The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-09-17 00:00:00

TII2 PROSECUTION OF MR, W,
O'BRIEN, M.P.

FATAL AFFRAY AT kEITCHELSTOWN.

The knowledge that the case in which Mr. William
O'Brien, M.P., is charged with inciting persons on
the oth and 11th of August last to obstruct the
aherill's bailiffs in the discharge of their duty was to
come on on Friday of last week excited a great stir
in Mitchelstown. It was early understood that Mr.
O'Brien would not appear. This fact, if anything,
increased the interest shown in the proceedings. At
one o'clock the Bench intimated that they were ready
to hear the cases under the Crimes Act, and the
a nes of William O'Brien and John Mandeville were
then formally called, but neither of the defendants
answering to their names, Mr. Carson, who, in-
t tructed by Mr. Rice, appeared on behalf of the
Crown, said he would first prove the service of the
summons and then apply for warrants against both
the defendants. The head constable then proved the
service of the summonses. Constable Leahy and Ser-
geant Conderan then gave evidence as to the words
used by Mr. O'Brien, and on the application of Mr.
Carson, a warrant was issued for his arrest.
The proceedings were attended by an unfortunate
conflict between the people and the police, in which
one man was shot dead on the spot and many persons
were injured. The meeting took place in the square
in the centre of the town, a very large open space on
the side of the hill. here about 3000 persons assem-
bled, and wagonettes were arranged on the top of
the hill from which the speakers were to address the
meeting. Among those who came up were Mr.
Labouchere, M.P., and a party of ladies; Mr.
Brunner, M.P., Mr. Dillon, M.P., Mr. Condon, M.P.,
Mr. Gill, M.P., Mr. O'Shea, M.P., the Mayor of Cork,
the Mayor of Clonmel, the Rev. Father Sheehy, and
others. As soon as the crowd had assembled the Rev.
Dr. M'Carthy was moved to the chair. When the pro-
ceedings began a Government shorthand writer, Ser-
geant Conderan, who had given evidence against Mr.
O'Brien early in the day, came up escorted by about a
dozen policemen. The crowd was flanked by a number
of men on horseback, who resisted the entrance of
the police, and their efforts were received by shouts
from Mr. Condon, M.P., to "stand together." Sticks
were raised threateningly in the air at the police,
who paused at the instigation of one of the party in
the waggonette. This person also called upon the
people to close their ranks and not let the police
through. The crowd then pushed back the constables
to the rear. Several of the police became excited at
their repulse and drew their batons, while one man
pulled out his bayonet and was presenting it at some
of the spectators, when his sergeant prevented bin.
The police then temporarily retired and sent for re-
inforcements. In the short lull that followed, Mr.
Dillon began his speech. He said, "I ask yon to pay
no more attention to those men, but let us proceed
with this great meeting in a spirit of order and
peace, which will do credit to the men of the
district, and will show the world that the peopls
of the cer.ritry feel in their hearts the approach
of the victory which is certain and near at hand.
(Cheers.) You can best prove this by treating with
contempt the miserable and contemptible action of the
authorities in this town to-day, because the day Ii
nearly over when men can act with the people of this
country as those men have acted to-day in the court-
house of Mitchelstown. Every day it is nearer at
hand, and the day of the Irish people is dawning—
a day when all the forces which exist in Ireland,
whether armed or unarmed, will be at the command
of the representatives of the people of Ireland, and
not at the command of the enemies of the people.
(Cheers.) Now, what was it that called this assembly
of people here to-day—the largest, I suppose, that
Cork has ever seen upon this soil? What was it that
brought men from Duhallow, and men from Limerick
and Tipperary here to-day? It was to prove how
they loved William O'Brien in their hearts, and to
show the world what effect enforcement of coercion is
likely to have, and to show to the police what
effect----"

THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE AFFRAY.
Here the speaker was interrupted by a renewal of the
commotion on the outskirts of the crowd. A fresh
body of police had arrived from the barracks, and
were formed at the foot of the square as a reserve to
the constables who had tried to force a passage for
the Government reporter. The latter men again ad-
vanced, and drew their staves, making a charge at
the people nearest them. Tremendous shouts then
arose, and fierce and angry cries were raised against
the police. Three-score blackthorns were raised in
the air, and before anyone could interfere the crowd
rushed upon the police. The horsemen before men-
tioned assisted them by backing their animals against
the advance constables, who beat the horses' flanks
with their batons in their attempt to force a passage.
The reserve of police were called up, and under the
leadership of an inspector charged at the double with
batons and rifles. The onrush of 40 or 50 armed
men carried away the crowd for a moment, and even
swept aside the mounted yeomanry. The circle
was clear in an instant immediately in front of the
speakers' carriages, but a second afterwards the men
in the crowd who possessed blackthorns or other
weapons rallied, and turned on the constables, who
for a moments had a very bad time of it indeed.
Blows were given on both sides which split scalps and
bruised and battered the craniums of the active com-
batants, who fought hand to hand in the moat deter-
mined fashion. One sturdy fellow seized the car-
bine from the band of a constable and belaboured the
unfortunate policeman with his own weapon, until it
was in turn recaptured by another constable. Helmets
rolled on the ground, and one or two policemen who
were bowled over by their opponents were kicked by
the hoofs of the farmers' nags, while the bleeding
faces on both sides attested the violence of the
struggle. Father M`Carthy and the other priests in
the car shluted in vain to the men to desist, and the
police began to suffer so severely that they turned
tail and fled in a body down the square, amid the
exultant cries of the victorious "Tipperary men."