Timothy Lynch was born in County Cork, Ireland circa 1834, the son of John Lynch & Honora Harrington. Like many other Irish, Timothy chose to leave his homeland for a chance of a better life abroad. He boarded a ship and emigrated to the United States arriving in New York City sometime around 1854. Shortly after, he settled in Newport, Rhode Island, where he married and started his family. Timothy Lynch married Bridget Harrington "Delia" on October 4, 1863 in Newport. Annie, the first child of Timothy & Bridget was born in 1864, one of 11 known children of the couple. Tim worked as a laborer and Bridget worked in the house raising the children.
January 1872, Timothy Lynch ran into some trouble. As Reported by the Newport Daily News, One evening Tim had spent many hours at a local pub drinking. After many hours passed, his wife Bridget went out with a cousin, Humphrey Lynch to bring Tim home. While the three were walking home, Florence Sullivan, a man that had been drinking with Tim, came up behind him and for reasons unknown a fight ensued. Timothy used a jack knife and stabbed Florence Sullivan in the neck and ultimately killed him. Timothy Lynch was jailed, tried and imprisoned in the State Prison of Providence.
According to the Newport Daily News, Tim Lynch was Pardoned and released from a life long prison sentence. Below is the article's transcription:
Wednesday, February 3, 1875
General Assembly
Adjourned Session of Providence
________________
Tuesday Feb 2
The senate met at 11 o’clock A.M. and was called to order by Gov. Howard.
The governor presented his recommendation, for the pardon of Timothy
Lynch, under life sentence for the murder of Lawrence Sullivan, asked
for the advice and consent of the senate to exercise the pardoning
power in his case.
In submitting to the senate the recommendation, the governor said that
it seemed proper to him that he should advert for a moment to the
position which he originally took in regard to the exercise of
executive clemency, and he asked senators to bear him witness that at
no time during his administration have pardons been dispensed with any
lavish hand. It seems especially proper to make a remark of this kind
from the fact that in the present instance the prisoner has served but
a few years of his sentence. My experience, said the governor, has
satisfied me that the greatest efforts are made and the greatest number
of signatures obtained in behalf of the pardon of those least worthy of
it. This man had no idea of any efforts being made in his behalf until
I called him into the parlor of the prison a while ago, and spoke to
the him about the matter. While I have refrained from the free exercise
of the pardoning power, I have constantly made efforts to learn, if
possible, if there are prisoners deserving of pardon; but they have not
been brought to the attention of the executive. In conversation with
the attorney general a while ago, he referred to this matter - and I
may observe here that while the attorney general has been remarkably
successful in pursuing convictions, he also thoroughly imbued with the
spirit of kindness and consideration for prisoners - he stated to me
that there was one man in prison (Timothy Lynch) who he felt did not
deserve the life sentence he was under; and after conferring with him,
I made special efforts to investigate the case. I became convinced that
the man was guiltless of the crime for which he was convicted. His
honor Judge Brayton, before the case was tried, has assured me that he
was suprised at the verdict, and had never believed that Lynch was
guilty of murder. The fact is, the man if very ignorant. and although
not a man of intemperate habits, and engaged in a brawl in a liquor
shop in Newport. In the course of the melee he drew a knife but did not
use it. His wife, a worthy woman, I am informed, went to the place and
led him home. They had passed some way up the street, when this
Sullivan, represented to be much larger and more powerful man than the
prisoner, came up behind him and fell upon him throwing him to the
ground. Sullivan then fatally stabbed, undoubtedly by the prisoner. The
attorney general and his honor the judge are perfectly satisfied that
it was not the crime of murder, and there is a question whether it was
even manslaughter. The act is one that any man under the same
circumstances would have committed.
The governor, in this connection presented a communication from the
attorney general in relation to Lynch, in which he gives it as his
opinion that Lynch is not guilty of murder, and recommends that this
pardon be granted.
The prisoner, in his petition, represents that he is guiltless of the
murder of Lawrence Sullivan; that all he knows in relation to the
matter is that he was proceeding to his own home quietly with his wife
was assaulted by Sullivan; that he had no ill-feeling against Sullivan
or reason for taking his life, that he is utterly unconscious of having
delivered the blow which caused his death, but from the evidence
brought in his ease he supposed he must have committed the act; that he
is a poor man: that his wife and family have been in a very destitute
condition during his confinement in prison, three of his family having
died, he thinks because of their destitution.
The Lieutenant governor spoke very favorable in relation to the
prisoner. He is a harmless, ignorant man but of very great personal
industry, he said, and he believed it to be the unanimous sentiment of
the people of Newport, in which place the alleged murder was committed,
that he should be pardoned.
The lieutenant governor in the chair. The was following resolution was then adopted:-
Voted and resolved--That the senate do hereby advise and consent to the
granting of the praer and petitioner, said Timothy Lynch, as
recommended by his excellency the governor, and that the warden of the
State Prison be directed to release said Timothy Lynch from his said
imprisonment.