4 JUNE 1831, Page 9

FATAL RIOT AT CASTLE POLLAnD.—We alluded to this outrage in

the Postscript to our second edition last week. The examinations belbre the coroner's inquest have now reached us. It appeak that seven men and two women were killed on the spot. One of the men, whose name is unknown, is supposed, from the sum of money found in his pockets, wharf: been a respectable cattle-defiler .; another of the men killed wits a fitruner ; the designations of the rest are not given. Among the deceased was a man sixty-eight years of age, and the elder of the two females was about fifty. There were eight persons severely wounded ; three of them mor- tally. The'slaughter of these unfortunate people took place on the 23rd May ; the coroner sat on Tuesday the 24th, and by successive adjourn- ments until Saturday afternoon. From the witnesses examined, it ap- peared that the shots were fired between six and seven on Monday even- ing. Three policemen first fired : one of the balls killed a mall muned Dignan. The policeman who shot Dignan stooped and took deliberate aim, as was supposed, at a man named Conolly, who had a tent in the fair, and who was standing near Dismal ; the ball grazed the head of Catherine Conolly before it struck the thweaseul. The other two p:diett- men levelled in the direetion of the home of a Mr. Croshie of Castle Pollard ; one of time bads killed a. man named ilevin, opposite the gate- way; another entered the window of the parlour where time family usually sat, but without injuring any one. About an hour LeF,::•:r the firing commenced, there had been a riot, when stones hall been thrown at the police, but no stones were thrown at the time that these le. .t fril. Fegan, another of the men killed, was sittiug quietly in a public-hens:. of the town when the first shuts were fired. Lie and a enmpar:-.1 went out to see what was the matter: they were returnin2: when the survivor perceived blood droppimmg- from Fegan's broast, and :non! i,unsi it to him ; I"ra';ui tdmest immediately alter drored down dead. One of the witne:-ses, a Mr. ill'Carthy, de:-:mibcd the police as steeping down, as leu would haye done when snipe-shcoting, and deliberately firing at the people .after the latter had begin to run away in every direction. Mr. Deese, a magistrate, was examined,—chiefly with a view to prove the peaceful state of the town. 31r. Dense left the fair previums to the firing; he admitted that tin' number of drunken people was very :treat. Mr. O'Neill of As:if-lel:41m bearing the firing, tweet emit and expo:-.:::latod with the chief el the penile end entreated him to cease, but was told to withdraw, or perhaps he imii;.;11t meet the same fate.

Such was the side:tense of the e';:i:e111'e for the prouecution. Jr. Bushe, sea of the Chief justice, and a Mr. Hamilton, were examined on behalf of the police ; and their evideace went to prove, that immediately be- fore the firing turn or three stones were thrown, one of which Mr. Bushe, from the man's gestures, sin:It:sell most have hit one of the police. The :fury retired at twelve o'clock on Saturday ; they deli- berated for three hours, and then retormil a v.diet that the nine deceased persona bird been killed by Sergeant -2,1:11s, Sergeant )lairs, and 'James ald, and that the rest, to the number of fifteen in all, Blake, the chief constalde, included, were aiding me! assisting. The eighteen policemen were immediately marched off to Mullinear gaol. Mr. Cramp- ton, the Irish Solicitor-General, who had attended the inquest from Tuesday to Fridate returned to Dublin on the !atter day, after assuring the people that the Government would sift the affair to the bottom, and have the real offenders punished.