The Cavan County Weekly - Friday, April 13, 1877 The guardians of Bawnboy Union, on the motion of Mr. Rogers, seconded by Mr. BYRNE, adjourned for a week as a mark of respect to the late John FINLAY, Esq., J.P., Brackley House, who for many years was chairman of the board. ASSAULT AND SUICIDE. A shocking occurrence took place in Cavan Gaol on Saturday morning, which has resulted in the death of Robert WEST, one of the Prison Warders. The details will be found in the evidence given at the INQUEST which was held by Mr. BERRY, Coroner, at twelve o'clock on Wednesday last. Mr. Thomas M'DOWELL, heard warder, said that about five or ten minutes past six o'clock on last Saturday morning John BEATTY, warder, ran to the Check Gate, where the witness was stationed, and told him Robert West was mad and had attempted to take witness's life and his own; Beatty begged of him to hurry as West was covered with blood; witness ran to West's room as fast as possible and found him in a sitting posture, with his throat cut, and a butcher's knife (produced) in his right hand; took the knife from him and gave it to James M'CORMACK, the night watchman; he then took him by the arm and helped him to a sofa, about a yard distant; witness then put a towel around his neck to stop the bleeding; asked him what happened him, to which he replied, "I'm done now;" on entering deceased's room he saw a quantity of blood on the floor; witness then ran for Dr. MEASE the Gaol Surgeon, who came at once, followed by his son, Dr. A. L. MEASE; he had visited the deceased in his room between ten and eleven o'clock the previous night, when deceased was speaking of going next day to Killeshandra Races; he had no appearance of drink on him, but he complained of a difficulty of breathing in his left side, and a twitching pain in the left side of his head; deceased attended to his duty as usual up to ten o'clock on the previous night; he was on good terms with all the officers; he had been in the prison for about fifteen years. Mr. John Beatty, warder, said that while he was asleep in bed in his own room, he was awoke by seeing West leaning over him; he was covered with blood and had his throat cut; West made four stabs of a knife (produced) at him; one of which wounded him in the back of the thigh; he cried out "Oh West, have you committed murder," or "are you going to murder me;" he then seized him by the wrist and held him until he opened the door, when he ran for Mr. M'Dowell; deceased followed him down the stairs as far as his own door; he was always on good terms with deceased. Dr. Mease saw deceased about twenty minutes past six o'clock sitting on a sofa in his own room; he was covered with blood; found a wound across his throat about six inches in length and four or five in depth; assisted by his son, Dr. A. L. Mease, he closed the wound and attended deceased until he died on Tuesday morning; his mind was deranged from he seen (sic) him on Saturday morning until his death; this was not in his opinion, caused by drink. The jury returned a verdict that "deceased came to his death by cutting his throat while in a state of temporary insanity." Deceased was 42 years of age and bore an excellent character. His remains were interred in Kilmore on Wednesday evening. WERIOUS OUTRAGE IN ARMACH. A few days ago the dwelling-house of a man named KELLY, residing at Dorsey, Forkhill, county Armagh, was attacked, and the windows smashed. Several threats were also made use of to the inmates of the house. The outrage is believed to be agrarian in its character, and that the parties visited Kelly in order to give him notice not to keep a piece of land which he had taken from a man named BURNS. The police have the matter in hands. SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO THE O'DONOVAN AND FAMILY. Skibbereen, Monday. The West Cork Eagle announced a serious accident which occurred to The O'Donovan and family and which in all probability would have terminated fatally only for the presence of mind and good judgment of the coachman. The O'Donovan was leaving home to attend the Synod, and was accompanied by Madame O'Donovan, his daughter, and governess. They started from Lissard at six o'clock in Mr. MARMION's hired brougham, and when about one hundred yards from the mansion the pole broke and the horses took fright, the brougham running on their heels. They ran fiercely down the sloping avenue, and when approaching the gate, the driver had the presence of mind to turn the animals into the open field, fortunately the only impediment to his doing so being a slight wire fence. The carriage was upset with great violence, Madame O'Donovan and the governess receiving the severest injuries. The O'Donovan was also much hurt, but Miss O'Donovan escaped uninjured. Dr. HADDEN was immediately in attendance, and Madame O'Donovan was removed to Lissard in a covered car. Beyond a bruise on the temple and a light hurt on the shoulder, she is not, we are happy to say, seriously injured. (County Cavan Newspaper Transcription Project)