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MAGUS

50 James Wilson – ‘The prisoner’s mother came to my house on the evening of the 9th of June she went the opposite direction.’ Mr John Jellet, coroner – 'I held and inquest on the body on the 15th June. I cautioned the prisoner to say nothing that would incriminate himself. He made a long, rambling statement and I took a condensed account of what he said which was read over to him, and he signed it. Mr Henry, the Sub-inspector also took down the statement and we compared the two.’ The Clerk of the County then read the statement. It was to the effect that the pig was feeding at a tub in the kitchen and went to the bed, snapping out [at] the child which the prisoner immediately attempted to take out of the pig’s mouth; but before he could get it relieved, it was dead. He then washed it and laid it again on the bed, and after night took and buried it where it was afterwards found, without telling the family about it. William Moore, Esq. J.P – ‘The prisoner made a statement to me also. I cautioned him previously.’ The Clerk of the Court then read the statement. It was the same as the previous one. Mr McMechan then addressed the jury for the defence. His Lordship summed up. The jury retired for half-an-hour and returned with a verdict of guilty, with a recommendation to mercy, on account of the prisoner’s previous good character. Fairy blast or elf-shot [Back to Contents] O/S Memoirs, Parishes of Londonderry IX, vol. 28, Parish of Cumber, Lieutenant Edward Vicars, November 1832. (p. 20) ‘Whenever an elf-stone is found, it is left undisturbed as they believe that it was cast to that place by the “invisible gentry” or fairies , to revenge any injury done to their rightful property such as cutting or breaking any part of a bush, levelling or in any other way demolishing any part of any fort, moat or wall, speaking disrespectfully of themselves or any of the aforesaid things. When one such offence has been committed the stone is believed to be discharged and the cattle immediately fall ill. If any cattle fall ill on the land on which this small stone was first seen and replaced, it is immediately looked for, and if again found, is put into a vessel of sufficient size to contain as much water as the beast may have 3 drinks from, after which it is

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