The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-06-11 00:00:00

test, and hereby give you notice that ! will tale legal
-
action against you for assault and illegal eviction:'
The Sheriff took no notice of this. Molony retook
possession after the departure of the forces.
There was some show of resistance at the next farm
to which the Sheriff proceeded to evict Patrick M‘Na-
mare, who held 19 acres, the judicial rent being £lO
15s. Boiling water and boiling meal had been got
ready in the house for the reception of the Sheriff,
and the doorway and windows had been blocked up
with hedges and trunks of trees. The tenant and his
family of nine children were in the house. When
possession of the premises was demanded hot water
was thrown out on the bailiffs, who were accordingly
ordered to ply their crowbars at the end of the house
and effect an entrance through the opening when made.
This was none, and the end of the house thrown down,
the Sheriff and bailiffs rushing in and getting pos-
session. The furniture having been thrown out, the
police and military marched off to the house of John
Cooney, which was found to be barricaded, the people
inside being prepared to resist the entrance of the
Sheriff. The Sheriff's demand for admission was met
by a discharge of boiling meal at the bailiffs, who,
taking up the crowbars, commenced to break down
the masonry at the rear of the premises. During the
day the crowds had been increasing, and the excite-
ment was now at its height, owing to a report that a
dying man was inside the house. The military were
ordered to fix bayonets and form a cordon round the
house, the constables being directed to clear the fields.
The people betook themselves to the hedgerows,
where they kept up a continuous yelling and shout-
ing at the agent and the Sheriff. While the bailiffs
were making an opening through the wall of the house
more boiling water and meal was thrown at them,
and five constables were ordered to advance into the
yard and present their rifles at the window. This
the men did amid groans, and the policemen re-
mained in the position until a large opening had been
made in the wall of the house. Two women, holding
cans of boiling meal, were seen standing inside the
opening. After a pause Colonel Turner lent his
umbrella to one of the bailiffs to ward off the meal, as
the rush was being made through the aperture to take
possession. This proved effectual, and two policemen
first charged through the opening, followed by the
Sheriff and the bailiffs. The police being the first to
enter the breach was the signal for renewed Aroaning,
followed by derisive laughter when it was perceived
that the umbrella protecting the men was deluged
with boi'ing meal. Shortly after entering the Sheriff
informed Mr. Hosford that a member of the family
was sick, and asked if Cooney would be allowed to
remain as caretaker of the premises. This Mr. 1103.-
ford refused to permit, stating that he had offered
before the eviction was attempted to allow Cooney to
remain as caretaker, but that he declined the offer.
The eviction was then proceeded with, and while the
effects were being removed it was stated that John
Cooney, junior, was very ill. He was visited by
Father Courtenay and Dr. Scanlan, who said the
young man was suffering from acute heart disease.
Three women were arrested for throwing the boiling
meal on the bailiffs, but they were subsequently dis-
charged. The eviltions for the day being concluded,
the troops and police marched to Fortane.
A public meeting was afterwards held, under the
presidency of Mr. Cox, M.P., who said the proceed-
ings had three prevailing characteristics—brutality,
rascality, and ruffianly illegality. With Mr. Devitt
he was ashamed of having advised moderation.
Mr. Devitt said he was told by a friend in
Limerick that he was to be prosecuted for his
speech last week. If brought to trial, and an honest
report of his speech were produced, he would not
go behind any legal quibble, and would tell the
judge and the jury that he would stand by
those sentiment.. The plank bed bad no terrors for
him, and he would war against injustice as long as he
lived. He did not counsel violence, but he asked
them to assemble and see that unprovoked assaults
were not committed upon those who were: in the exer-
else of their right to be present. Mr. Sheehy. M.P.,
asked if any Irishman would again wear the uniform
of an English soldier or policeman after their conduct
that day. Let the people man their houses and de-
fend them. Let them give the emergency men boil-
ing water and stirabout, and sufficient to smash
Colonel Turner's umbrella.

