The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-10-01 00:00:00

TfiE MITCHELSTOWN ADJOURNED
INQUIRY.

Police - Sergeant Brennan and District-Inspector
Irwin were the two witnesses examined at the
Mitcholetown inquest on Tuesday. The latter gave
a fiat contradiction to some of the statements of the
constables who had been previously examined, par-
ticularly denying that it was he who ordered the
constables to fire upon the crowd. It was County-
Inspector Brownrigg who gave the order. Mr. Har-
rington, M.P., complimented this witness, who was
cheered by the crowd as he left the court.

MEETING OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE.
Mr. T. D. Sullivan, M.P., presided at the meeting
of the National League in Dublin on Tuesday, when
it was announced that ..£252l had been received
during the past fortnight, and .£227 paid in grants to
evicted tenants. The chairman counselled the
branches of the league in every part of the country to
bold their meetings at the same time, so as to make
the work of suppression impossible.

AN EVICTION SCENE.
The most violent scene yet witnessed at an Irish
eviction, while it lasted, occurred on Tuesday at
Purteen, about two miles from Limerick city. The
tenant evicted was Michael Lane, a fernier holding
some thirty-five acres on the estate of Colonel
Macadam, at a yearly rent of £BO, the Government
valuation being £3B 10s. The eviction was on the title,
the tenant owing a half-year's rent and .£4 arrears
up to March last year, and which he refused to pay
unless on an abatement of 25 per cent. This the land-
lord refused to grant, and accordingly he put the
interest up for sale at Ennis and was declared the
purchaser at a nominal sum. Hence the proceedings
on Tuesday were on the title—a case not affected by
the passing of the recent Land Act. A force of 200
police, in charge of Colonel Turner, and 80 men of
the 2nd Battalion Leinster Regiment, marched from
Limerick and arrived at Lane's holding about eleven
o'clock, escorting the sub-sheriff, Mr. Croker, and his
bailiffs, and the agents to the property, Messrs. Hos-
ford and Dalmege. The approach of the party was
signalled by the ringing of the chapel bells; but the
visit of the sheriff having been kept a Beare up to the
last moment not more than fifty people had assembled.
Lane, who has a wife and nine young children, had
received a few hours' notice of the expected visit,
and in the interval be removed his furniture to a
house on an aijoining farm and barricaded his house
the best he could. The windows were removed, the
apertures filled up with stones, and the door way
strongly fasfened, The tenant, his brothcr.in-law,
Thomas O'Grady, a powerful man, and the wife of the
former, garrisoned the premises. After some parley
the door was burst open, and a lumber of the police
and bailiffs attempted to storm the stronghold. Lane

and O'Grady, armed with two large clubs, and Mrs.
Lane, wielding a poker, rained fearful blows on the
police and bailiffs, who used their batons and rifles
with great vigour. Mrs. Lane, with the poker,
placed District-Inspector Reilly, from Abbeyfeale,
hors de combat with a terrific blow on the head,
sending the weapon through the officer's helmet
and smashing the poker on his skull. He had to
be attended by the military doctor, Mr. Stoney,
his case being the worst. The sub-sheriff, the tenant,
O'Grady, and a number of police were all covered
with blood as they dragged each other about in the
desperate encounter that unexpectedly ensued and
caused the utmost confusion amongst the constabu-
lary and the officers in charge. At length the two men
were ov,rpowered and handcuffed, after being flung
down on the mud; Colonel Turner declaring he never
witnessed anything like the resistance offered. The
prisoners were marched to tha county goal, Mrs.
Lane being provided with a ear, which was forcibly
taken from the driver by order of Colonel Turner,
who was threatened with legal proceedings by the
carman. The parish priest and Father Gleeson, his
curate, were present, and the people remained quiet.
Emergency bailiffs were put in charge of Lane's
house, with a protection force of seven policemen.