Wednesday 22 April 2015

Man Shot in Ballina

MAN SHOT IN BALLINA

------------------------------------------------
(The Ballina Herald, 13th April, 1922)
------------------------------------------------

  On Monday a serious accident occurred in Ballina, as a result of which a young man, Mr. Joe Browne, Newtown, Castleconnor, received a bullet wound, the missile entering his side and remaining embedded in his body. It appears he, accompanied by a few friends, were having a drink in a publichouse in the course of which they proceeded to examine a revolver the property of Mr. P. Coleman, of the I.R.A. passing it from one to the other it appears the trigger was repeatedly pulled, those handling it never thinking there was a live cartridge in it. Mr. Coleman, who was of the same opinion, was describing how the revolver worked, as it was of a different type to other well-known patents, when suddenly a shot rang out. The bullet first hit the knuckle of Browne’s hand and then lodged in his side. Mr. Coleman and his friends took the injured man to the doctor who had him removed to the hospital, where, on examination, was found that the wound was serious. The injured man was as a result removed on Tuesday morning to a Dublin hospital for immediate operation, and Coleman was detained in barracks.
==========

BALLINA SHOOTING INCIDENT
==========

ACCUSED CHARGED
--------------------------------------
(Ballina Herald, 20th April, 1922)
---------------------------------------

O
N Thursday last, 13th April, 1922,  a Special Court was held in the Barracks, Ballina, Mr. Joseph Beirne, Parish Justice, presided. The following charges were preferred against Patrick Coleman, Shamble Street, Ballina:--(a) On the 10th day of April, 1922, did at King Street, Ballina, and with malice aforethought, attempted to kill one Joseph Browne of Newtown, Castleconnor, Co. Sligo; (b) and further that on the 10th day of April, 1923, the said Patrick Coleman, of Ballina, aforesaid, did feloniously and with malice aforethought at King Street, Ballina, did kill and murder the said Joseph Browne, of Sligo, aforesaid, by firing a revolver  shot, or caused to be fired from a revolver a bullet, said bullet killing said Joseph Browne.
  Mr. H. C. Bourke, solr., represented the accused.
  Dr. Keane deposed that he attended Joseph Browne in the Ballina Hospital on the evening of the 10th of April; he was suffering from a bullet wound in the left lower chest region, and the bullet must have been lodged inside, as there was no exit wound; he was suffering from shock, but he had his felling all right; he understood everything and walked through the ward; he got transferred to a Dublin hospital next morning; he was assisted by the accused in dressing the wound, and the accused appeared to have taken great interest in his welfare; there appeared to be no unpleasentness between them from what he saw.
  By Mr. Bourke—He was aware that the accused brought Joseph Browne to his surgery before taking him to hospital; the accused accompanied Joseph Browne to the hospital afterwards; Joseph Browne allowed the accused to assist in undressing him as a friend would do.
  Mr. J. Jordan, O.C., deposed that in consequence of a complaint being made to him by the Police Officer McGoff he arrested the accused; he afterwards proceeded to the Ballina Hospital where he saw the deceased in bed; he asked him for a deposition; he made about half his statement and refused to go further until a man named Flynn arrived; when Flynn arrived he refused to continue his deposition.
DECEASED’S DEPOSITION
 The deposition made by deceased was as follows:-
  “I, Joseph Browne, Newtown, Castleconnor, came to Ballina to-day (10th April); I wanted to see about flax in the Ballina flax mills; I was a few hours in town when I met Coleman; at the time I had only two pint and one bottle of stout; Anthony Flynn and I were in O’Hora’s in King Street when Coleman came along; Coleman had another fellow with him; I don’t know who he was; they had a few drinks, and then they began to discuss politics; Coleman was showing him where he carried his revolver, and then drew it from his pocket and fired one shot which struck me in the stomach; we were standing within a few yards of each other as the room was small; I remember nothing more as I was stunned for some minute by the shock. I make this statement without any doubt, and am quite conscious of what I am saying.—Joe Browne.”
  By Mr. Bourke—The accused was a member of the I.R.A. and was dismissed since the 10th of April; the dismissal was on account of disciplinary charges; prior to that his rank as captain; it was true that he distinguished himself during his time in the I.R.A. and had a good record; Joseph Browne was also a member of the I.R.A.; he could produce a revolver which accused had on that day (the revolver was here produced); his rank entitled him to carry a revolver on that day; Mr. McGoff afterwards took the revolver from him after his arrest, and witness now had custody of same; the produced revolver that was used was a Webley Colt; the cylinder block in this revolver swings round to the slightest touch; in the ordinary Webley revolver (pattern produced) the cylinder block does not swing round in the same way; in consequence it is a far safer revolver to carry than the one the accused had; there were no live bullets in the revolver when it was taken up, but there were six empty cartridges in it when he got it; he did not see the accused until about half an hour after he was arrested, and then he appeared to have some drink taken.
  Miss B. Forde gave evidence that she was an assistant in the house in which the shooting took place; she remembered the 10th April; she saw Joseph Browne passing into the room; Patrick Coleman and another man came in afterwards and stood at the counter, and as there was a crowd in the shop, she asked them to stand inside in the room; she attended them; when the crowd left the shop she was writing in the office; about a quarter of an hour after they went into the room she heard a shot and she ran to the door and saw Browne fall to the ground; Coleman took him out to the counter and got brandy for him; she heard Browne say it was an accident.
  By Mr. Bourke—She was about six yards from the room, and she never heard any noise or loud talk in the room—in fact, it appeared as if no people were there at all; she only served one drink to them while they were in the room; she gave two drinks to Browne and his companion and the same to Coleman and his companion—that was one drink for each man; accused gave Browne every assistance and took out to the doctor; Browne took his assistance freely and said it was an accident.
  Anthony Flynn, Castleconnor, deposed that he remembered the 10th of April; he met Browne on that day between 5 and 6 o’clock in Bridge Street; he had one drink with him; he did not seem to be under the influence of drink; they did not meet Coleman until they met him in the shop where the shooting took place; he thought that Coleman was at the counter when he and deceased went into the room; they were not discussing anything that might attract Coleman’s attention; in fact they were not talking, they merely went in to have a drink; Coleman and his friend came into the room soon after they did; they had one drink; they were two separate parties; Coleman and his friend were not arguing, they were talking friendly to each other; Coleman took a revolver out of his pocket and showed his friend the place he had for carrying it; he and the deceased merely glanced at the revolver; he did not see accused open the revolver; he heard him click the trigger once and no shot went off; when he pulled it a second time the shot went off and the bullet struck Browne and he fell. Witness took the revolver out of Coleman’s hand and there was only one blank cartridge in it; there were no live bullet in it.
  Mr. Jordan said that all the evidence he had to produce, and considering the seriousness of the charge he asked that the accused be returned for trial.
  Mr. Bourke said that at the outset he, at the request of his client, wished to say how much the accused regretted this accident, and on his behalf he tendered his utmost regret to deceased’s friends that this young man lost his life by the very sad accident. There was no doubt that it was an accident, and if any doubt ever existed it was removed by the evidence of Miss Forde, who told the court that the deceased himself admitted it was an accident. and that was confirmed by the deceased’s own companion. When Coleman produced the revolver he did so with the intention of showing his companion how it worked. If he once thought that there was a bullet in it was it likely that he would have pulled the trigger twice, because he might have shot any other person present as well as deceased? When the unfortunate accident had occurred they had it that Coleman got brandy and did everything possible for the wounded man. He brought him to the doctor’s surgery; when the doctor was not in he brought him to the hospital, and even his attention did not end there, as they had it from the doctor that he assisted him in dressing the injured man. Then if the shooting was not an accident was it likely that accused would do all this for deceased; and on the other hand, if Coleman fired deliberately was it likely that deceased would allow him to do it?
  These men were both soldiers of the I.R.A., and everyone knew that as long as there was an army, and while soldiers carried firearms there was certain to be accidents; they could not be prevented. It was unfortunate that it should be so, but yet it was a fact. That Coleman was lawfully in possession of the revolver could not be disputed, because they had evidence that his rank entitled him to carry firearms; then, his having the revolver did not suggest that he had it for an unlawful purpose. They further had it that there was no dispute or no reason why the revolver should be used. Then there was only one conclusion, that it was an accident, and by no person more regretted than the accused himself. Therefore he asked that informations be refused and accused acquitted. Accused had been dealt with by the army authorities, not because the man was unfortunately shot—because they did not go into that—but because there had been some breach of discipline in Coleman not having taken necessary precautions in handling the weapon.
  Chairman—From the evidence I could not return the accused for trial, as it is evident that it was an accident, a most regrettable accident, and it should be a lesson to prevent any person carrying such a weapon in future except where military necessity demanded it. When he said that indiscriminate carrying of firearms should be stopped he was not only voicing his own opinion, but also the opinion of the general public. If this course was adopted in the past they would not be holding that inquiry to-day and they would not read of the many accidents that day after day appeared in the Press. He now trusted that the competent military authority would take steps to prevent as far as possible the carrying of arms in future. This incident, he felt sure, would be a caution to accused for the remainder of his life, and should also prove a caution to others who were handling such weapons. He would refuse informations, and he begged to tender to deceased’s friends his sympathy in their grief.
  The Registrar also joined in tendering sympathy.

