Murder in the tenements

Richard Murphy, a labourer, has been charged with the murder of his brother-in-law, Joseph Osborne, at the tenement house both men shared on Grenville Street, off Mountjoy Square in Dublin.

Mr. Osborne was married to the accused’s sister and at 11.15pm last Friday night, the court heard that Mr. Murphy used a razor to cut Mr. Osborne’s throat.

When the police arrived on the scene, they found blood all over the walls and on a table. The dead man was known to be ‘quarrelsome’ and was drunk on the night of his death. The accused, who was said to be a hard worker and who was not previously known to the police, also had drink on him.

He was reported as saying: ‘I was lying in bed asleep with my wife when Joseph Osborne came in and annoyed me. He had a hammer in his hand, and threatened to kill me. He struck me and shook a hammer over my head. I got my razor from under the head of the bed and made a clout at him to defend myself.’

The case continues.