APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



QOS 



Michael Owens, the chief infor- 

 mer, was the next witness. He 

 commenced by stating that he 

 knew Mr. O'Connor, and was in 

 his employment as labourer; re- 

 collected the robbery of the mail 

 on the day laid in the indictment; 

 was one of the party who robbed ; 

 that previous to the robbery iVI'Keon 

 called upon him, and stated that 

 Mr. O'Connor wanted to see him; 

 that on his going to Dangan, Mr. 

 O'Connor asked him whether he 

 would join in robbing the Galway 

 mail; the witness replied he would, 

 but had not arms enough ; that 

 Mr. O'Connor said that he would 

 provide arms; that witness said he 

 wanted men also, having only four 

 or five at command ; that Mr. 

 O'Connor mentioned that Heavy 

 and Savage, two persons who had 

 escaped from Trim gaol, and were 

 then in the wood of Dangan, 

 would join ; that after consider- 

 able consultation with Mr. O'Con- 

 nor, it was finally agreed that the 

 following should be the persons 

 employed — the two Warings 

 [Richard and Daniel], the two 

 Owenses [Michael and John], Ca- 

 hir and Shaw, Heavy and Savage, 

 and the prisoner M'Keon. That 

 it was settled that all these should 

 assemble at Dangan on the even- 

 ing of the robbery ; tliat they all 

 did meet, with the exception of 

 Daniel Waring (the other appro- 

 ver) ; that M'Keon was the person 

 who opened the gate for them. 

 After a consultation Mr. O'Con- 

 nor brought witness down to tlie 

 staide-yard, and delivered the ne- 

 cessary arms, togcthei" with 18 

 rounds of ball-cartridge, and a 

 paper of gunpowder. Witness 

 proceeded to state, that all the 

 party, thus provided, with the 



exception of M'Keon, repaired 

 towards Cappagh-hill; Daniel 

 Warren met them on the way. 

 When they had arrived near their 

 destination, witness dispatched all 

 the party but Shaw to the turn- 

 pike-gate to tie it up, and to take 

 away any arms that might be in 

 the tui npike-house. The gate was 

 secured, but before the house could 

 be ransacked the coach approach- 

 ed. It was challenged to stop, on 

 which the passengers called out 

 to the guard to fire, and all the' 

 party butwitness and Shaw retired. 

 The latter fired upon the guard 

 and killed him. He then mounted 

 to the seat of the deceased, "threw 

 him over," and took away the 

 bags. All this time the witness 

 stood at the head of the horses. 

 The party that retreated soon came 

 up, and proceeded to drag out the 

 passengers and rifie their pockets. 

 There was only one passenger re- 

 spected, and he was a priest. Hav- 

 ing accomplished their purpose, 

 they all leturned to Dangan. Mr. 

 O'Connor was the person who re- 

 ceived the party. On opening the 

 gate he expressed a hope that they 

 had had good luck. He then called 

 M'Kecn, who was his gate-keeper, 

 and all the party proceeded to a 

 private partof the demesne, termed 

 Saints' Island: they there waited 

 until day-light, and then proceed- 

 ed to ascertain the nature of their 

 booty. O'Connor sat on a ditch, 

 and the remainder of the party on 

 the grass under him. By O'Con- 

 iK)r's direction they placed a hat ia 

 the centre of the group, and de- 

 posited all the money iu it. O'Con- 

 nor next proceeded to divide the 

 booty. Each man's share of the 

 notes taken out of the letters 

 amounted to 450/. Each person's 



share 



