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From: "Carol Granville" <>
Subject: THE CAVAN OBSERVER - SEPTEMBER 4, 1858
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 20:44:44 -0400

THE CAVAN OBSERVER SEPTEMBER 4, 1858 AWFUL ACCIDENT.--On Sunday morning, a woman named Emily WYNDHAM, came by a most sudden and lamentable death in her residence, Bond-street. The poor woman had been standing on a stool, in her own kitchen, reaching for something on the top of a press, when the stool gave way from beneath her, and she fell on her head on a cradle beside where she had been standing, and, sad to say, broke her neck. She expired in a few minutes after the dreadful accident. The unfortunate woman was the wife of a labouring man, and has left six children, the youngest being three months old.--"Belfast News-Letter." MYSTERIOUS DEATH IN DUNGANNON.--The melancholy death of a young man, named NELSON, an apprentice to Mr. BARTON, a watchmaker, of Dungannon, has excited considerable sensation in that town. The following are the particulars:--The lad, who was about nineteen years of age, was of rather peculiar habits--somewhat precocious, of very small stature considering his years, impressed with the strange conviction that "everyone's hand was on him," and was of a distant, reserved disposition. As watchmakers occasionally use poisonous matters in trade, such as nitric acid, &c., he had now and again been sent to the shop of Mr. MOONEY for them. On the evening before his death he proceeded thither, and purchased a pennyworth of arsenic. The matter excited no surprise at the time, but Dr. MOONEY took the usual precautions upon the sale of poison by entering the name of the person to whom it was sold, and the day and date. The lad was seen that evening about ten o'clock, and he appeared ! somewhat dull, but as he said he was a little unwell no attention was paid to the matter. Nothing further appears to have been known or heard about him until the next morning.--Then a servant girl of Mr. BARTON left the house, and was proceeding to milk some cows, when she found NELSON lying in the cowhouse apparently insensible. She called a neighbouring girl, and they poured water on him, both being then under the impression that he had surfeited with whiskey or other narcotic. He was next carried into the house and put to bed, and when Mrs. BARTON was acquainted of the case, she directed a doctor to be sent for....Dr. HAMILTON soon visited him, and we understand that he was of opinion that the lad was under the influence of whiskey. He returned to his surgery to procure some emetic or other prescription for such a case, and when he next arrived at BARTON's NELSON was dead....An inquest was held on the body before Dr. KING and a jury. No definite cause of death was pr! onounced by them, and, accordingly, the body was buried. But the result did not satisfy the public feeling; and by order of the town commissioners, the body was exhumed, in order that a post mortem examination might be made, and the cause of death might be ascertained. The result of the analysis of the contents of the stomach, we are informed, was that minute particles of poisonous matter were discovered. So melancholy a case of self-destruction it was seldom been our lot to record.--"Tyrone Constitution." =============================================================================================== MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT.--It is our painful duty to record, this week, one of the most afflicting examples of the dreadful effects of intoxication which has come under our notice for a lengthened period. On Tuesday night last, Mr. Wm. BENSON, painter, Main-street, Cavan, having gone home in a state of inebriety, fell down stairs, and, being unable to rise, was carried to bed in an unconscious state. He fell out of the bed, however, and a pillow was placed under his head, while on the floor, by his wife, as he could not be got into bed again. His wife and one or two of his children watched by the bedside for some time; but, not imagining that there was any danger, Mrs. BENSON, after a while, left the room, leaving one of the children for the purpose of calling her, should any accident occur. Up to this time the unfortunate man had breathed very heavily; but a few minutes afterwards, the little girl was alarmed by not hearing her father breathe. She immediately screamed for a! ssistance, but it was too late--he was quite dead. An inquest was held on the body, on Thursday, by W. POLLOCK, Esq., coroner, and a verdict in accordance with the above facts was returned. What adds to the melancholy nature of the case is that deceased (who was an intelligent man, and a clever artisan) has left a numerous family--a wife and eight young children--totally unprovided for, to lament his untimely death. ================================================================================================ CAVAN