The Times
London, Middlesex, England

March 06, 1834

CAVAN ASSIZES

PARTY TRIALS. - The Cavan assizes commenced on Saturday, before Baron Pennefather. Mr. John Young, M.P., was foreman of the grand jury. His Lordship, in charging the jury, expressed regret that he was unable to congratulate them on the lightness of the calendar, for although there were not many offences, yet the persons charged with crime were numerous.

John M'Gauveran was indicted for the wilful murder of Edward Brady, at Arvagh, on the 8th if June last.

Dr. Wiley proved that Brady came by his death in consequence of a gun-shot wound, and gave a detailed account of the rioting which took place between the Orangemen and Catholics on the day the deceased met his death, when a fair was held in the town. The witness was cross-examined by Mr. Deering, King's Council, as to the situation of the scene of combat, in order to show that the fatal shot could not have been fired frm the house of the accused. Other witnesses were examined, but their evidence was insufficient, and the prisoner was acquitted.

Five of the Orange party were then put on their trial for riot' They were all acquitted.

John M'Gauveran (acquitted on the charge of murder), and five of the Catholics, were next arraigned for a riot. Some witnesses were examined to sustain the charge, amongst them a person named Arthur Latimer, who swore that he saw M'Gauveran hand a sword out of a window to a person in the street during the riot. This allegation was negative by the evidence of a Mr. Swain, a muslin-manufacturer, from the neighbourhood of Belfast, who witnessed the scene from the opposite house.

The six traversers were acquitted, and Baron Pennefather expressed his satisfaction at the verdict, as it was sufficient to remove any impression that might exist after the first trial that a shot had been fired from the house of Mr. M'Gauveran during the riot.

The Cootehill cases are likely to come on to-morrow at those assizes.- Globe.

March 08, 1834

I have received the following communication from Cavan:-

THE COOTEHILL CASES.

Some of the Orangemen charged with the murders of the Catholics at Cootehill, on the 12th of July last, were arraigned at the sitting of the Court, on Monday, and John Allen having stated that he was ready for trial, the jury panel, on which there were 216 names, was called over. There were about 50 persons set aside by the Crown, and about 30 challenged by the prisoner. The jury, on which there were eight Protestants and four Catholics, being sworn.

John Allen was given in charge for the murder of George Coppogue, at Cootehill, on the 12th of July.

Mr. Schoales stated the case, from which it appeared that a body of Orangemen came to parade or form a procession at Cootehill, and that Mr. Shell, the police officer, had used every exertion to prevent them from entering the town, in which a fair was then being held: that they proceeded, notwithstanding, and passed through the town: that their number, which was at first small, became considerably augmented, and that on their return into the fair a riot ensued. The learned gentleman gave a detail of the melancholy transaction, which terminated in the loss of several lives, and then proceeded to state the particulars of the murder of Coppogue, for which the prosecution was instituted. It appeared that after the Orange party had returned into the neighbourhood of Ashfield, some rioting had taken place; that Coppogue had been standing in the street after coming out of Mr. Foy's shop, and that he had been stabbed whilst so standing with his hand in his pocket, and without having given any provocation whatsoever to the person who had inflicted the mortal wound.

Mr. Shell, chief constable of police, was examined by Mr. Boyd in support of the statement of Mr. Schoales, which he fully sustained.

Dr. Horan was next examined by Mr. O'Donnell, who acted with the Crown counsel. He proved that the death of Coppegue was a bayonet wound.

Daniel Tierney, Bernard M'Mahon, Jane Hogan, Philip Floody, Rose Reilly, and James O'Nell(Neil)?, were examined in succession, and swore distinctly to having seen the prisoner stab the deceased man.

Three witnesses, Samuel Smith, Joseph Campbell, and Isaac Lindsay, were produced on behalf of the prisoner, each of whom swore that they saw the fatal transaction, and that the wound was not inflicted by the prisoner, but by two other persons, whose dress the witnesses described as being different from that worn by Allen.

The prisoner was acquitted.

It is but justice to say that the trial was conducted in a manner which reflects credit on the Crown counsel and the Crown solicitor, all of whom evinced a disposition to give the counsel and the agent for the prisoner every aid to have the case fully sifted, and justice impartially administered.

Robert Roseman was next tried for an assault on John M'Gahan, at Cootehill, on the 12th of July. He was acquitted.

Parr, a policeman, was next tried for an assault on the prosecutor, in the case of Roseman. He was acquitted also.

Submitted by: County Cavan Newspaper Transcription Project