The Times
London, Middlesex, England

June 19, 1880

INQUEST. – Our Dublin Correspondent writes under Thursday's date:- "An inquest on the body of Philip MEEHAN, a man who was shot near Ballinamore, county Leitrim, was held yesterday. The deceased was about 40 years of age, and held 12 acres of land under Lord Charles BERESFORD in the adjoining county of Cavan, to which the body had been removed by his friends. Head Constable WILMOT, the first witness, deposed that on Thursday he received orders to proceed with Mr. Henry ACHESON to the townland of Dumcrummon. He took nine constables with him, and eight other police came from different stations. Mr. Acheson was accompanied by six labourers from his own residence in Roscommon. They began to fence a farm, and worked for about two hours. When they had been at work for about an hour witness ascended a hill and saw knots of people collecting. About 1,400 men came from the hill shouting and yelling. When they came near one of the workmen named FLOOD ran away, and others of the party followed him. The people ordered Mr. ACHESON and his men away, but said they had nothing to do with the police. The witness went up and told them they were doing wrong, and that he would take the police and Mr. ACHESON'S men away. For a moment they seemed satisfied, but one of them remarked Mr. ACHESON had a revolver in his hand and was grinning at them. Some of them then came down, and one who had a pitchfork in his hand made a thrust at Mr. ACHESON. The witness put out his hand and pushed the man away. Mr. ACHESON then jumped over the hedge into the road and ran away towards Ballinamore. He ran for about a mile, followed by several of the crowd shouting at him. They had shovels and spades in their hands, and some had stones. The witness got in a car and overtook Mr. ACHESON and brought him to Ballinamore. When the crowd was collecting at first the witness heard two or three shots but did not see any firearms. When Mr. ACHESON was running away he heard a shot. A juror stated that he saw Mr. ACHESON fire three shots, and the coroner remarked that it was most improper for him to be on the jury. Constable WILSON deposed that the people advanced in a close body, and there was a shout of 'Boys, take close quarters.' They made a rush towards Mr. ACHESON, who was pushed out on the road. The witness saw two men closing on Mr. ACHESON, whom he called upon to stop, and the two men fled. When he overtook Mr. ACHESON and told him to get on a car, Mr. ACHESON said 'Drive on to Ballinamore, or I'll be murdered.' He was exhausted, and had a pistol in his hand. He stated that he had fired three shots from the revolver, and had reloaded it. Two of the shots, he said, he fired to frighten the men away who were following him, and the third he fired at a person, but could not say who it was, though he thought the shot had taken effect. The witness took the revolver from him, one barrel of which was discharged. He found 30 rounds of ammunition on him. Mr. ACHESON stated that the reason he fired was because they were closing on him with weapons. Sub-Constable BARRY deposed that Mr. ACHESON told him next day that he had been threatened. A brother of the deceased deposed that he saw him striking Mr. ACHESON with a stick. The witness ran to take his brother away, when Mr. ACHESON fired the shot at him before the witness got up to his brother. Mr. ACHESON after firing said, 'I have one man popped.' The witness believed that Mr. ACHESON took deliberate aim, and his brother after the third shot fell into the ditch. Patrick CRIER, a labourer, deposed that he saw Mr. ACHESON pursued by MEEHAN. Mr. ACHESON fired twice after MEEHAN was about nine yards from him. The jury found that the deceased died from a pistol shot fired by Henry ACHESON."

Submitted by: County Cavan Newspaper Transcription Project