The Times
London, Middlesex, England
March 15, 1816

(From the Freeman's Journal.) - A few days since, a Roman Catholic clergyman in the county Cavan, was overtaken on his way home by a man on horseback, who entered into conversation with him, and, stating himself to be a stranger in that part of the country, requested he would direct him to some house in the village they were approaching , where he could be safely accommodated for the night. When they came to the village, the priest pointed out a house to him, and rode on towards his own residence, some distance from the village. He had not gone far when he was again overtaken by the stranger, who told him he was afraid to stay in the house he had directed him to, as it was full of Orangemen; the priest told him he need be under no apprehension whatever, and advised him to go back, which he declined, saying, he would rather be on the road all night. The priest then told him, as his apprehensions would not let him return, he would give him a bed, and a place for his horse, at his own residence, to which the stranger assented: after taking some refreshment, they retired to their apartments. The man servant of the clergyman having occasion to go into the stranger's bed-chamber before he had gone to bed, observed under his great coat a blunderbuss. On quitting the room, which he did instantly, he went to his master, and told him he did not like the appearance of his guest; that he was armed, and probably had bad intentions. His master, upon this statement, desired him not to go to bed, but to arm himself with a pitchford, and sit up in the kitchen; while he at the same time loaded a case of pistols, and sat up also reading, to beguile the time. In the dead of night the priest's door was opened, and the man whom he had sheltered entered the room, presented the blunderbuss, and desired him to deliver his money, or he would shoot him; the clergyman requested he would put down the blunderbuss lest it might accidentally go off, and that he would show him what money he had; the priest then threw on the table a few tenpennies, saying that was all the money he had; on which the other replied, he knew he had plenty if money and that he came for the purpose of getting it, and that if he had not brought him to his house, he would that night have broken into it. The priest then told him what money he had was in the desk that stood in the corner of the room, and, putting his hand in his pocket, took out the key, which he threw on the table; during the time he had been in the room, the ruffian was threatening him with immediate destruction; however, he took up the key, laid down the blunderbuss, and went towards the desk, when the priest drew one of the pistols, fired at him, and killed him on the spot! The moment the report of the shot was heard, the hall-door was forced in, and four men entered, and rushed into the room; the priest, collected for the worst event, took up the blunderbuss, when he heard the crash of the door, and firing amongst them as they entered, killed two, and a third with the reserved pistol; the servant attacked the fourth with the pitchfork, and inflicted a wound in his back, but he unluckily escaped.

Submitted by: County Cavan Newspaper Transcription Project