====================
  
SAD FATE OF CASTLECONNOR YOUNG MAN

=====================

DEATH OF VICTIM OF BALLINA SHOOTING

-----------------------------------------
(Western People, April 22, 1922)
------------------------------------------

  Joseph Browne, the young man who shot in a public house in Ballina on Monday evening of last week, succumbed to his injuries in a Dublin hospital on Thursday last. A rather strange story of the manner in which he was brought to St. Vincent’s Hospital was told at the inquest on the remains, held in the hospital last weekend. According to the evidence he was brought to the hospital at 1.30 p.m. on April 11 in a private motor car by two unknown men, and was operated on that day by Surgeon Meade.
  Dr. Fagan, house surgeon, said the bullet was not located at the operation, but in a post mortem examination was found embedded in the spine. The injured man said he was a member of the I.R.A. and resided at Newtown, Castleconnor, Ballina.
  The D. M. P. Inspector who had charge of the case was informed by the doctor that the two men who brought deceased to the hospital left immediately, making no statement as to his injuries.
  The jury returned a verdict that death was due to peritonitis, following a bullet wound in the abdomen, and added that there was no evidence to show how the injuries were caused.
  On Tuesday the remains were removed from Dublin by motor and the interment took place on Wednesday in the family burial ground.

  Patrick Coleman, the young man arrested in connection with the fatality, is still being detained in Ballina Barracks.



No comments:

Post a Comment