MAN SHOT IN BALLINA
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(The Ballina
Herald, 13th April, 1922)
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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.
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BALLINA SHOOTING INCIDENT
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ACCUSED CHARGED
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(Ballina Herald,
20th April, 1922)
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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.
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SAD FATE OF CASTLECONNOR YOUNG MAN
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DEATH OF VICTIM OF BALLINA SHOOTING
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(Western People,
April 22, 1922)
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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.
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