OMAGH ASSIZES
At half past two o’clock on Monday, the Hon. Judge Torrens arrived at his lodgings. He was there received with the accustomed honours paid to his Majesty’s Commission which was shortly after opened in court with the usual formalities.
The following Gentlemen composed the Grand Jury:
The Hon. HENRY CORRY M. P., Foreman
| Juror | Juror | Juror |
| J. C. MOUTRAY, ESQ. | H. MONTGOMERY, ESQ | J. DIXON ECCLES, ESQ. |
| Jones CRAWFORD, ESQ. | Hon. A. G. STEWART | J. SINCLAIR, ESQ. |
| Hon. LIEUT. COL. KNOX | J. VERNEY, ESQ. | Sir R. FERGUSON, BART. |
| J. LENDRUM, ESQ. | Sir J. M. STRONG, BART. | S. GALBRAITH, ESQ. |
| R. W. LOWRY, ESQ. | W. S. RICHARDSON, ESQ. | J. CAULFIED, ESQ. |
| A. McCAUSLAND, ESQ. | W. L. CUNNINGHAM, ESQ. | A. CAMPBELL, ESQ. |
| M. STEWART, ESQ. | Sir J. J. BURGOYNE | W. D’ARCY IRVINE, ESQ. |
| R. POWER, ESQ. |
The following prisoners were then put on their trials:
| Surname | Firstname | Notice |
| SLEAVIN | Thomas | Indicted for highway robbery - Guilty, sentence of death recorded |
| CLARKE | Arthur | Indicted for robbing the house of JAMES IRWIN - transported seven years |
| SMITH | Elenor | Indicted for larceny - transported seven years |
| McGROARTY (alias MAGEE) | Patrick | Indicted for having base coin - imprisoned twelve months and kept to hard labour |
| SMITH | John | For having in his possession stolen goods - imprisoned six months, and kept to hard labour |
| McNELLY | Peggy | For same - imprisoned one month and kept to hard labour |
| SMITH | Jane | For same - imprisoned six months and kept to hard labour |
| SMITH | Ellen, Sen. | For same - imprisoned one month and kept to hard labour |
| McKEOWN | Mary Anne | Larceny - to be transported seven years |
| McLAUGHLIN | Catharine | For same - to be transported seven years |
| McGWIRE | John | Burglary, in the house of DAVID COWAN - sentence of death recorded |
| McCLOUD | Laurence | For larceny - to be transported seven years |
| HAMILTON | James | For having base coin - to be imprisoned six months |
| McGRATH | James, Sen. | For receiving stolen goods - Imprisoned 3 months |
| McGRATH | James, Jun. | For same, to be imprisoned 12 months |
| MOSSY | David | Indicted for Larceny - Transported 7 years |
| IRVINE | Ledia | For having base coin - Imprisoned 6 months |
| REILLY | George |
Indicted for the Murder of THOMAS McCRORY, Guilty - To be executed on the 11th inst. and his body to be given to the Surgeon of the County Infirmary for dissection On Saturday last, this unfortunate man underwent the awful sentence of the law at Omagh. - When at the place of execution, he, in a firm tone, declared to the vast multitude assembled, that he was innocent of the murder laid to his charge, prayed to God to forgive his prosecutors as he forgave them, as he trusted that in a few moments he would be in heaven, as he died an innocent man |
| MONTAGUE | George | Indicted for Larceny, Guilty, Imprisoned 6 months |
| McATAMNEY | Owen | Indicted for horse stealing, Guilty - Sentence of Death recorded |
|
McGRATH GALLAUGHER |
James Felix |
Indicted for the murder of THOMAS McKINLEY a Police Constable, at Dromore, on the 1st August last - Guilty. Manslaughter - Transported for life |
| GALLAUGHER | Francis | For same - Transported for seven years |
| KELLY | Patrick | Indicted for Larceny - to be Transported 7 years |
|
McNIECE CAMPBELL |
William Patrick |
Indicted for uttering Forged Notes of the Belfast Bank, Guilty- sentence of death recorded |
|
CAMPBELL SHIELD |
John John |
Indicted for horse stealing - transmitted to the County Donegal |
| McMANUS | Edward | Indicted for the murder of ALEXANDER McCAWLY - trial postponed, ordered to remain in custody to next Assizes |
| McQUAID | John | Vagrant - transported seven years |
| DONNELLY | Patrick |
Indicted for the murder of JOHN BEAVERS, on the 1st February last, near Dungannon. In this trial, the jury retired at twelve o’clock on Friday morning, remained all night, and on Saturday was removed, together with the prisoner, to Lifford bridge, the verge of the County. Upon the arrival of Justice Torrens the Jury were called over, and not having agreed, the judge then discharged the jury, and stated, he was sorry that they had been put to such inconvenience more particularly as the great majority was of one opinion - (Eleven for conviction and one for acquittal) - The prisoner was then ordered to remain in custody to next Assizes [When the town of Lifford came into the possession of Sir Richard Hansard in 1607 one of the conditions of the grant was that a ferry crossing be provided over the Finn river. This service continued until 1730 when the first bridge linking Lifford and Strabane was built. In the nineteenth century, a curious custom existed: if by the end of the Assizes in Lifford or Omagh courthouses, a jury could not reach a unanimous verdict in a case, they were sent to the "verge" of the county to be dismissed. In the case of counties Donegal and Tyrone, this was the middle of the Lifford Bridge [Thanks to the Monreagh Heritage Centre] |