Galway In Days Gone By

Extraordinary evidence

Most extraordinary evidence was given at Ballinasloe Petty Sessions on Saturday in the case of Thomas G. Butler against Wm. Hastings, “Western News”, for alleged assault. There was an application to have the latter bound to the peace.

The Chairman (Mr. J. Byrne, R.M.) said he did not see much difference between the two men. The complainant gave some amazing evidence. He states that on the 14th April, his attention was attracted by seeing Hastings in earnest conversation with a man named Gibbs, who is a local fortune teller and palmist (laughter).

When witness was about to pass by the door, Hastings, who appeared to be highly excited or intoxicated, fell against Gibbs, who stumbled sideways, after which they both burst into loud laughter. After an interval, he heard Gibbs say “There is another of the stufi.” Hastings, who replied with a malicious and sardonic grin, said: “Yes, that is ‘Quilp’, the drunken cripple” and they both laughed loudly. Witness denied he was ever in the workhouse.

Hastings became violently vexed, and used several bad expressions towards him. Hastings soon afterwards made a full “drop-kick” at witness’s abdomen, which witness stopped. The assault proved most ineffective in its object, and it was intended to cripple him by giving him “the foreign knock-out” (laughter).

The cross-case was then gone into, and Hastings stated he was at his own door with Mr. Gibbs, who was his special reporter (laughter). Butler came along, and got his back to the lamp-post opposite and called witness a b…… old swine, and said that he got his (witness’s) recognisances estreated that day. Butler was full of drink, but not completely drunk (laughter). After being subjected to foul, filthy and abominable language, he told Butler to go away, but he would not.

After cross-examination, during which Mr. Hastings said his wife was not in the North Dublin Union, but in Heaven, he hoped, to which Butler replied, if such was the case, she must not be there very long. The Chairman said that both cases would be dismissed, as honestly, he could not see much difference between the two men.

1942

Dublin know-alls

Galway County Council on Saturday decided to ask the Government for an Emergency Order to enable the Council to improve the stop-end roads so that farmers who had lands beside such roads could get food to the markets. A big percentage of the nation’s food was produced in the out-of-the-way places, declared Mr. T. King, and he felt that the civil servants – “the know-alls in Dublin” – had not the slightest idea of the difficulties that faced the people on the stop-end roads.

Mr. T. King: “The evil of invasion is possible, but the evil of starvation is definitely certain and I do not see why they should not make an Emergency Order to permit improvements to those stop-end roads adjoining which a big percentage of our food is produced by people who are not depending on oil, rubber or petrol to bring their produce to the markets.

“Those civil servants and officials – those know-alls in the Department – have not the slightest idea of the difficulties under which the people on the stop-end roads live.”

Food inspectors swoop

A “swoop” by inspectors from the Department of Supplies which took place in Galway City last January, led to the appearance before District Justice Mac Giollarnath on Thursday of thirteen local shopkeepers charged with offences against an Emergency Powers Order by overcharging for tea, candles, coffee, cocoa, oatmeal and condensed milk. In some cases, there was also a charge of selling to unregistered customers. Fines were imposed ranging from five shillings to forty shillings.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.