THE MURDER OF LORD MOUNTMORRES.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2103, 19 November 1880, Page 3

THE MURDER OF LORD MOUNTMORRES.

Lord Mountmorres has been murdered at a place called Rusbeen, within a mile of Olonbur, where was his residence in Galway. He had attended a meeting of the Magistrates on September 25th, at the Court House, Clonbur, at which a resolution had been passed calling upon the Government to take coercive measures, and left the town in the evening. Half - an-hour afterwards his horse and carriage arrived at Ebor Hall, a mile distant, without him. Search was made, and he was found

lying at the side of the road in a pool of blood and lifeless. He had received one rifle bullet in the head, which penetrated his skull, throe in the neck, and two in the body. Lord Mountmorres had most unhappy relations with his tenants, and had recently obtained ejectment decrees against two of them. As a Magistrate he was also unpopular, and until recently he was guarded by an escort of police. A lantern was found near where the body was lying, and a bottle of whisky in the well of his carriage. The police have arrested a man named Sweeney, a late tenant, on suspicion. The inquest on the remains of the murdered nobleman was held on September 27th, at Ebor Hall, the residence of the deceased, situated on the banks of Lough Corrib. The jury having viewed the body, the face of the deceased being all mangled with the wounds that he had received, the following evidence was taken. Sub-Inspector Law said he saw Lord Mountmorres on the evening of September 25th. He spoke to him for a quarter of an hour, and shortly afterwards saw him speaking to Head-Constable O'Callaghan. His lordship was then quite well. Did not see him afterwards until he saw his murdered body. The body was found at a place called Dooray. The deceased had no polioe protection. Some time ago he had a guard of two constables, but he dispensed with it. There was a house within 300 yards of where the body was found. Head-constable O'Callaghan deposed that he saw his lordship speaking to subinspector M'Oardle, of Ballinrobe. Witness had a conversation with his lordship in reference to the land meeting fixed for September 26th. About half-past nine that night a messenger came to the barracks to say that Lord Mountmorres's horse and oar had come to Ebor Hall without him. Witness sent a patrol along the road in the direction his lordship had taken. The next thing he heard was that his lordship's body was found on the road in a dangerous way. A medical man was sent for, and the body was removed to the house of a man named Hugh Flanagan, but he refused to have it, and it was then taken on to Ebor Hall. His lordship had a loaded pistol in his pocket, but it was not discharged. Hugh Flanagan was next examined, and said ho was afraid of having the body in for fear that that something belonging to him might not be alive that day twelve months. The medical man who had been first called said he examined the body and found a bullet wound in the forehead, two in the neck, two in the abdomen, and one on the right thumb. The wound on the forehead had marks as if of powder surrounding the orifice, which showed that the bullet that had entered had been fired at a short distance. Witness had that day made a post-mortem examination of the body, and found the bullet which had entered the forehead nearly in the centre. It had passed obliquely downwards, and to the right, and was lodged in the floor of the orbit. The bullet fired into the front of the neck had mode its exit about three inches below the right ear. Another bullet that had entered on the left side of the neck was found lodged in the soft tissue of the side of the neck, having in its passage traversed the spinal column. They found a bullet wound on the left side of the abdomen about the level of the twelfth rib, and another immediately behind that on the same level, and also a fracture of the right thumb. The wound in the forehead was quite sufficient to cause death. The jury, after being some time in deliberation, found a verdict of " Wilful murder against B>me one unknown."

Lady Mountmorrea was on a visit to Edinburgh when her husband was murdered, and, on receiving the melancholy news, she returned home immediately. It is stated that Sweeney, the man who had been arrested, was dismissed from Lord Mountmorres'a service a short time since. His lordship's solicitor at Tuam received a letter instructing him to forthwith serve an ejectment decree against a tenant who refused to pay tome rent which was due. A feeling of deep consternation at the crime is felt, and sympathy with the family of the deceased in general.