Deposition of Charles Pope, February 1880

CHARLES POPE. - I am a County Constable; I had a warrant placed in my hands on Thursday after the murder for the arrest of James Carroll and two of the Mahers; I and Hodge went to execute it on Carroll; we caught up to him on the road when he was going east on the Roman line near Maher’s house; […] when we got into the sleigh I asked him if he had his cuffs with him, he said he had; I was not in his bedroom; I had not at this time arrested him; when we stopped him on the road, he seemed excited, he changed his color, on the way to Lucan we were talking about the murder, he didn’t care to make any replies; I pointed to the ruins, he did not notice them; he did not say to me where he had been the night before; […] Hodge told him what he wanted with him and what he was arresting him for; he said all right and dropped his head and held out his hands for the cuffs; he seemed frightened and said nothing; like as if a shock had come over him, he gave up quietly; we searched him then: he had nothing with him; he had no hand-cuffs with him; […]

CHARLES POPE, Re-called. - I heard threats; it was on the day of Carroll's appointment as a constable; after Carroll left the court house on that day we, Hodge and I, met him at Squire Peter's office, I said to him Carroll I understand you are a constable, you are in a position to ketch them now; I shook hands with him; he said yes, I'll be the cause of the Donnellys being banished out of Biddulph. [...]