Popular Irish Stories (1850)/Jack Withers
JACK WITHERS.
Jack's father was a poor labourer in Athlone. Poverty and want of employment obliged his father to set off for Dublin, and Jack accompanied him. In that seminary of vice he became acquainted with some young pickpockets, and, imitating their conduct, he was detected and sent to Flanders as a soldier.
One day he went into the church at Ghent, during the time of high mass, and observing them casting money into a box that stood under the image of the Virgin Mary, he watched the favourable opportunity, picked the lock, filled his pockets with the money and got off unobserved.
But, afraid to repeat his depredations in the same quarter, and unable to supply his extravagancies, he deserted his colours and returned to Ireland. Commencing robber on the highway, he encountered a neighbour of his father's whom he knew to be a great miser, and accosted him with, "Stand and deliver, or by the holy Saint Denis you are a dead man." The miser began to plead poverty, which was evident from his appearance and clothes, his breeches, in which he retained his money, being as large as the hooped petticoat of a full dressed lady. Jack, however, knew him well, and was not to be imposed upon with sham pretences. The old miser was then compounding, and offered one half to save the other. Jack enraged at this delay, threatened him with instant death; on which the miser pulled out his purse and spectacles, and putting them on, began to stare at Withers. "Why, d———n your eyes, you old fool," said Jack, "is your sight so bad that you cannot see to deliver your purse?" "I may at least see to whom I give it." "Aye, aye, old boy; and when you look at me again, you must supply me with such another sum." Jack, and two of his companions, one morning returning from their depredations, espied a gentleman walking alone, and exhibiting all the gestures of passion, distraction, and fury; meanwhile casting his eyes towards heaven, stretching forth his arms and folding them again. They imagined he was about to plunge into the water from disappointed love or ruined fortune.
Jack went up to him and said, "Pray, sir, consider what you are going to do! What a sad thing will it be for you to drown yourself here? Be advised, and have better thoughts with you." "What is all this for?" said the gentleman, "I have no intention of drowning myself. I am only a player getting my part." "If I had known that, you might have hanged or drowned yourself for me; but to make amends for the trouble, you can do no less than give us your money." They robbed him of all he had.
Some time after this, Jack and his companion, Patrick Murphy, attacked the postman carrying the south mail, whom they not only robbed, but, to prevent discovery, cut his throat, ripped him up, filled his belly with stones, and threw him into a pond. The body, however, was found next day, in a shocking state.
Jack and his associates now once more returned to the city, but it may be well imagined that their guilty conscience would not let them rest.
Having committed a robbery in the country, he and his companions were both apprehended, tried and condemned. Jack was only twenty-four years of age when he suffered the punishment due to his crimes. He confessed the horrid murder he had committed some weeks before.