The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-11-21 00:00:00

THE LONDON GUILDHALL LIBRARY.

The Guildhall Library has been re-opened, after
repairs which have taken nearly two months to com-
plete. While it has been closed the oak roof has
been cleaned and oiled, and the whole of the stone-
work renovated. The three large sun-burners have
been brought down twenty feet to give a better light
for reading purposes. The Museum and Reading-
room have also been repainted, and the thole of the
antiquities rearranged by the Librarian (Mr. W. H.
Overall, F.S.A.) A new oak screen is being made and
fitted in the corridor to keep out the draught and add
to the comfort of the numerous readers. The work
has been executed by Messrs. Dove Bros., of Islington,
at a cost to the Corporation of about £lOOO. During
the interval the Librarian and his staff have been
closely engaged in preparing an alphabetical catalogue
of the Library, which the Corporation has directed
to be printed. The card catalogue—arranged alpha-
betically under authors and subjects—has been kept
up to date, and is always ready for reference, and by
its means any book in the Library can be foLind in
few moments

TP,I3..RIBLE OUTRAGE In IRELAND.
A FA RNIER AND A MOONLIGHTER SHOT

DEAD.

A TralPe correspondent on Sunday night writes: A
dreadful conflict occurred on Friday evening between
Trak() and Killarney. One of the assailants was shot
dead, but his death is counter-balanced by that of the
owner of the house which was attacked. The victim
of the out; age is Mr. John O'Conell Curtin, a respect-
able farmer, holding MO acres from the Earl of Ken-
Mare: His house had been attacked for arms a few
years ago, and on that occasion he satisfied the party
by gisine them a gun, but he was known to have
since repeatedly expressed his determinatiou not
to yield should he again be attacked. Curtin's
house i a sub,tantial building two storeys in height,
there being two halls and two hall doors, one for
the family and another for the servants, while a
cress hall affords the means of internal communi-
cation. The upper storey is reached by a staircase
facing tie principal hall door. It appears that about
half-past, seven o'clock on Friday evening a party
of seven or eight men came to the kitchen hall
door. The first man who entered carried a gun, and
demanded arms of Mr. Geo. Curtin, who was in the
outer kitchen to the left of the porch. Mr. Curtin
declined to give them any arms. His brother Daniel
and his sister Norab, who were in the inner kitchen
to the left, and from which communication existed to
the parlours of his house, went round to their father,
who was in the inner parlour, and told him of the
raid. The old man proceeded upstairs to get arms to
resist the attack. While he was doing this one of the
gang had gone into the inner kitchen, and made the
same demand for arms. Daniel said he would take
him to his father. Followed by the rnfEan, who kept
his gun levelled close to young Mr. Curtin's head, he
proceeded to the front parlour. Others of the gang
had followed, and by the time the old man got back
to the bottom of the stairs three or four of the Moon-
lighters were in the hall Meanwhile Norah stood
her ground in the hall, at the foot of the staircase.
The elder Mr. Curtin, addressing the Moonlighters,
said, "Come, my boys," and raised his gun as if to
fire. This movement on his part was instantly fol-
lowed by a volley of shots directed towards him. The
lamp in the hall was extinguished, and Mr. Curtin
fired in the dark at his assailants. George Curtin,
hearing the shots, made his way to the parlour, where
his brother Daniel was engaged in a struggle with
three of the gang. He seized one of the men who
was struggling with his brother, and catching the
ruffian by the throat pushed him back. His sister
followed him into the parlour, and also caught hold
of the fellow, who was at the time trying to discharge
a revolver at Daniel Curtin with his right hand while
he struggled to retain in the left the gun which he
had brought with him, and which Daniel was
endeavouring to take from him. The two other men
then ran off, and the captain of the gang having
been knocked down and temporarily disabled, the
gun and the revolver were taken from him. He
then made his escape. Meanwhile, Mr. Curtin fired
at the man who was on the ground in the back hall,
and, as he afterwards stated, he believed he wounded
him in the leg. Mr. George Curtin then ran out after
the men, and his father came running against him,
saving, "Oh, George, I'm shot; lam dead." George
followed the men and fired, but, as the night was
dark, he does not know whether with any effect or
not. The elder Mr. Curtin was able to walk upstairs
to his room, notwithstanding that he had received a
wound in the abdomen which proved fatal about
three hours later. He was perfectly conscious and
able to converse up to a short time before his death.
When the confusion had ceased, one of the gang, a
man named Sullivan, a labourer residing in the village
close by, was found 13ing dead, having been killed by
one of the shots from Mr. Curtin's rifle.

