Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-14 00:00:00

AGRARIAN OUTRAGES.

Judgments in ejectment in the superior courts having been obtained
at the snit of Mrs. Graves, Cloghan Castle, against several tenants,
and writs of Inhere having been 'ssued, William Cuffe, Fsi., Sub-
sheriff, attended on Monday last, at Cloghan Castle, for the purpose
of executing them, in consequence of soms well founded apprehen-
sions es to resistance being offered, Mr. William Cuffs deemed it
advisable to procure the assistance and protection of a party of police,
and accordingly he was accompanied ky a head constable and thirty
constables and sub-constables, under the command of Sub-Inspector
Hill, Parsonstown. Eleven families, consisting of nearty sixty
individuals, were under this process put out of their residences and
lands. Nine dwelling houses were levelled to the ground ; two

houses remained standing for the reception, &c., of the caretakers.
There was no actual demonstration of resistance against these

proceedi:gs ; but the demeanour of the peasantry whilst witnessing
them indicated strong feelings of resentment, which within a few

hours were practically developed by the setting on fi e of the best of

the two standing houses, wh,ch took p'ate on that night, and resulted
in its entire destruction. The irritation in the minds of the people in
VIM locality arising from these occurrences has excited apprehensions
as to future and more formidable agrarian outrages —King's County
Correspondent. . _ _

Tile King's County Chro aide, gives the following aenuit :—" On
. .

Sunday last, at noon day, on the public highway near Dunkerrin
whilst the people were going to prayers, thre3 confederated ruffians,
with the evident intent of murdering him, attacked in the mist
determine.; manner Mr. Denis Egan, a man of the kindliest
ditposition, and who is well known and highly esteemed by his
neighbours of all classes excepting those of them who are moasbers
of that association whose leading objects are assassination and
murder, against whi h, when resolved upon by this terrible
confederacy, neither the benevolence of the victim nor the grief and
misery which his death will occasion, exercise the smallest
consideration or occasion the least hesitation or re.norse. Many of
our readers are aware that Mr. Denis Egan resides at BrOoklawn,
near Dinkel rip, from which former place he was proceeding, shortly
before twelve o'clock, to the chapel at Dunkerrin, being accompanied
by his wire and niece. He and they had arrived within about a
quarter of a mile of their destination, and were close to the residence
of the 11ev. Michael Maher, P.P., when three man rushed out fee m
behind the hedge on the roadside, having crossed over to the read

by a stile, the foremost of whom was armed with a pisto', which he
presented to Mr. Eg .n's head and snapped; most provident ally the
pistol was not so discharged. Mr. Egan immediately endeavoured to
avert the muzzle of the weapon from his person and also to obta
possession of it from the assassin, who had made this attempt on his
life. Mr. Egan being a large, heavy, and powerful man, was more
than a metch for his cowardly assailant, had got him down aid was
throttling him, when he was attacked by the other two rascals with
bludgeons, by whom he was reeeatedly struck with a ferocity and
v,olence which left no doubt on the minds of himself aril his wife and
niece that their intention was to take his lite, which murderous intent
they would have accomplished but for the courageous and determined
assist ince which he received from his two companions, who, by their
struggli❑g, stopped several deadly blows, and otherwise interrupted
their attacks. This gallant resistance was evidently more than
was calculated upon. They called out, Finish him—ho will
not take land again.' Whilst they were thus is conflict some
people appeared at a dietance, who were coming up on their way to
chapel, and seeing them, the intended assassins made off with them-
selves, but in so doing they showed no precipitation or apprehension,
and took little or no precaution aga inst recognition. Before leaving
they informed Mr. Egan that this was on'y their first visit to him, and
that when they came again, which they would do if he kept the land
he would not get off so easy. Mr. Egan was conveyed to his home
where he was tom after attended by Dr. Powell, of Roscrea, who
ascertained that his skull was slightly fractured. He had also received
several cats on the head ; however, no immediate serious caner-
quences are apprehended. Informaton having been given of the
outrage to the Roscrea police they used their best exertions to
discover and arrest the intended assassins, being out through
the neighbourhood the entire of Sundaynnight ; they had
ascertained that shots were fired during the night close to a
stack-yard of Mr. Egan, weich is near the Roscrea Union Work-
house. it was conjectured that these were discharged by his
assailants of thiemorning. From some circumstances of suspicion
the police soon after arrested, near Timoney -and this place, a Man
named Brien, who has since been identified by Mr. and Mrs. Egan,
and their niece, as being the man wh3 presented and snapped
the pistol at him. It has been since discovered that Brien is
from the neighbourhood of Templemore. from whence, a distance
of 12 miles, he was brought by this murderous confederacy to
do this job. Mr. Egan hid, it appears, given some offence to the
ruffian Ribbon Society, ,by taking land from which a tenant had
been previously evicted. by Colonel Bernardi for non-payment
of rent. Mr. Egan, soon after, of his own impulse, offered the
tenant compensation for his lost occupation, and that being refused
he actually lodged the sum of £7B with the parish priest to be
applied to that purpose. During the year of the famine, end the
period immediately following, the people had become thrifty and
industrious, but the prosperity of the farming classes of late years has
not been always attended with the results which were to be hoped
for. Drunkenness is again becoming a prevalent vice; agrarian
outrages and other indications of the spread of Ribbonism arebecom-
ing more frequent, and there is manifesting itself a spirit of disloyalty
and disobedience to the law which Mutt produce a fitta further
increase of agrarian and Ribbon crimes."