The evictions were continued on Tuesday on
Colonel O'Callaghan's estate at Bodyke, the same
force of military and constabulary protecting the
sheriff and bailiffs as on previous days. The farm
first visited was held jointly by Patrick Nugent and
John Hussey. The tenants did not reside on the hold-
ing, and the sub-sheriff (Mr. Croker) had merely to
take formal pos,ession, without hindrance. By direc-
tion of Colonel Turner, Mr. Davitt and his friends,
except the parish priest (Father Murphy) and his
curate (Father Hannan), were not allowed to come
within the cordon formed by the military and
the police drawn round the two houses from
which the tenants were evicted on Tuesday. The
second farm visited was that of Patrick M'Namara,
who held twenty-one acres at a judicial rent of £22),
two years' rent being due. When the sheriff and his
party arrived in the yard leading to the house it was I
seen, owing to the windows and doorway being barri-
caded with trunks of trees and bushes, that an I
entrance would have to be effected by demolishing I
one of the walls. The bailiffs, after a survey of the
house, decided on knocking away a portion of the
back wall, and they plied their crowbars at the
masonry with this object. It was assumed that the
house was occupied by some persons, and in order to -
protect the bailiffs from personal injury by boiling
water or meal being thrown on them the head bailiff
was furnished with an umbrella. No sooner was a
hole made in the wall than the necessity for the pre-
caution taken was apparent. Three girls were seen
standing inside holding cans of boiling, fluid in their
hands, and just as an aperture had been made a shower
of boiling water and hot meal was hurled at the
bailiffs. Some of the latter were sprinkled with the
meal, and one or two dropped their crowbars, amid
the cheers of the people, but the greater portion of
the fluid fell on the opened umbrella. One of the
bailiffs, however, was rather severely burned on the
neck and hands. When a large hole had been made
in the wall, the police, armed with saves and rifles,
rushed into the house, and the sheriff and the bailiffs
followed. A. desperate scuffle went on inside for
a few minutes, and then Colonel Turner was
heard to direct that every one found in the
house should be arrested. This order was put
into effect, and Francis M'Namara, a son of the
tenant, Bridget M'Namara, and Johanna 'Ken-
nedy were led forth in custody. M'Namara
was handcuffed, but the females were merely
led by the police. Their appearance was the signal
for wild cheering, to which M'Namara, who was
in a very excited state, responded by calling for three
cheers for the Plan of Campaign, and shouting
"God save Ireland." The women were released,
directions being given to the constabulary to have
then summoned for assaulting and obstructing the
sheriff. The male prisoner was remanded in custody
to the next Tulla Petty Sessions. One of the bailiffs
accused those in the house of having .thiown vitriol
on him, or some other hot fluid, which, on examina-
tion, was found to have burned portions of the man's
clothing, and the umbrella held up to protect the
bailiffs. Subsequently Mr. Davitt came up, and con-
gratulated the girls on the manner in which they had
defended their home. He also shook hands with
young M'Namara, and said that, though he would
sleep in gaol that night his action that day would not
be forgotten by his countrymen outside. Turning to
the girls, he added, "Ireland will never be a nation of
cowards while we have young women like you at
Body ke." The police, on examining the interior of
the premises, found a bottle containing a quantity of
vitriol. ,

The last eviction for the day en Tuesday was that
of Henry Murphy, farming 14 acres; his rent, fixed
in the Land Court, is £2l. The house was barri-
caded with timber and bushes thrust through the
windows. The bailiffs, however, effected an entrance
through the end wall, and under cover of two um-
brellas they escaped from having the contents of
several cans of boiling meal poured on their heads.
When the opening was made through the wall the'
police rushed in, and one of the bailiffs was scalued
in the left eye by boiling meal fiLIDe al, the wirty. The
resistance was not so determined as at MiNamara's
house, and it was found there were no men in the
house. No arrests were made. Mrs. Murphy and the
children sat by the house on the hill elope, and when
some water was offered by the police to the children to
drink, Mr. Davitt said it was better not to use it; the
water might be poisoned. A chair for Mrs. Murphy
to be seated on was handed up by a police-serjeant ;
but Mr. Davitt kicked back the chair, amid the
cheers of the crowds and groans for the constabulary.
After the departure of the forces Murphy re-took
forcible possession of his holding, McNamara, the
other evicted tenant, having already done so. The
troops and police engaged then marched back to their
quarters.
At a meeting subsequently held Mr. Michael Davitt
congratulated the enants upon what be called their
gallant defence, and especially that of the women.
He denounced the conduct of policemen in doing the
work of landlordism.