ONE of the most extraordinary hair -breadth escapes which we have heard of for a long time, occurred to a son of Mr Sadleir, of Cannonstown, on Monday evening last, in Navan. It appears that the young gentleman, after leaving Blackcastle, met a servant of Mr James Williams, of Boyneview, who had charge of a valuable horse. Mr Sadleir, knowing the servant, asked the man to let him have a trot. The servant agreed and Mr Sadleir mounted.

The horse went pretty quietly through the town until he turned down Chapel Lane, where, when opposite the convent gate, he started off at a furious rate, and instead of taking the road to the railway, or the one towards the fairgreen, he cleared the stone wall immediately at the corner, jumping down a declivity of some 50 feet into the stream which runs through the town. On some persons who witnessed the accident running up, they were horrified at seeing the horse and his rider lying in the ditch, both apparently dead. On closer examination it was found that Mr Sadleir was alive, but severely cut on the head.

He was removed at once to Mr Kelly's hotel where he was stopping, and Dr Hamilton being quickly in attendance, his wounds were dressed. It was at first thought that he was dangerously injured, but we are happy to say he has so far recovered as to be able to go home on Wednesday.

The poor animal had to be shot, as his back was broken in the fall. It appears miraculous, from the appearance of the place, how Mr Sadleir escaped being either smashed against a high wall which bounds the stream on the railway side, or else crushed by the horse, between the hind legs of which he was found. We trust that this accident will be the means of making the authorities build the wall somewhat higher, as it is certainly far too low, for such a dangerous corner.

We understand that Mr Williams, a short time since, refused 100 guineas for the horse.

Irish Independent 16 September 1961

IRISH troops at Jadotville, 75 miles north of Elisabethsville, are reported to have suffered "heavy losses" in desperate fighting but are still holding out though bombed and mortared. This is the substance of two statements received in Dublin last night . . . one issued by Dr Conor Cruise O'Brien, the UN Civilian Chief in Katanga, and the other by M Tombelaine, his assistant, over Katanga radio. There has been no confirmation of a report that over 57 Irish troops were killed at Jadotville.

This news originally came from a clandestine 'Katanga Free Radio' broadcast picked up in RuandaUrundi which also claimed that 150 Irishmen had surrendered. The UN described the report as exaggerated, while the Indian commander of the UN forces in Katanga warned against misleading statements coming from 'Katanga Free Radio.' At home, the government has taken a serious view of the turn in Congo events and the Minister for External Affairs, Mr Aiken, will leave for the Congo today at 2pm.

He is expected to arrive in Leopoldville tomorrow morning. Dr Cruise O'Brien in his statement said that the Irish troops at Jadotville had suffered "heavy losses" in desperate fighting. Dr O'Brien was unable to confirm reports that the Irish survivors had surrendered.