Excise Officer FRANKLIN, Ennistymon - shooting at Poteen Raid


Connaught Journal Galway, Ireland Monday, January 13, 1823 Volume 69 Price 5 Pence PROVINCIAL INTELLIGENCE ENNIS, Jan. 6 -On Thursday last Mr. FRANKLIN, officer of Excise, stationed in Ennistymon, took out the division of the 93d regiment, from that town, under the command of Lieutenant WHITE, upon revenue duty. Having made a seizure of some malt, the party were followed by a great number of country people, who behaved in a most rioutous manner, and headed by the eldest son of a widow, from whom the malt had been taken, repeatedly threw stones at the party, and particularly at the revenue officer. MR. FRANKLIN being a short distance in advance of the soldiers, endeavoured to take the leader prisoner, and for that purpose dismounted and followed him into a bog, but the fellow seing Mr. FRANKLIN near him, turned round, and with a large stick, which was made use of in the process for preparing the malt, made repeated blows at him, the mob encouraging him to persevere and calling out to "murder the guager." Mr. FRANKLIN having repeatedly desired him to desist, and seeing no way of escaping, was reluctantly compelled to make use of his pistol and fire at him; the ball from which, we regret to say, entered at his right eye, and took a circular direction and came out near the back of his neck.-Surgeon FINUCANE of Ennistymon, is in attendance upon the wounded man, and has hopes of his recovery. Mr. FRANKLIN the next day surrendered himself and is now in custody. An investigation of the above circumstances took place in the Magistrates' room in the gaol, before Major WARBURTON, and Boyle VANDELEUR, Esq; and after the most minute inquiries, and the examination of several witnesses, we have authority to state, the it plainly appeared, Mr. FRANKLIN was compelled to make use of his arms to preserve his life. We regret the necessity that Mr. FRANKLIN was driven to in self-defence, of running any chance whatever of sacrificing the life of an individual, in consequence of his own temerity in separating from his party, and thereby encouraging, we may say, resistance from the peasantry.

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