Date: November 12 1840

THE CONNAUGHT JOURNAL
Thursday, November 12, 1840

OUTRAGE IN WICKLOW

Wicklow, Nov. 4, 1840
A very shocking outrage was committed at a distance from this town, on the road leading to Glensly, on Monday last. I read you the particulars, which are as follow, and on the truth of which you may place the fullest reliance:- A woman, whose name is Mary Sexton, and who states that she is a native of Tipperary, was traveling in this neighbourhood on Monday, with a child in her arms, having slept on the preceding night at the house of Pat Canna, a labourer and married man. The woman, it appears, was journeying to meet her husband, who is a shoemaker, and resides at a remote part of this county.
When distant about two miles form the house of Captain Drought, the resident magistrate, she was overtaken by two men, one of them the aforesaid Canna, and the other a person named Pat Angley, an unmarried man. Both ruffians sieged the unfortunate creature at once, and having forcibly dragged the child out of her arms, not without considerable injury to the little sufferer, proceeded to commit and indecent assault on the poor woman's person, and despite of all resistance, succeeded in effecting their brutal assault.
The woman on recovering her liberty made her way direct to the police station, and disclosed the fact to Sub-constable Thomas Finnamore, who, being the only man in charge of the station at the time-the other policemen having been on duty at a fair, was, of course, unable to go in pursuit of the offenders. He, however, obtained an accurate description of their person and dress, and communicated the facts to his comrades on their return home. A search was immediately commenced, and one of the villains (Canna), being known, was apprehended by Head-constable Collins on the same night, at his own house.
On the following day, Finnamore, being engaged in the performance of some county duty, fell in with a man who answered to the description given of the offender, and immediately made him prisoner on suspicion. The suspicion proved well founded, as Angley was identified by the woman as the more brutal of her assailants. Both ruffians are now in custody. The highest praise is due to the constables, particularly to Finnamore, for the activity and steadiness displayed by them on the occasion.--Evening Packet.
Rev. Father Mathew distributed £50 at Carlow last Sunday.

Patrick Heffernan was murdered at Glenbane county Tipperary on Monday night, because he had dared to take a farm on the estate of George John O'Connell, Esq. of this City, previously held by a defaulting tenant. Three of the party are apprehended.

Charles Lionel Kirwan of Galginpark, declared himself a candidate for Mayo, upon the Conservative interest.

A trusty steward of Lord Lorton, by name John Morrisson, a Protestant, and a pensioner, was murdered near Longford, returning from the fair of Drumlisk to Ballinamuck, on Monday evening. His scull was battered in with stones and his brains scattered about the road.

The Director-General, Col. M'Gregor, has made an augmentation to the Police force of a Constable to every five Sub-Constables. The regulation hitherto was a Constable to every six men.

Mr. Cheevers, Police Magistrate, has taken information against John Calligan, for heading a mob to attack the Tralee and Tarbert mail car.

John Taylor, Esq., formerly conductor of the National Bank, Cork, leaves that City immediately to take the management of the Ulster Bank at Belfast.

The Guardians have ordered wooden shoes for the paupers in Cork workhouse! What next?