The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1835-06-05 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

DAWSON.—A dreadful occurrence took place about five o'clock on yesterday evening, at Ballincarrig, within about nine miles to the west of this city. The Rev. Mr. Dawson, brother-in-law of Mountiford Westropp, 1 Esq., of Melon, had been for some time previous endeavouring to g t possession of their holdings from several of his tenants in that neighbourhood, and found them, as it appears, unwilling to surrender their farms without a promise of renewal, which the reverend gentleman was not disposed to give, his object being, it is said, to get the land into his own hands, and to reside upon it. The tenantry were doubly obstinate in insisting On such promise from Mr. bawson, as the hind is the property of Lord Charleville, who generally gives a renewal tothe tenant in possession. provided all arrears are paid up, as was, we understand, in a great measure the case in this instance. For some weeks past affairs had been in this condition, Mr. Dawson threatening to eject, and the tenantry resolving to keep possession. On yesterday, as the reverend gentleman, accompanied by one of the tenants of the name of Lynch, was walking across a field near Mr. James Enright's house, he was suddenly attacked by three men partly disguised in women's clothes. -Mr. Dawson and Lynch both ran. Lynch threw himself into a dyke, from whence he heard two shots fired, and, getting up, ran off to Mr. Westropp's,house at Melon to tell what he had seen. In the meantime the body of Mr. Dawson was found quite dead within about rerty yards of the place where he had been first attacked. It was conveyed to Mr. Enright's house, and examined by Dr. Griffin, of Pallas-henry, when the following appearances were observable :—One of the shots appeared to have been fired from -a gun loaded with slugs, which had only the effect of grazing the back, and tearing the clothes between the shoulders. The other shot was more effective It must have been fired with the !nuzzle of the piece close to the shoulder of the deceased, as the shirt, waistcoat, &c. were actually burnt by the discharge, while the two bullets with which the' piece was loaded entered together between the neck and left shoulder behind, broke the spine in passing, and came out in separate places on the right side of the neck. In addition to this, the skull was beaten in behind with stones, or some other weapon, so as to present a most shocking spectacle. It would appear that the murderers, having effected their purpose by the second shot, were resolved to make assurance doubly sure, by beating in the skull when the unfortunate gentleman had fallen. After the examination, the body was conveyed to the house of Mr. Westropp, at Melon, where a coroner's inquest is to be held this day. Lynch is at present in custody, but ao trace has yet been found that is likely to lead to the detection of the perpetrators of this dreadful crime. It would be strange, however, if such au act, committed in the open day and within hearing of several houses in the vicinity, should not, sooner or later, be traced home to its blood-stained authors. The reverend gentleman, we underetand, has left a wife and child."