An Irish Crime and Transportation

A crime committed in Cork Ireland in 1840

Four McCarthy brothers were transported to Australia as convicts.

ABDUCTION AND VIOLATION, NEAR CORK
An outrage of a very atrocious and determined character was perpetrated on Saturday week by four ruffians upon a young female, the daughter of a respectable farmer residing about two miles beyond Blarney. They are four brothers, labourers, living in the parish of Greenagh, and it appears they had planned the abduction of the daughter of a farmer named James Walsh., who it was reported was entitled to a fortune of £200, The daughter, whose name is Margaret, a girl of about 19 years of age, left home on Saturday morning, and was proceeding to Cork to purchase some articles, and witness the trial of a relative who was charged with the homicide of a man named Murphy at Grenaghcross. She had not proceeded far on the road when she was met by the four brothers, Denis M'Carthy, James M'Carthy, Callaghan M'Carthy, and Felix M'Carthy, who were driving a horse drawing a butt, which it is said they had hired for the purpose of affecting the abduction of this young creature.
About five o'clock in the evening, she had executed her business in Cork, and was on her way home, when she was again met by the M'Carthys in Blarney-lane, and they pressed her to partake of some porter, to which she consented; they went into a public-house, and the five drank half a gallon of porter. She got into the butt, and they travelled along the road beyond Blarney, until they came to a cross which led to her father's house, where she made an effort to alight and go home, but James M'Carthy whipped on the horse violently, and the other three held her down in the butt, and lightly twisted her cloak round her head. She then screamed as loud as her position would permit but her voice was drowned by the M'Carthy's, who shouted and halloed as if they were all amusing themselves, still driving furiously, for nearly five miles. She again renewed her efforts to escape, but they knocked her down, and dragged her through several fields, until they got to a corn field near M'Carthy's house, when they again struck her to the ground, and after a desperate struggle of over half an hour, Denis M'Carthy succeeded in violating her. She now became exhausted and fainted, and on recovery she found herself in their house.
They did not, however, remain long in the house as they feared an alarm might be given, and that a man named Lynch, whom they met on the road, might inform her father of the company she was in, when they got horses, and Denis mounted one of them and the unfortunate girl was brought out of the house by the others, and put before him on the horse, and Felix and Callaghan mounted the other animal, and they rode off by bye-roads to the parish of Glounthawne, near Kanturk, about seventeen miles off; and at break of day on Sunday morning, they alighted at the house of a farmer named Riordan. In the course of the day, when the girl (for she had been watched closely by the M'Carthys) had an opportunity, she acquainted Riordan's wife with what had occurred, and the woman advised her to pretend to be dying, and that at the earliest moment, as she dreaded violence from the M’Carthys, she would seek an opportunity to let her escape.
However an opportunity did not offer until Monday morning, when the M'Carthys were sitting at the kitchen fire eating some potatoes, and Mrs. Riordan took the sash out of the bed room window, in which the young girl was lying, and put her out through it. On getting through the window she ran a short distance, when she was missed by the M'Carthys, who made chase after her, but she succeeded in getting into the house of another farmer, and threw herself on the protection of the farmer's wife. The door was instantly fastened, but scarcely in time to protect her as the M'Carthys followed quickly on her footsteps, and commenced an attack on the house which was bravely defended for over an hour by the woman and her daughter, until a child was sent to inform the Rev. Mr. Moriarty, parish priest, of the outrage. The priest was not at home, but his sister instantly went to the police station, and sent off a party of constabulary to rescue the unhappy girl, whose life was at this time in jeopardy from the effects of maltreatment and fear. When the police were coming they were perceived by the M'Carthys, who attempted to escape, but being quickly followed by the party, two of them were captured - Dennis, the principal, and Felix. The girl was then removed home and was attended, by Mr. Oakshot, whose description of her appearance is too horrifying for publication.
Tuesday, the prisoners were taken before the Petit Sessions Court at Blarney. In the course of the investigation Callaghan M'Carthy was identified amongst the crowd around the Court, and was taken into custody. The three have been fully committed to stand their trial at the next assizes, and a warrant has been issued for the apprehension of the fourth - Cork constitution.
The Sydney Monitor and Commercial Advertiser 28 December 1840

Australian Convict Records for Denis, Callaghan, James and Owen McCarthy
Two of the brothers used different names when arrested, most likely the names of other brothers not involved.

Convict Records for the four McCarthy Brothers

Charles McCarthy

Owen McCarthy

Callaghan McCarthy

Denis McCarthy

Tasmanian Convict Records can be found at https://librariestas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/search/results?qf=NI_INDEX%09Record+type%09Convicts%09Convicts
(old site) http://www.linc.tas.gov.au/tasmaniasheritage/search/name-indexes/nameindexes