On the night of the ‘2olh uliimo, the houses of six persons—namely, Mathew Murtagh, Edward Murtagh, Edmond Cron, Patl Cron, John Cron, and Patt Roddy, on the lands of Cornaculla, were attacked by an armed party, for the purpose of obtaining arms and money.
It appears, from the investigation held at Croghan Petty Sessions that the house of Mathew Murtagh was the first entered by four of these lawless wretches, who demanded from him 5s.; having denied the possession of such a sum, two of the party seized him and third snapped a pistol in the direction in which he stood, and swore him as to his having money or arms in the house.
The noise having attracted the attention of the neighbours, 4 or 5 of them came into the house, and having resolved to pursue the assailants, came up to them at the house of Patt Roddy; but not being armed, and finding the Rockites had fired amongst them, they, in self-defence, resolved on regaining their homes.
On the night of Thursday last, an armed party of Rockites attacked several houses, (from 15 to 20, we have heard,) the lands of Finisklin and Cornaveagh, convenient to Camlin, and within from 4 to miles of this town; each instance they demanded and searched for arms, and in such houses as the former could not be obtained, the inhabitants were severally sworn to leave a certain sum of money, according to agreement, in the house of Dominic Commons, for the use of Captain Rock’s men.
We understand the Rockites were not impeded in their pursuits, except in one instance—that of John Dyer, who refused to open the door, and who, when the place was broken, displayed such a determined disposition to resist, that the party, after vowing vengeance, proceeded another place.
