Limerick, Friday – A sombre cloud hung over Rathkeale today as Mr James Woolfs Flanagan, B.L., MP.., presided over a specially convened magisterial investigation into the deeply distressing case of alleged wilful murder. The Crown, represented by Mr Gaffney, Crown Solicitor, and assisted by District Inspector Swaney of the Royal Irish Constabulary, brought forward charges against Thomas in connection with the tragic death of his wife, Margaret Gammell. The death occurred on the night of January. 28th.

The courtroom, gripped by an atmosphere of tension and sorrow, witnessed a lengthy legal proceeding as Mr Liston, solicitor, took up the defence, presenting a case that unfolded over the entire day. Numerous witnesses were called to testify, painting a picture of the events leading up to the fateful night. The evidence suggested that Gammell and his wife had spent the day in town, returning home in the evening, having consumed some alcohol but not to the point of intoxication. Mrs. Gammell retired to bed, and later in the evening, her husband raised concerns about her condition. Upon investigation, she was discovered soaked in blood, succumbing to a punctured wound in the abdomen shortly after the arrival of a doctor.

The inquiry delved into the aftermath of the tragedy, with Bridget Quilligan, a witness aged 16, revealing that after his wife’s death, the accused gave her a black-handled knife. The knife was produced in court, instructing her to keep it until the morning.

Medical experts confirmed that the cause of death was the inflicted injury, leading Mr Flanagan, the magistrate, to make the solemn decision to commit the accused for trial at the upcoming Limerick Assizes.

Dublin Daily Express – Saturday 12 February 1910