GL~~ANINGS FROM OLD NEWSPAPERS AND MSS. l\1URIJER IN FAN.'\D "Wliile mc!J wee cutting tu:-f in Bally.i\~nard beg on Frid~:y evening 21st Sept., 1840, they discovered the b.ody of a v:oman dressed in a dark stuffed g0wn and flannel ·petticoat with a scar let handkerchief t ied l'·ound her head. The body was perfectly pre~ered. flesh not the '.east decayed or shrivilled and fre" from smell. Her throat was cut in a most frie:htful manner, the hair and ri:band €ncircling the head was stained with blood and the left arm was brnken. At the inc1uest held in the parish church at Fannet, bj' Mr. John Mille1-, coroner. several w~tnesses clearly recognised and identified the body as that of Betty T11ompson. \Vife of the late 0 w c n Mc.Swin e. c\Irs. McSwine disappca!'ed in the month of :\lay, 1811 under circumstances of a most suspicious nature and it was rumou~·ed from the time she was missed that she had been mu-rdered and her body buried in the bog. Strange to say no sea!·ch was made nor did any investigatic-n take place until the body was accidentally discovered near the sudace of the bog- and there is little doubt that sufficien t evidenre formerly r·:d,;1<"11 in haw• lNl h tli,~ <'Otiviction of the mun1ere:·r.. It wns really astonishing to EE(! a ht:iman bcdy for ;:!O years i.nhurned in a bog with the linearncnts apparently perfect and unchanged as the day the unfortunate creatu~·e was and the clothes of the r"rn "·tiered deceased were uninjured by time. Even the small 'COX.. with which she was slightly ma,rkecl. was clearly discernible .... the figure was finely i::rci;·ol'ticr.ed, and the limbs pe::fectly elastic and most exquisitely formed with beautiful dark hair flowing round the neck. as if veiling from the eye of nature the hO!Tid deed .... to the credit of the parishioners everv exertion was made to tl1row light en the mysteriou~ deed. but without effect. The Jm·y found - that the body was that of Betty Thompson, who d isappeared in the month of May, 1811 and that she came by her death in conse-qucnC'l! of a wound inflicted on the throat, with some sharp instrument, by some person or persons unknown." (Il.~rry Journal) COUNTY DONEGAL NEWSPAPERS "The Ballyshannon Herald'' v.ras the first newspaper printed ~11,, l p1.1blbheu i11 County Donegal. Tts first number appeared in Jtlly, 1631, under the edito1·-
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