PETTY SESSION--MONDAY By Dr. Babington Bernard LEE, for allowing his ass to stray upon the public highway, was ordered to pay costs. John GIBBINS, for similar offence, to pay 6d. and costs. ASSAULT Peter FITZPATRICK, of Glancurn, v. John BRIARTY, Michael BRIARTY, and James JOHNSTON The complainant stated that he was herding his mare, on his own land, on Sunday week; that Michael BRIARTY came up to him, and challenged him with having allowed the said mare to trespass on his (BRIARTY's) holding, as he had seen the animal's footprints on the entrance thereto. This complainant denied, whereupon BRIARTY knocked him into the ditch, and beat him well, besides. BRIARTY's father then came up, and told him to "lay on him," "the scoundrel," "the robber," &c. Complainant afterwards managed to get to his feet, when he procured a stone, with which he threatened to knock out the brains of the first person who should molest him. JOHNSTON caught hold of complainant, and took the stone from him, but did not strike him. Bernard FITZPATRICK, father of the complainant, corroborated his son's testimony. The defendants, not being able to produce evidence to contradict the foregoing statement, were sentenced to pay 10s. each and costs, or a week's imprisonment, the third of the fine to go to the plaintiff. CAUTION TO SPRIGGERS James BURKE, a sewed muslin agent in the employment of the Messrs. Stewart and Co., Belfast, prosecuted two girls named Bridget CHAPMAN and Bridget SMYTH, for having detained work beyond the time specified, and with having returned it in an unfinished and filthy state. Mr. BURKE said these girls had taken out the work on the 28th of May last; that they were to receive 2s. 4d. for each piece; and that they had not returned it until after they were summoned, when they brought it back unfinished, and in such a state as to render it almost useless. It was, he said, a matter of daily occurrence, the object of parties being to defraud the company of the thread. Dr. Babington referred to the Act, which punishes, with a heavy penalty offences of the kind; and he would give them their choice either to finish the work, or be fined in the mitigated penalty of 2s. 6d. each, if that would satisfy Mr. BURKE. Mr. BURKE said the detention of the work was a very serious loss to his employers, as they, in consequence, lost the market for sale of such goods; but he would be satisfied with his Worship's decision, provided the defendants were cautioned...The value of Bridget SMYTH's work, the pattern on which is almost defaced, would be about 1s. 6d. Miss CHAPMAN agreed to have her portion finished in the course of eight or ten days, but Miss SMYTH would not undertake to complete her's, as she was at service, and could not work at it. Dr. Babington intimated that she should either pay for the muslin or go to jail, as he thought it but right to protect the employers in such cases. Bridget, therefore, thought it best to pay the value of the muslin and did so accordingly. James BROWNE and Jane BROWNE (two juveniles) charged James NELSON with an assault, on Sunday, week, when they were going to church. His Worship, after hearing the evidence, said the matter was of such a trifling nature, that it was not worth while to bring it into court, and he would only fine NELSON 6d. and costs. Hugh CAFFREY, for having some lime and sand on the footpath in the public street, was ordered to pay costs. A STREET ROW Sub-Constables SHELLY and EVANS charged James LEE, Patrick LEE, Philip DONNELLY, and James NOLAN with having been drunk in the streets of this town on Sunday night, and with having thrown stones at a crowd of persons who had pursued them through the streets. Sub-Constable SHELLY made an additional charge against James LEE, for having assaulted him, whilst under arrest, by making several "treacherous kicks" at him. His Worship said he was inclined to take the most lenient view of the matter; but there was no doubt the conduct of the prisoners was most reprehensible. He would, therefore, fine them 2s. 6d. each, including costs, except James LEE, who should pay an additional 2s. 6d. for the assault on Sub-Constable SHELLY. Some other unimportant cases were heard and disposed of, after which his worship rose. ================================================================================================ BIRTHS August 27, at Cullies, county Cavan, the wife of Nathaniel MONTGOMERY, Esq., of a daughter. DEATHS August 31, at Killeshandra, Eleanor, wife of Mr. C. BOYLAN. August 31, at 66, Queen-street, Dublin, after a few days' illness, Mary, relict of John FITZPATRICK, Esq., late of Killeshandra, in this county, aged 74 years, deeply regretted by a numerous circle of friends. ================================================================================================= County Cavan Newspaper Transcription Project