March 24, 2011

Date Published: 23-Mar-2011

1911

Missing juror

At the Spring Assizes, a young man was indicted for wounding another on December 23. The alleged injured party’s evidence was that he had a dispute with the prisoner, and threw a tumbler at him in a public-house in Portumna. Subsequently, outside the door, the accused struck him with something hard on the head. Witness lost his senses and when he recovered them he was at home in his own house. He bled a lot.

In cross-examination, witness denied that he spent this day in public-houses, or that he had to be put out of a public-house for misconducting himself.

At this stage, a curious incident occurred. Shortly after another jury had passed at the rere of the sitting jury, Mr. Cloherty (Clerk of the Crown) called the defence solicitor’s attention to the fact that there was a missing juror, who, it was understood, had gone to the lavatory.

After waiting for a reasonable period of time, his Lordship sent a constable for the missing juror, but on reappearing, he said there was no juror to be found anywhere. The surmise was that he slipped out with the jury which had been discharged a few minutes previously.

The case for the moment accordingly collapsed. The Court adjourned, and, on resuming after lunch, a new jury was sworn.

Poteen raid

District Inspector Woods of Oughterard, with Sergeant Gilleece and a part of constables from Carraroe, paid an unexpected and unwelcome visit to Maumeen, Gorumna Island, in the very early hours of Tuesday morning. They walked gently into two still houses where the machinery in each case was at full work.

Any wet soul would consider it a pity to see the precious liquid after having been duly measured, consigned to mother earth. The men in charge of the operation were away just at the time, but two young fellows who had called to wet their whistles were arrested, but after a few hours detention, were released on bail.

1936

Sewerage plans

Galway Urban Council at a special committee meeting on Monday decided to advertise for a consulting engineer to prepare plans and estimate for a comprehensive sewerage scheme for the city.

New houses

Ballinasloe Urban Council sent a query to the Minister for Local Government and Public Health requesting to be told whether they were in order or entitled to carry out suggestions made by Mr. Wren, and inspector from the Department, who visited Ballinasloe a week ago regarding housing. In view of a sealed order regarding housing, demolition, etc., the Council felt that the Minister’s instructions in writing were necessary.

Mr. Dunne, town surveyor, said the sixty new houses were now ready for letting to tenants. These houses were inspected and were found to be in excellent condition. They were, notwithstanding some comments made, in excellent repair, and five per cent of the contractor’s money was being held for six months, during which time the contractor was bound to make good any defects.

Tuam strike problems

The strike which took place at the Tuam sewerage contract on Monday has not been settled and there are no signs so far of the parties coming together. The position is a complete deadlock. Before the sewerage work was begun by the contractors on Friday last, several efforts had been made to settle the dispute between unemployed members of the local branch, I.T. and G.W.F. and contractors.

The members of the Union refused to work for the wages offered by the contractors, namely 9.5d. an hour. The contractors, however, offered an increase, bringing the wage to £2 1s. 8d. a week, but the unemployed members of the Union, in a show of hands at a special meeting, refused to accept this offer. Their original demand was for £2 10s. a week.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.