The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-11 00:00:00

THE MILITIA RIOT IN NENAGH.

A curt of inquiry commenced in the mess-room of
the barracks, Nenagh, on Wednesday, into the circum-
stances of the riot on Sunday night, a report of which
has appeared in our publication. The president of the
court was Captain Langrishe. The other members of
the court were Adjutant and Major Maunsell, Lieut.
Anderson, and Ensign Cane.
On Saturday the inquiry was resumed. The statements
of the prisoners were heard.

The first was Private John M 'Namara of the Tipperary
' Militia who stated as follows :—When theKilkenny men
arrived in town they inquired if we had any spare beds to
accommodate them with. I and another comrade
brought out all our beds to their room. I subsequently
went into their room, and found them drinking porter.
Mr. Heffernan, of the town, was with them dividing
the porter, and in a short time, from the confusion they
had created, he had to run away from them. Corporal
Doyle, of the Fusiliers, called Ledger to order for tam-
pering with their men, when Ledger replied that he had
a serjeant of his own to correct him without his inter-
ference. Sorjeant Maowen, of the Tipperary Militia,
came in, and ordered Ledger to go to the guard-room
with Doyle. I was taking a blanket from a woman who
had three to give it to another who had but one, when a
Fusilier struck me a blow in the face.

To the President,—lt was after I gave the blanket I
was struck. I was knocked down, but I think it was
tripped I was rather than the effects of the blow. When
down two of the Kilkenny men came over me with fixed
bayonets, and one of them struck me twice with the butt-
end of his gun. I was stunned, and remained down for
ten minutes. I then heard a great scuffle in the room, and
heard a shot. I saw the flash. It was none of the Tip-
perary men who fired it. Corporal Doyle of the Fusiliers
gave orders to his men to load. I then beard two shots
fired out of the window. I was in my perfect senses
at the time.. Corporal Doyle then told his men to charge
up to the door. I then heard them prod the door with
their bayonets. He said, "We have one down, and we
will put the rest out of the barracks, or down them." I
was on my back all the time, and pretended to be dead,
as I deemed it the safest course. Two of the Kilkenny
men cams over me with fixed bayonets. I then heard
a shot fired through the door of the room. One of the
Kilkenny women said to Sergeant M.Kowen, of the
Tipperary Militia, " One of your men is there, dead,"
pointing to me. When I heard his voice, I said I was
not dead, and jumped up. I was then brought to the
guard-room by the sergeant. I remained there till the
row was over. There is my tale, and I know no more.
Corporal Samuel Ledger then made the following
statement :—I was at the barrack gate on the 29th ult.,
when the baggage of the Kilkenny Fusiliers came in. I
shortly after came up to my own room and heard a noise
in the room. I asked what caused the noise, when Cor-
poral Doyle, of the Kilkenny Fusiliers, told me to hold
my tongue, and wanted to take me to the guard-house.
I said my own sergeant was at hand, and would do so
if necessary. He then took hold of me and thought to
choke me. My own sergeant came in and ordered me
to go with them. They dragged me to the guard-room
and tore• my shirt, and in several ways ill-used me. The
window of the guard-house being down I got out and
went back to my room and to bed. When in bed Lieut.
Falkiner came in and told me to call the roll. I got out
of bed and did so, and went to bed again, when one of
the Kilkenny men came in and brought me some porter.
I heard a row in the room occupied by the Kilkenny
men and went out. When I went to the door I got a stab
of a bayonet in the breast from one of the men, and a
stroke of the butt-end of a firolock on the side of the head.
One of my men brought me into my own room. We
put the beds to the door and remained there till morn-
ing. When about half an hour in the room I -heard a
cry that an officer etas killed. I heard a great many
more shots during the night, and I knew no more until
morning, when we were marched off to the other bar-
rack.

Private Halloran, of the Tipperary Militia, corrobo-
rated Ledger's evidence, and added—l saw a skull-
cracker with one of our men named M`Malion, and saw
him strike Lieut. Lyster with it. I followed him, and
asked him why he did so I He replied, " that was the
way to servo the whole of them." I than went to the
passage and heard Corporal Doyle, of the Kilkennys,
bawling to his men to load and fire as quick as they
coals. He made a prod of a bayonet at me, and said he
would put us out of barracks or kill us. I replied that I
was doing nothing. He said he did not care ; he would
kill us every one. I then heard a shot; it came through
our serjeaut's coat. I saw a sentry pursue M‘Mahon,
the fellow' who struck the officer, round the square, but
he got over the barrack wall, and has since deserted.
Samuel N. Falkiner, lieutenant of the Tipperary
Lgiht Infantry, stated as follows :—I was in charge of
the depot of the Tipperary Light Infantry on the 29th
ult. I saw that night two of the Kilkenny men around
a man of mine named Ledger. I ordered him to the
guard-room, and placed two Kilkenny men as sentries
at the window lest be should get out. About two o'clock
at night I was called by one of the men, saying " If I
did not come there would be murder." I did so, and
went to the room occupied by them, where I heard great
commotion. I went in and put my back to the door, and
told the men to obey me, ea if not they knew the conse-
quences. They strove to get out.' In about a minute
afterwards shots were fired in through the window. I
then heard a cry that an officer was killed, add put my
bands to open the doer, when a shot was fired through it,
within six inches of my side ; the shot was fired from the
inside. I went out, and went down to the gate. I heard
several shots after one another. One shot was fired from
the gate towards the barracks. It was the last shot
fired that morning. A soldier pulled me from the gate.
He said I would be shot. I went over in shelter of the
orderly room. I saw Mr. Lyster and the police-officers
come to the gate immediately after.
To the President—l heard four shots, and cannot say
how many more. My men bad arms, but no ammuni-
tion. I examined their guns afterwards, and none were
loaded or recently discharged. When I was in the room
the door was stabbed with bayonets.
The windows were broken from the outside. M‘Namara
was lying down in the room the whole time. When I
opened the door all the men rushed out.