LAWLESSNESS AT LUCAN.

FULL DETAILS OF THE TRAGEDY.

By an Eye-Witness.

The Volunteers Capture Two of the Gang.

Considerable excitement and indignation was manifested by our citizens yesterday on it becoming known through the medium of the FREE PRESS, that a [?] of a serious character had taken place at Lucan during the proceeding afternoon, the participants in the affray being the well-known Donnelly brothers whose lawless acts, who have for considerable time past, given the village of Lucan and its immediate vicinity a rather unenviable name. [...] Constable Conroey had a warrant placed in his hand for the arrest of James Donnelly, whom he found at the Revere House. The prisoner subsequently broke away from the officer, and at that moment Wm. Donnelly, a brother of James, approached Conroey and said: -Don't attempt to take Jim, or I'll shoot you, presenting a revolver at the same time to the head of the constable. Conroey desisted on being thus confronted, and came and gave the warrant into the hands if officers Bowden and Reid. The latter then proceeded to Fitzhenry's Hotel, where a wedding was in progress, and no sooner had they entered the place that John Donnelly came up to the officers and collared one of them. Reid came to the rescue of Bowden and arrested his assailant, when friend of the Donnellys, named William Farrell. Struck Reid over the head with a cane. The latter then relinquished his hold upon John Donnelly and made after Farrell, who in the scuffle shot him, two of the balls taking effect in his intestines. [...] During the [?], William Donnelly fired two shots at Bowden, neither of which luckily struck the constable [...]

Source: Unknown, "Lawlessness at Lucan," London Free Press, February 26, 1876.

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