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Law & Disorder in Strabane & Neighbourhood 1812-37


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Law & Disorder in Strabane & Neighbourhood 1812-37
Reports extracted from the Strabane Morning Post

Transcribed by Len Swindley



March 28 1815


WHEREAS information has been received, that on the Night of the 14th, or Morning of the 15th Day of February instant, some Person or Persons unknown, entered a Room in the Dwelling-House of JOHN ADAMS, of Derg-Bridge, in the County Tyrone, Publican, wherein FELIX McGOLRICK, an Officer of Excise, was sleeping, and forcibly took him out of his bed, and carried him away; and the said Felix McGolrick has not since been heard of.

Now the Chief Commissioners of his Majesty’s Revenue of Inland Excise and Taxes in Ireland, holding in abhorrence such daring outrage, do hereby offer a Reward of ONE HUNDRED POUNDS to any Person or Persons (other than the actual Person or Persons concerned therein), who shall within the period of Six Calender Months from the date hereof, give such information as may lead to the apprehension and conviction of the Person or Persons concerned in committing the said outrage. Dated at the Excise Office, Dublin, this 23rd day of February, 1815

By Order of the Commissioners,

EDWARD HARDMAN

January 3, 1826


BURNING OF THE SION MILLS

About half past two o’clock, on the morning of Wednesday, the 28th December, the Sion Mills, consisting of Flour, Corn, and Flax machinery, were discovered in so dreadful a state of conflagration, as to render all attempts to extinguish the flames entirely hopeless, and in less than two hours the Mill, Machinery, Flour, and Grain, were totally destroyed. We are sorry to learn from various circumstances, that there is little doubt that the Mills were maliciously set on fire. But we find that a subscription list has been opened to raise a sum as a reward, which we trust will be a means of discovering the incendiaries, and bring them to conviction


September 5, 1826


OUTRAGE

On the evening of the 19th August, whilst MR. EDWARD ROBERTS (son of REV. EDWARD STERLING ROBERTS of Gortin) was on his return from Omagh to Gortin, he was waylaid by some ruffians armed with bludgeons &c. After having knocked him down, they beat him most unmercifully and left him for dead, when they took from him a double barrelled gun, and made their escape. A reward of £243 and upwards has been offered for the apprehension of the offenders, which, we hope, may be the means of bringing them to justice

January 1, 1828


The REV. STEWART HAMILTON acknowledges to have received from MR. ROBERT McCARTER of this town, Two Pounds, for the use of the Poor, being a sum awarded to him, for a violent and outrageous Assault

December 21, 1830


We are sorry to state, that on Tuesday the 7th inst. as THOMAS PORTER, Permanent Sergeant of the Baronscourt Corps of Yeomanry, was leaving this town on his way homewards near Castletown, he was violently attacked by four or five ruffians, who, with stones, knocked him off his horse, and inflicted on him several severe wounds; and if it had not been, it is believed, for three carmen who were providentially coming forward, no doubt exists but they would have deprived him of his life. He is in a fair way of recovery, though it is feared, with the loss of one of his eyes.

A reward of £100 has been offered for the apprehension of the person or persons concerned in said outrage

February 18, 1834


ROBBERY

A robbery, of a most daring description, was committed in the shop of MESSRS. WARNOCK of this town, on the night of Tuesday, or at an early hour on the morning on Wednesday last. It is supposed, that the robber effected an entrance by breaking a pane of glass in the shop window, and pushing back the bolts of the door. He carried off a desk from their office, which, as near as can be ascertained, contained from £70 to £80 in gold and notes. The Constabulary under CAPTAIN PERSE, C.C. were in attendance next morning, and discovered the desk in the Curly Hill, and five or six pounds of the money. We trust that the perpetrator of this daring outrage will be speedily detected

October 14, 1834


As two respectable farmers (father and son) named McINTIRE were returning from the market of this town on Tuesday last they were attacked and very severely beaten at Woodend about 4 o’clock in the evening. The police used every exertion to apprehend the parties concerned in this cowardly and brutal outrage; but, we regret to state, that hitherto, they have not discovered any person that either of the McIntires can identify. We regret that outrages of this description have latterly become so frequent in our neighbourhood. This is one of a very daring nature, as it occurred at the early hour of 4 o’clock, on the Mail coach road from Strabane to Derry. The number of the ruffians concerned in this violent assault amounted to nine or ten

February 23, 1836


We regret to state, on the authority of a respectable Correspondent, that a regular system of outrage has been carried on, in the townland of Tullywhisker, in the parish of Urney, for some time past. Night after night, outrages of a serious nature have been committed, and a great deal of alarm has been excited among the inhabitants of the neighbourhood. So far back as July last, a party of marauders commenced their nefarious proceedings with MR. KENNEDY, of Tullywhisker; they entered his house by raising the thatch of a room where no person slept, and took away a cask of butter, some bed clothes, and linen.