The police were quickly informed of the occurrence,
and one man mimed Casey, who with some more of
the gang can be identified by the Curtins, was arrested
the same night in bed. Six more men, including a
brother of Casey, three brothers of the deceased man
Sullivan, and a man named Spring have been arrested.
Another brother of Sullivan is missing, and the police
are looking for him. The prisoners were brought to
Tr, :=.43 at ten o'clock last night by train. There was
a large crowd on the platform. The prisoners
cheered as they got out of the railway carriage, but
there was no response. They were taken to Tralee
Gaol, where they remain under remand.
The inquest on the bodies of Mr. Curtin and Sulli-
van was opened yesterday, and formal evidence of the
cause of death having been giving, the inquiry was
adjourned.

The Rev. Mr. Murphy, at mass at the -chapel at
Fines to-day, referred to the outrage, and condemned
it strongly. He was proceeding to praise Mr. Curtin
warmly, when about one-half of those present got up
ond left the chapel.
The funeral of Mr. Curtin took place this after-
voon. The remains were followed to the grave 14 a
large concourse of people, including Captain Plunkett,
EX., Mr. M‘Dermott, Mr. S. M. Hussey, Mr.
Donovan, and others of the principal inhabitants of
Tralee. Mr. Cut-tin was a member of the Land
League, and only a week ago subscribed .E 5 to a fund
for the defence of tenants of Lord Kenmare who are
threatened with eviction.

The following narrative is furnished by the eons:
Shortly before ten o'clock, as the family were about
retiring for the night, a party of armed and disguised
men came to the door. The two sons were smoking
in the kitchen. Mr. Curtin and his wife were up-
stairs, and the daughters were in one of the parlours.
The raiders gained admittance through the kitchen
door. The man who apparently filled the place of
leader asked George, the younger son, for arms. The
young man said he did not know where they were kept.
The second brother then came forward,and said hewould
give the arms if he could find his father. The ruffian
during this time had a rifle presented full in the
young man's face, while two others of the gang who had
come into the house also presented arms. Daniel
offered to go for his father, and walked from the
kitchen across the hall into the parlour, while all the
time the captain followed with his rifle presented a
few inches from the young man's head. When in the
parlour the young man said he did not know where his
father was. Just at this moment Mr. Curtih, hearing
the tumult, had come downstairs with a revolver. A lot
of the raiders filled the doorway, where, as already
stated, two of them had followed the leader into the
parlour after the eldest son, Daniel. That young
gentleman describing the scene that followed, says:
"I heard my father at the foot of the staircase cry
out, 'Come now, boys ' and immediately a shot was
fired, I believe, by him. I turned abruptly round,
and the rifle was within an inch, or very close tO my
forehead. The captain jumped. startled by the shot
in the ball, and I made a grab at his gun, which I
caught and laid across his breast, catching with
my right hand both the barrel of the gun
and his coat collar. lie shouted to one o!
the men to shoot me. The man at first did not pre-
tend to hear the order, and it was repeated. He then
pulled out a revolver, which he handed to the captain,
so I caught his wrist with the other hand. The cap-
tain tried to shoot me with it. I heard him click the
hammer four times, but it did not go off. At that
moment my brother George rushed into the room to
my rescue. He rushed at one of the men, while I
pressed the captain against the door. The third man
burst open the window and threw himself into the
yard. I pushed my man out into the hall, and my
sister Norah ran up to me and said, 'So you know
him, then.' She tore the mask off his face, and he
begged for mercy. He said, 'Mr. Dan, leave me go.'
I asked him who he was, and he answered, Thady
Casey, sir.' I had before this tripped him' and
thrown him on his back in the hall, when he told me
who he was. I said, Well, be off, then,' and I let
him go. During the struggle in the room he gave
me a blow of a revolver on the temple. The party
on running away were followed by George, who had
seized the captain's gun. This he discharged after
them, but does not think it had effect."