June 9, 2012

Date Published: 06-Jun-2012

1912

Throat slit

At a special court in Loughrea, an old man, who had been an inmate of the Loughrea Workhouse, was found in Cabbage-lane, Loughrea, in an unconscious state, having apparently attempted to commit suicide by cutting his throat.

He was removed to the workhouse hospital where he was treated. In consequence of a statement by the man that he had been assaulted and robbed of a considerable sum of money, a labourer was subsequently arrested and charged with unlawfully assaulting the victim and robbing him of £35.

The victim said that on the day, he had £36 and some odd change in his possession. He remembered being in the company of the accused. After leaving a public house, he went down Athenry road with him.

The lodging house was full and the other man took him to his own house. He closed the door and put out the lighted candle.

“He knocked me down, he put his two knees on my chest. He searched all my pockets. I had the money in my own hands. I kept it as long as I could, but he took it. After taking the money, he opened the door and threw me out,” he said.

Accused, who declined to cross-examination, was remanded in custody. The injured man is making satisfactory progress towards recovery. The attempt on his life is attributed to the loss of his money.

1937

Shocking cruelty

“A shocking case of cruelty to an animal,” was the description given by District Justice Hamilton at Dunmore District Court, when he sentenced a woman from Milltown to three months’ imprisonment with hard labour and ordered her to pay £5 5s. expenses on the charge of cruelty to a pig by allowing it to die of starvation.

Sergeant Moran, Milltown, said he visited defendant’s farmyard and found the skeleton of a pig in the outhouse. There were six to twelve inches of manure in the cabin. He found there the skeleton of a pig and the snout and leg of the animal were worn as if the animal had been endeavouring to get out of the shed.

A part of the door had been gnawed away as if gnawed at by the animal. There were spots of blood on the portion of the door lower down. Witness asked defendant why she had not got the pig buried, and she said she could not get anyone to bury it.

She said it had died some days ago in the previous week. She said it had been fed regularly out of a trough and when this trough was produced, it did not appear as if it had been used for some considerable time.

Galwaymen in Spain

There is much speculation as to the date of the return of the members of General O’Duffy’s Brigade, who left Ballinasloe district for Spain last October. It is known that correspondence has taken place between people interested locally in this matter and with General O’Duffy in Spain.

In a communication to a prominent local gentleman, the General invites him to allow his name to go forward as a candidate in the forthcoming election.

When approached, this gentleman did not deny that he was earnestly invited to stand as a candidate by the General, but beyond that, he would not discuss the matter further and requested that his name be not made public in regard to the matter for the present.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.