On Friday, 10 May 1856, two men were executed in front of Cavan County Gaol. They had been convicted of the callous murder of a woman named Miss Charlotte Hinds of Carne House, near Ballyconnell. The Hinds family were long-established landholders in the Ballyconnell area. In the weeks that followed, newspapers across Europe described the killing as an agrarian outrage carried out by ribbon-men. During the investigation, it emerged that Carlotte’s life had been threatened during the previous year. It also came to light that she had plans to eject a number of tenants from her estate. If like me, you enjoy the stories of Sherlock Holmes, then you will find yourself intrigued by the following tale.
Oh cruel fate
On the night of 12 October 1855, a taxi-man, named James McKeon was tasked with leaving Charlotte home to Carne House, Ballyconnell. On driving away, having let her off, he heard a horrifying scream and turned around to see Miss Hinds fall to the ground. Next, he heard two or three pistol shots. Andrew Reilly, an old man, who had been seated beside Miss Hinds in the jaunting-car on the journey home had also witnessed the same. She had received seven ‘deadly wounds’, but did not die immediately.
A relative of Charlotte wrote, ‘I have returned from the late murderous attack upon Miss Hinds, and found her still living, but without the remotest hope of recovery. No one who has not seen the sufferer can form an idea of the deliberate and cold-blooded murder, or the daring effrontery of the assasins. It is on as beautiful a spot as any in Ireland, on the side of a hill commanding an extensive view of a thickly inhabited country, perfectly open on one side. I counted more than twenty comfortable farmers houses within a short distance; and the spot where she was taken off her car and slaughtered is not a hundred yards from the houses of her own tenants.’
The Daily Express reported, that Charlotte was beaten with heavily loaded whips, one of which had remained on the ground, and ‘by which her skull was fractured, and her wrist and fingers broken’; she also had ‘the muzzles of three pistols placed in succession close to her head, and had the contents lodged in her head and face; one was placed on the very top of the skull, and fired down into the head.’ On Tuesday, 23 October 1855, she died having agonised for 11 days.. During April 1856, two men named as James Murphy and Thomas Dunne were convicted of her murder and sentenced to death.
Scaffold
On 1 May 1856, The Anglo-Celt stated that, ‘the death warrants for the execution of Dunne and Murphy have arrived, and persons are employed every day for the last week arranging and painting the scaffold in front of the gaol, upon which they are to make their ignominious exit. It is probable, however, that there will be no execution on the 16 May, as it must take a longer time that lies between this day and that, to have the motion in error in the case of Dunne decided, and the identification of Murphy being essential to the conviction of Dunne, the former must be held over for the purpose, if the latter is to have a new trial. The affidavits in the case have been made, and counsel for the prisoner are confident that the point raised by them is a good one and must prevail. We have heard on the most reliable authority that it is intended to urge the matter to the furthest, even to the House of Lords, if this be necessary’. However, the original sentences did remain in place.
Execution
On the day of execution, Cavan town was ‘more than thronged’ by mid-day. At 12.15 pm, there were around 800 people gathered at the gaol. Many young women assembled; being described as respectable, they wore ‘mantillas, parasols,and veils.’ Some spectators were perched in trees in the Farnham Gardens. The Cavan militia, with a company of the Monaghan regiment, was placed along the street from the Presbyterian meeting-house to the Farnham gardens. Two further companies ‘lay from Clemenger’s-bridge to the Police Barracks-garden’, while ‘upwards of 180 police guarded all the approaches’ into Cavan.
Nearing 1.00pm, Murphy was led to the gallows. The executioner applied the rope to him. Prayers were said, and as 1 o’clock struck, the executioner pulled back the bolt and ‘the trap-door was opened’. The same act was performed again at 2.10pm when Dunn was led out. Afterwards, the crowds parted and the town returned to a ‘peaceful and tranquil’ state.
