The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-11-12 00:00:00

SUNDAY'S SPEECHES.

Mr. Dillon, M.P., addressed a National League
gathering at Castlerea on Sunday. He called upon
the Irish people to avenge the imprisonment of
William O'Brien, to strike boldly for the liberty of
their homes and for the ivktionality of Ireland, and
he declared that there would be no peace until the
prison doors were thrown open and all those who,
liko Mr. O'Brien, were suffaring for their cause, had
'ibeen set at liberty. Mr. Davitt addressed a-National
'League meeting at Carrick-pn-Shannon,And predicted
net, dark as the outlook was ter would soon be
'rewarded by the establishment-Of tvNational Legisla-
ture for Ireland.
'4w' r
Ar-1/4- tgar
- - - Vf9l Tnk OEN.

who ,

Mr. William O'Brien. .was on Monday visited in
Tullamore Gaol by Dr. Moorhead, J.P., the only
Catholic magistrate in the district. Dr. Moorhead
claimed the right as a magistrate to see Mr. O'Brien,
but the governor of the prison declined to admit him.
Subsequently, however. Captain Featherstonhaugh
discovered that by the Prisons Act a magistrate had
the right to see a prisoner and ask him if he had any
complaint to make. When the governor ascertained
this fact he sent for Dr. Moorhead and informed him
he could see Mr. O'Brien, but he (the governor) would-
be present at the interview. Dr. 31oorhead at once
visited the prrioner, and was condacted by the
governor to the cells. He found him in a cell the
atmosphere of which was bad, and, as the doctor
stated, was likely'to have a fatal effect upon any-
one with a consumptive tendency. This complaint
has been fatal to members of Mr. O'Brien's family.
In answer to Dr. Moorhead's question if he had any
complaint to make of the prison treatment, Mr.
O'Brien said the system had not been carried out
with any undue severity by the prison officials. Di.
Moorhead believes that with the bread-and-water
treatment the break-np of Mr. O'Brien's constitution
is but a matter of time. Dr. Moorhead also visited
Kr. Mandeville, who had been subjected to bread-
and-water diet because he also declined to wear the
prison clothes, and found him cheerful and deer
• mined. Mr. Hayden, Mr., who is in the prison
infirmary, was also visited.--At a meeting of the
Tullamore Town Commissioners on Monday a reso-
lution was passed to the effect that should any I.arm
result to Mr. O'Brien or any of the political prisoners,
either through ill-treatment or neglect, public opinion
would hold the visiting justices and prison officials
responiible.
MR. GLA.DSTONE AND TUE EX-

IC MAGISTRATE. -
Mr. James Byrne, Wallstovrn Castle,. who was
14ate1y deprived of the commission of the peace by the
Lord Chancellor, having sent the correspondence
Lwhich passed between him and the Lord Chancellor
IRO Mr. Gladstone, with an explanatory note, received
tithe following reply from the right hen. gentleman:
--" Sir,—l have considered to the best of my ability
your letter. I am unable to perceive a justification
;he condnetr=of the police or fonoe enbsequent
proceedings of the Lord Chancellor; but with respect
to the latter, in particular, as I am without experience
in regard to the office of a magistrate, I did not feel
competent to pronounce a final judgment. I trust
you will obtain the opinions of those who have such •
experience, and who also have legal knowledge, for
at this time the arbitrary and even illegal proceedings
of the Government through their officers are such as
to require a careful and zealous examination of all
parts of their conduct which bear upon the liberties
of the people of Ireland.—l have the honour to be,
Sir, your most faithful friend and obedient servant,
W. E. GL.kDSTON/C."

I -tor ti

MURDER BY MOONLIGHTERS.
A terrible murder was committed on Tuesday
morning at Liscahane, three miles from Tralee. The
unfortunate victim is a man named Patrick Quirk°,
whose offence is that of having taken an evicted farm
on the Denny property. The hour selected was
exactly the same as that in which M'Elligott was
visited and shot a few days ago. There were only
two men engaged in the murder, and the motive for
the crime was undoubtedly agrarian. About five
o'clock they knocked at the window, and told their
vic to get up, that his cows were trespassing. Be-
fore he opened the door they fired through it; after-
wards they said they would swear him to pay no rent,
end fired taro shots at him. One took effect in both
thighs, and the othez blew away the inner portion of
the left shin bone above the ankle and severed the
artery. The murderers then left. One of them only
was armed, and he carried a double-barrelled breech-
loader. They appeared to be young men. Quirks
lingered in agony for two hours and a-half. Be was 75
years old. Several arrests have been made. It is
stated that many years ago Quirke's eaughter was
married to James Ferris, whose father gave him
upon the occasion the farm on which the murder
was committed. Four years ago an ejectment was
obtained against Ferris for non-payment of rent,
but he and his wife went to America. The time for
redemption expired, and the inmates of the farm
were evicted, the children being left to the care of the
murdered man, who was put in as caretaker, and
finally as tenant, Quirke having paid some of the
arrears. Deceased eontinued to manage the farm,
and take care of his grandchildren, having some
savings of his own, and he was apparently on the best
of terms with his neighbours."
MR. O'BRIEN'S HEALTH.

A Tullamore correspondent says that Mr. William
O'Brien, M.P., was on Tuesday transferred to the
infirmary dep%rtment of Tullamore Gaol, by direction
of the medical officer. The prison routine and dis-
cipline had already begun to tell on Mr. O'Brien's
constitution, and the doctor deemed it necessary to
prescribe that he should be exempted from the restric-
tions imposed upon all healthy prisoners.