this very morning, who perfectly knows this Narrative to be true, and was the Person who acquainted your Lordship with it, at your first coming into the Government. He also tells me, that to the best of his remembrance, this Curphy owned, That the Priest had given him Absolution, upon condition not to discover any thing, or declare his Accomplices: And that he need not doubt his Salvation, the Fact not being committed against God's People, meaning (as he supposed) the Papists, or to that effect. Lucas the then Sheriff, lives in Monaghan, and the Records of this Trial are there, wherefore I have waited upon Mr. Justice Johnson, who goes that Circuit, and left with him a Memorial of these Particulars, who will inquire into them, and give me an attested Account thereof, which when they come to my hands, I will transmit to your Lordship. Mr. Justice Johnson also told me another Relation, something of this nature There was a special Commission lately directed to himself, to try several Malefactors for Murders and Robberies, committed in the County of Cavan. The Persons Indicted, were two of the Duffies, and one Plunkett, all Irish Papists. The Duffies when they were first apprehended, Confessed that they were Guilty of the Crimes laid to their Charge, and gave the same Evidence also against Plunkett at his Trial, upon which, with other most undeniable Circumstances, Plunkett was Condemned. The Duffies were afterwards tried for the same Facts, and Condemned also. I should likewise have told your Lordship, That Plunkett upon his first Apprehension, owned to Sir John Edgeworth, that he was Guilty. After the Sentence was passed upon them, one Brady a Priest, came to these Duffies in Prison, and used Arguments to induce them to Recant their Evidence; but they persisting in the Truth, would not be prevailed upon. Mr. Justice Johnson hearing this, sent for Brady, who, upon his Examination, could not deny, but that he had been with the Duffies, to persuade them to Renounce their Testimony against Plunkett. Whereupon the Judge Committed him. The Conclusion was, That one of the Duffies (the other being Reprieved) suffered, confessing the Fact, and persevering in his Accusation of Plunkett. And Plunkett died as obstinate, on the other side, utterly denying, that he was Guilty, with Curses upon himself, and Renunciations of Salvation, if he were not innocent. I must also crave leave to trouble your Lordship with another Narrative of this sort, which I had from Sir Richard Reynell, one of the Judges of the King's Bench. About October last was Twelvemonth, there was tried before him, upon a Commission of Oyer and Terminer, one Neile-O-Neile, an Irish Papist, for a Murder committed at Rathdrum in the County of Wicklow. This Neile-O-Neile in Prison, and at his Trial, owned to several Persons, (amongst which I hear my Lord of Strafford then in Ireland was one) That he was Guilty, and was so found by the Jury, the Fact being clearly proved against him: But at the Gallows, he utterly denied it. These three Particulars being averred to me this very day, by the three aforementioned Judges, I humbly presume to send them your Lordship as true. I fear I have tired your Lordship with this long Letter, but I thought it my Duty to give you the fullest Account I could of your Commands: who am, Your LORDSHIP'S Most Obedient and Faithful Servant Dublin, Mar. 5. 1678/ 9 Postscript. It is thought reasonable to suppress the Name of the Person that wrote this Letter, for fear of exposing him to danger, from the Party concerned in the Information. A Postscript in the same Letter. My Lord Chief Justice Booth, my Lord Chief Baron, and the Three Judges named in this Letter, all tell me, That the Criminals that die in the Romish Persuasion, although apprehended in the very Fact, yet never confess; for after they have had Absolution from the Priest, the Crime is (according to their Doctrine) totally taken away; and it having, as it were, never been, they may with a safe Conscience deny it. FINIS.