The Express.
London, England, 1859-05-07 00:00:00

THE .RECEXT OUTRAGE AT WESTMEATH.

On Wednesda lest ws VIM an account of an
attempted murder In the county of Westmeath, Ireland, the
victim Wag Mr. Itheop, a farmer. We rivet to state that
the =intimate mesa hie since died of the Werke he n-
aked. The following particulars of the dastardly outrage
are frees the liable. Bea of Wednesday evening, and ware
written before the deceased had expired
" The assassin has not yet been captured, but we uhder-
stand that the authorities bate been furnished with a clue to
his detection. His escape would be a matter of impossibility
if the feellogs of the inhabitants of the district were in •
healthy state. This, however, we are sorry to say, is far
from being the case, the sympathies of poor Jeseop's neigh
bours being entirely with the would-be murderer. The
land, for befog in possession of which Jae= was
deemed to death, was some years since held by • farmer
named Ryan, who, finding his oircurnetanom much reduced
by the occurrences of the famine years, and being
eke of eviction for non-payment dread, disposed of good-
will of the land to hilr. B. W. Delaney, • magistrate at
that time residing in the neighbourhood. Mr. Delaney,
after having held the farm forme years, removed to another
county, and determined to surrender It to the landlord,
having previously, as we are informed, bad substantial rea-
sons tor believing that ho could not, with safety to his own
life, let it to any body but • relation of the farmer possessor.
Pending the final surrender of the farm, Mr. Delaney let it
in comer* to Edward Kelly who was not many months In
possession when he was foully murdered at his own door. I
His widow coatianed to hold the land until she had secure
the growing mop, which were gathered under the superin-
Janda= of a body of polies armed with muskets and beyo-
nen., the relatives of Ryan, the former occupier, (=ante.
Bawdy safitlagtnrapiegthecorn. The mops king secured,
Mrs. Kelly wee only too glad to get rid of the farm, which
was then formally given up to the owner, Mr. &Bpi= el
Drogheda. No sooner was it known that the form wassails's
be let than the Ryan posted written 'requests' (not nodose)
to all persona whom they deemed likely to become caudideles
for the tenancy, including levee= respectable genfiernme,
asking them not to compete for the hind. It would appear'
that the hint was understood, for the Ryan. were not op-
by their immediate neighbour,. Poor Jessop, of
ry7drellepthe, however, a stranger and a Protestant, was
rash enough to offer himself es a tenant • few months ago;
and, unfortunately for himself, he was accepted. Had he
remained in his Lamer district he would have escaped the
blunderbuss of the assassin. There is reason to believe that
the murder of Jemop was not only deliberately planned, but
that the Atha= judgment was well known throughout the
neighbourhood for a considerable time begirt it was put into
execution. The market of Kllbeggan last Saturday was one
of the most crowded which has been known for months past,
and the number of persons returning to their homes in the
&Lento. n was peoportionately large. It was about 3 o'clock
pm. when J left the town, and proceeded homewards on
the high road leading to Mullingar. He meat b eve been marked
in Kilbegga4his enemies, and closely watched on his ranee
by the a whom las had more than once remarked
walking near m. The spot selected for the murder was
appareatly clue= tor the facilities that it afforded for raceme
The road is bounded on the ow side by • low wall, in which
is a stile commonleati= with • large pasture field eon'ainteg
30 or 40 scree. Here it was that the maarein eppmached
his victim so closely that the clothes of the latter were
burned by the firs of the murderers weapon. He fell on
his knees ; tut, quickly recovering himself, he endeavoured
to pursue the man who shot him. But the poor fellow knew
not that he had other enemies to contend with. According
to his own account, no sooner had he risen from his knees
than • farmer, who was retort:fog from the market with a
load of corn, rapidly drew his horse and cart saws the path
of the wounded man, so as to obstruct his view of the =as-
sin until he bad escaped over the wall, and was beyond the
range of Jtheop's pedol. A man is In custody, as en
acceseaury after the feet, supposed he be the parsers who
screened the murderer. We have now to reourd an tic-
=nonce still more diegraosfid. Immediately before Jestop
was shot—perils= while the murderer was in the act of
presenting his wthpon—two wealthy Graters drove past, ono
on a jemmies car, the other lea*. They heard the 'sport of
the blunderbuss, they turned their hada, they sew Jeasop
fell, and then they proceeded cm their way I Na', more,
they passed the temporary bansek, adjoining hue', • house,
and they did not report to the police at they had witeresed
the shooting of the man whom those pollee were =pointed to
protect. However, other driving • toile and e-h further
they called at the police barrack in the village of Balhnagose,
and gave information se' the fool deed which had occurred
before their eyes. Meantime, the ether farmer had also pro-
ceeded em his way home, leaving poor wounded Jew= to
strewth as he beet could to teach Ms dwellit g, fully half-a-
mile ot.t.nt. We believe it is an uadoubted feet that be was
pained on the read by several other person., not one of
whom offered to assist him. How he ultimately teach=
his house is not yet known ; notwithstanding
the desperate nature of his woo.d, he did succeed
in crawling home just before the arrival of the
Ballioagore police, who at one prom= medical saeletance
and gave notate to the neighbouring magietrates. There is
every reason to believe that the three farmers to whom we
hey. alluded were not the telly p moos who saw Jewel:.
shot. There must have been many oth-rs returning
from the market, and it is known that several labourers end
women were at work in the adjoining Heide who could
briny have fated to witness the outrage end Ate escape of
the aseatisin. And Ma gathered from peer Jethop's then-
herein and half-delirious expel ssions that he entreated two
pawn by to help him to his home,and was coldly refund!
It reported that the sacrifice of Jessop was resolved on,
not lamely ICATIPO he became tho tenant of the farm, for
=copying which his predecessor was ruurdi rod, bat also as
• lesson to a neighbouring prop toter. some of whore tenants
were under notice to quit on the lot of Slay. If this be
true, we fancy the conspirators have reckoned without their
host, for the gentleman to whom wo allude is said to be a
man not easily intimidated."