'FATAL OCCURRENCE.-It is our painful duty to have to record the violent death of Mr. James Kirwan, of Cooma, Maneroo. Someday last week-the particular day we have not been able to ascertain-a groom in the employ of Mr. Kirwan, armed with a double-barrelled pistol, was about to fire at a gentleman named Cunningham, when the circumstance having been made known to Mr. Kirwan, he rushed towards the groom for the purpose of arresting the deadly instrument from his hands; the man maddened either from the effects of drink or from some other cause fired off the pistol, the contents of which entered Mr. K.'s heart, whose death was almost instantaneous. The Rev. R. Walsh, of Queanbeyan, started early on Sunday last for the purpose of attending his funeral. Mr. Kirwan was much respected by persons of every grade, not only in the district in which he resided, and where he met his death, but also in every part of the colony where his character was known. The following is another, and by far a more probable account of this tragical affair: Mr. Kirwan had called for his horse, and his groom, whose name is John McSpadden, was in the act of bringing it when Cunningham called to the man to bring his horse too. The groom replied that he would go to his hut and get the key of the stable and then give him a horse. He went in, came out again with the key in one hand and a double-barrelled pistol in the other; he fired deliberately at Cunningham, but luckily the ball struck a metal button of his coat and glanced off; the man then went into his hut and locked the door. Mr. Kirwan, on hearing the report rushed out, and on being made acquainted with the circumstance, endeavoured to force the door of the hut open. The door gave way; the groom appeared on the threshhold, and in this instance fired a gun at Mr. Kirwan, the ball of which entered his heart, and he instantly expired. The tragedy does not end here. The man comes out of his hut, leans against the door-post, rests an axe against his leg and commences to recharge his gun. Two men endeavoured to approach him, but he threatened one of them with a great oath that he "would serve him the same as he had served that b--r, pointing to the dead body, and that he had it in for him the last eighteen months." No one amongst those assembled dared to approach him: although there was a chief constable and two other policemen there, they allowed the man to escape, and the last that was heard of him was, that he was in was in the Murrumbidgee ranges. Goulburn Herald. October 16'. Bell's Life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer, 23 October 1852

The best account of John McSpadden's trial is reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, 10 September 1853. He was found guilty of the wilful murder of James Kirwan and sentenced to be executed.