On Thursday night week, they came to the house of MR. SAMUEL LEECH of Scalpy [Skelpy]; but the dog challenged them before they got in. Mr. Leech got up and loosed the dog; but they beat him in, with stones. He then took his gun, and fired in the direction he heard them, on which they ran off. Next night, they entered the house of MR. JOSIAS MONTEITH, and opened his desk, but fortunately mistook some old letters for the cash they were in search of, and went off

On Tuesday last, three men, with their faces blackened, entered the house of JOHN BONNER, on the line of road from Strabane to Derg, pinioned him, and proceeded to rummage for cash, but finding none, they demanded his wife’s pockets, which, on being produced, contained but a few coppers, which they did not take with them. On the following night (Wednesday) the house of MR. SAMUEL ALLEN of Crew, was entered, by removing some sheaves of straw from the roof. - They took with them about 3¼ cwt. of flax and a sheet full of soiled linen

DANIEL BOYLE, of Gortlougher, was awakened by the violent barking of his dog on Friday night last. He sallied out with his gun, and pursued the gang. His gun missed fire ...... several times; and such was his rage and disappointment, that he broke it on the gable of his house coming in

Such a state of affairs in a neighbourhood hitherto so peaceable and well disposed, is much to be deplored; and we are convinced, from the usual activity and zeal displayed on all occasions by our Chief Constable of Police and his party, that the miscreants, who have perpetrated these lawless outrages, will be speedily brought to justice

May 24, 1836


On the evening of Saturday the 14th inst. a violent assault was committed in Omagh, on one of the most estimable private gentlemen and impartial and upright magistrates of the county, ALEX. McCAUSLAND, ESQ. He was waylaid at the corner of Church-street, and much injured in the head by blows from a heavy stick, or some such weapon. No cause can be assigned for such a wanton outrage. A large reward has been offered for the apprehension of the offender. We will be glad to hear of his being brought to punishment.

June 7, 1836


From information received by CAPTAIN HUNT, C.C.P. of this town, on Friday last, he proceeded with one of his party to Bond’s Glen, in the neighbourhood of Dunnemana, and apprehended a person of the name of EDWARD BRADLEY, charged with the murder of a man named WILLIAM EWING, of Gorturan, in the Barony of Ennishowen, on the 1st of February, 1834, and next morning he was committed to Lifford Gaol, to abide his trial at the ensuing Assizes. Too much praise cannot be given to Captain Hunt for his exertions on this occasion. We understand, that although the distance to the place was nearly nine miles, the prisoner was apprehended in less than three hours after Mr. Hunt received the information

----------------------

On Saturday se’nnight, about two o’clock in the morning, the school house at Fyfin, near Castlederg, and a cottage adjoining, were maliciously set on fire, and burned to the ground. Information having been sent to CAPTAIN HUNT, C.C.P. of this town, he immediately repaired to the spot, and after enduring great fatigue, failed in apprehending any of the party concerned in such a disgraceful outrage; but, we understand, from the information he has received, there is no doubt of his being able to bring the perpetrators to justice

----------------------

INQUEST - An inquest was held, in this town, on Friday last, by the Coroner of this County, JOSEPH ORR, ESQ. to enquire into the death of a child of three years of age, supposed to have been occasioned by the mal-treatment of a woman called REBECCA McCLINTOCK, alias LECKY

After a tedious investigation, the Jury returned the following verdict, “That the death of the child might have been produced by the diseased state of its digestive organs, as set forth by the doctors, but was hastened by beating and other injury received on its head, from the said Rebecca McClintock, alias Lecky

We understand, she has been committed for trial at the ensuing Assizes


November 8, 1836


OUTRAGE

WHEREAS on the night of the thirty-first of October, or Morning of the first of November inst. some evil-disposed Person or Persons maliciously injured and damaged Three BOATS, the property of the Most Noble the Marquis of Abercorn, then lying at the Basin of Strabane Canal (one of them laden with Oats), by boring several holes in the bottom and sides, cutting the rigging, and otherwise injuring said Boats :

NOW, We whose names are hereunto subscribed, for the better apprehending and bringing to justice the Person or Persons who so committed said Outrage, do hereby offer a Reward of

£100 Stirling

in proportion to the Sums annexed to our Names respectively, to any Person or Persons (except the Person or Persons who actually committed said Outrage), who shall, within six months from the date hereof give such information as shall lead to the apprehension and conviction of all or any of the Parties concerned therein.



