There are several newspaper reports on the incident that saw Thomas Finlan forced to depart from the fair city of Dublin. They identify his ‘oops’ moment, that is, caught on the run with both a weapon and stolen property leaving a public house after likely treating himself to a pint. Maybe the close call after being shot at left him feeling a bit shaken up and the hat told a good story.
Fortunately for me, the newspapers of the day were thorough in detail when reporting incidents. Three published articles in particular give great detail on some of Thomas’ associates as well as himself. This adds context and it would be certainly interesting to see what became of his associates as well. Maybe I will follow up one day.
(The parts of the post in italics are verbatim from the articles referenced).
The first article was published in the ‘Dublin Evening Mail’.
“For some nights past the roads in the neighbourhood of Charlemont and Leeson-streets have been infested by a gang of robbers, who have despoiled many persons of their property.”
It writer describes how a silver watch was stolen and traced to a pawn shop where a woman was arrested. She stated she had got the watch from a resurrectionist named John Hart living in Bow-Lane. Peace officers McDonagh, Cunningham and Scott subsequently arrested six individuals, finding a pistol as well. Another man robbed in the same locality that night identified two men: Walsh and Hart. The paper claimed confidence that
“the entire gang will be brought to justice.”
The same article then connects events by going on to describe the highway robbery incident that Thomas was apprehended in.
“On Thursday evening, Mr Bartholomew Rorke, of Crampton-court, Mr Dunroche of Aungier Street, and Miss Rourke where walking on the road to Mt Pleasant, and were near to the gate to the Wellington-gardens, when two men came up to them and demanded their money and watches. One of these men was armed with an old dragoon sword, and the other with a pistol”.
It describes the struggle which took place as follows:
“Instead of complying with the demand made by these ruffians upon them, Mr Dunroche struck at one of the, and broke his stick on their head. The robber knocked Mr Dunroche down with a blow of the sword. A struggle took place between the parties, in which Mr Rourke’s hat was taken by one of the robbers. The noise made by the struggle was fortunately heard by constables Canterbury and Harvey, stationed at Ranelagh, and who were on their rounds. They came up – one of the robbers fled, and in doing so, he presented his pistol at Canterbury. Canterbury, after calling upon him to stop, fired at him; but the fellow succeeded in getting over the ditch of the fields leading to the Donnybrook Road”.
His accomplice, John Dunn, was apprehended hiding in the sewer of one of a block of new house being built.Two hours after Dunn was taken into custody:
“Peace-officers McDonagh and Scott arrested a well-known resurrectionist, Thomas Finlan, as he was coming out of a public house on Mercer Street. Upon Finlan’s head was found the hat which had been stolen from Mr Rorke in the struggle, and when it was examined, it was discovered that Canterbury’s ball had perforated the hat, entering the side and passing out the crown! Upon Finlan was found a pistol loaded with a heavy charge of shot, and he had five cartridges made up of powder and shot. Finlan was immediately identified as the person who had attacked Mr Dunroche. Upon being brought before the magistrates of the Head Police-office yesterday, he was asked where he got the pistol, and he replied in a most rough manner that he would answer no questions.”
The two men were committed for trial and the paper stated that
“It is only due to the police these arrests have been made to state, that by their exertions one of the most daring gangs that ever infested the neighbourhood of this city has been at length arrested…[1]
An article published two days later in ‘The Dublin Evening Mail’ recorded the conversation Thomas had with the magistrate in a little more detail as follows and provides a glimpse as to his mode of speaking which is fabulous:
“…questioned as to his mode of life and what he wanted with the pistol, “he sulkily replied:- I’m a resurrection man, and the pistol was served out to me by the gentlemen.” The magistrate asked “By what gentlemen?” to which Thomas replied [in a loud voice], “Ah, don’t bother me, axin’ your questions…Blayzes to the word more I’ll tell yees-so ye may put me up as soon as you please.”[2]
The lucky moment for Thomas was Canterbury’s bullet missing him as he fled. The ‘oops’ moment was deciding to get a pint while holding on to the hat, pistol and shot.
Another further newspaper report published the same day in the ‘Dublin Evening Packet and Correspondent’ added further details on the incident. These included that Miss Ro[u]rke was the sister of Mr Ro[u]rke and the trio, including Mr Dunroche, were walking home from Ranelagh. It presented Thomas as the primary assailant.
[the assailant – Thomas] “came out of Stable Lane at the north end of Mountpleasant Crescent, and presenting a pistol, demanded their money and watches. The gentlemen… immediately seized the robber and attempted to seize the pistol from his grasp. A man was seen during the struggle looking over the adjoining hedge, and Mr Dunroche entreated his assistance to secure the robber. He came in haste, but instead of joining in their endeavours to capture the ruffian with the pistol, aimed a blow with the sword which he had previously concealed under his coat, at Mr Rourkes head.”
Although Dunroche had deflected the blow with his stick Mr Rourke was compelled to let go of Thomas who:
“snatch[ed] up [Rourke’s] hat and took that opportunity to escape with his companion, both being startled at the noise of the approaching peace-officers, (Canterbury and Harney)…who pursued them without delay. Peace-officer Canterbury soon came up to the man with pistol, who, on being challenged, presented it at the officer, who thereupon fired at him, but the fellow affected his escape through the fields, in the direction of Donnybrook Road.”
Peace-officers McDonogh and Scott, who had heard about the incident and where on the ‘look out’ for the assailants
apprehended [Finlan]…coming out of Duignan’s public house in Mercer Street and on searching him, found a large horse pistol, primed and loaded, concealed on his person, together with five ball cartridges; on his head Mr Rourkes hat, perforated out and out by the ball from Canterbury’s pistol.”
Thomas’ hat and the sword were found on the road at the scene of the incident.
“These fellows were soon recognised as two of a gang who made themselves notorious for their robberies within the last month. The apprehension of two other (Walsh and Hart) for a robbery on the Northumberland-road, was given in out paper a few days since, and it is confidently expected the know is now completely broken up. The swordsman name appears to be John Dunne, and the pistolman the notorious Thomas Finlay, who have very lately been spending seven months in Newgate for similar doings. He and his companion were committed till next Commission, which will sit at Kilmainham on the 9th of next month.”[3]
Thomas was held in Kilmainham, Gaol, Dublin, convicted in early January 1834 and given the death sentence.[4] This was commuted to transportation for seven years; not unusual as labour was needed in the colony in Australia. He was discharged from Kilmainham on 14 March 1834, sent to the hulk Essex in Dublin harbour, and six months later on 27 September was finally transported on the Royal Admiral to the Australian colony arriving 22 January 1835.
[1] Dublin Weekly Register Saturday 28 September 1833
[2] Dublin Evening Mail 30 September 1833
[3] Dublin Evening Packet and Correspondent Saturday 28 September 1833
[4] General Register 1830-1834. Book No: 1/10/2 Item No: 9. Brought before Judges Johnston and Vandeleur. The death sentence is recorded under comments in both paper and prison registers.
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