Signed at a Public Meeting of the Inhabitants of Strabane, held in the Town-Hall, the 3rd day of November, 1836:


SURNAME

GIVEN NAME

SUBSCRIBED

HUGHES

Samuel

£5.0.0

FYFFE

John

£5.0.0

ELLIOTT

William

£5.0.0

STEVENSON

William

£5.0.0

HAMILTON

Robert and James

£5.0.0

BAIRD

John

£5.0.0

WARNOCK

Lighton

£5.0.0

FOSTER

Hamilton

£5.0.0

McINTOSH

James

£5.0.0

HAMILTON

Hugh, Sen.

£5.0.0

GRAHAM

Thomas and James

£5.0.0

MORTON

Samuel

£5.0.0

SIMS

Nicholas

£5.0.0

GRAHAM

Isaac

£5.0.0

WHITE

Barton

5.0.0

SMYTH

David

£5.0.0

MAGUIRE

John

£5.0.0

HAMILTON

Thomas

£5.0.0

LAMOUR

Francis

£3.0.0

GWYNNE

Richard

£2.10.0

MAXWELL

John

£2.2.0

THOMPSON

William

£2.2.0

McKINNEY

Edward

£1.10.0

McSWINE

William

£1.10.0

BRODIE

James

£1.1.0

PARK

John

£1.1.0

McDOUGAL

Charles

£1.1.0

FOSTER

Patrick

£1.1.0

WAUCHOB

Edward

£1.1.0

WILSON

John

£1.1.0

McCOLGAN

John

£1.0.0

McSWINE

Robert

£1.1.0

GRAHAM

Richard

£1.1.0

MATHEWS

William

£1.0.0

McKINNY

Michael

£1.0.0

COOKE

James

£1.0.0

MITCHELL

David

£1.0.0

BLAIR

John

£1.0.0

SPROUL

Samuel

£1.0.0

DOHERTY

William

£1.0.0

McKEE

Joseph

£1.0.0

GILL

John

£1.0.0

PORTER

James

£1.0.0

MORLAND

Alexander

£1.0.0

CAVANAGH

Michael

£1.0.0

MARTON

Samuel

£1.0.0

O’NEILL

Henry

£1.0.0

PORTER

John

£1.0.0

FRANKLIN

William

£1.0.0

GWYNNE

William and Carey

£5.0.0

CARR

P.

£1.0.0

HENDERSON

Joseph

£2.2.0

HANNAH

Robert

£5.0.0

SMITH

Thomas

£5.0.0

McCURDY

James

£1.1.0

McGOWAN

William

£5.0.0

BARNHILL

Thomas

£5.0.0

McDERMOTT

Edward

£2.2.0

HENRY

Robert

£3.0.0

SPENCE

William M.

£5.0.0

AUCHINLECK

Alexander

£2.2.0

SCOTT

Walter

£5.5.0

COOKE

Daniel

£1.0.0

GRAY

John

£1.1.0

McCARTER

George

£2.2.0

RAMSAY

William

£2.2.0


November 15 1836


TEN POUNDS REWARD

TEN POUNDS REWARD will be given for such Private Information, as will lead to the conviction of the Person or Persons, who, on the Night of the 6th instant, maliciously injured a CORN LIGHTER, which was lying in the Dock of the Strabane Canal. The strictest secrecy may be relied on. -- Strabane, November 12, 1836

EDWARD HUNT,

Chief Constable of Police, Strabane

March 28 1837


MALICIOUS BURNING: We are sorry to have to record a case of malicious burning in a hitherto peaceable district in the county Tyrone, on the night of the 14th or early on the morning of the 15th instant, some evil disposed person or persons, set fire to a large store house, the property of MR. JAMES TYNAN, of Bunderg, containing the produce of several acres of flax, a quantity of turf, and several other articles which were totally consumed. Mr. Tynan is a very respectable and well conducted man, and, we believe, has never been connected with party. We understand he has served the necessary notice to obtain compensation for his loss. (Derry Sentinel)



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