New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-01-28

... DUBLIN, Jan. H. 1867.
The inquests into the deaths Of the men killed by
the sodery at Dungarvan is still proceeding, and is
beine watched with great interest by the public.
The lawyers in their examination Of the witnesses are
doing good deal TO confuse the facts; and then the
impressions Of the Witnesses vary somewhat. In the
excitement of such collision as took place, such dis
crepancies of view are inevitable. The bystanders
coo different parts of the occurrence; one
notices what another does not one gives
oreat Importance to circumstance that
fbe other regards as trivial and sometimes 1t happens
that irreconclable differences are to be found in
their accounts of the affair. Something of this sort
Is being manifested in the evidence given at Dun
paryan. The great question at issue, far, is the
degree of provocaton received by the soldiers before
they rushed upon the people On this point the evil
dence conflicts and this conflict occurs not merely
in the testimony given by persons who formed part
of the mob" or by partisans of the respective cam
ddates; il occurs also in the sworn dispositions OF
magistrates, who, it is TO be presumed must have
many reasons for being scrupulously careful of the
truth of their words. Mr.. Robert Roynane Kennedy
magistrate of the county deposed that he witnessed
the whole occurrence and had good view of it, and
here is part of his evidence:
During the time the escort In your view were they
mOlested in any fOrml Most emplatlcauy no.
Troops or votersi Troops or voters
Was Your attention fixed them during the entire time
thew had passed did you see the Lancers do any
thingI After the body Of the voters and escort had
passed saw the rear guard turn BACK ana dVde INTO
DO You swear that up to that time stone missile
had been thrown the cavalry before that swear that
no stone missile had been thrown at voters or cavalry
before the cavalry charged. ,,
Did you one Of the parties into which the rear guard
divided charge down tho quayl They charged down as
far as the Courthouse would allow my VISION to reach
At what pace did they charger saw the horses
Had they their lances leyoledi DIost certainly.
Did YOU see any one njuredi My notice was particu
larry directed to one lad who wac charged WINE atte,p
ing TO the parapet wall between the Ddge ana te
About what age was that ladl He might have been -
Did the lad succeed in reaching the parapet ofhc bridget
He did, but fell down again: ,
What did he do theni He made an effort 70 reasceha
the parapet and while doing saw him pierced In the
back with the pointed end Of the lance, IDeeye the
Lancers went down the quay.
Further in the examination of this gentleman the
following questions and answers occurred:
Did YOU swear as fact that you had full opportunity
OF seeing all that took place at the oher size Oh le
bridge SO as TO be able to swear that no stone was
tbrOVnY saw all as far so yards extended and the
whole area bounded by the railings =, -.
was thrown or missile OF any sort until the Lancers
charged.
Among other witnesses who testified to tho same
effect was Mr.. Cornelius Redmond, editor and pro-
prietor Of The Waterford Nccs He said:
When the voters and passed the bridge and
ANYBODY There was not the least attempt to take away
the voters from the escort The voters passed on quietly
They did not stop at all The crowd was composed OF
men women and b0ys-the usual crowd that collects
at elections and large public meetings IN
~ pnnse their horses They stopped forward their
horses holding their lanccs In their hands while INC
toward the people. Not stone had been thrown UP to
that time. The Lancers rushed down the quay after
minute or two and heard cries. They rushed forward
as In line OF battle The people were running away nom
them, and saw the LncerS rushing aiter thcin as "
going into battle, and saw no more OF thcm: heaiu
the cries Of women and also heard eries na' wv
sons had been killed o Inc N yVe wG dSo PeTTb ey
left the voters altogether, and went down the quay
HeTcn and Setennjncd never Jaw men look so
wicked as they when they were charging.
But audi alterdn parie. Mr.. Greene the magistrate
who was in command Of the Lancers on the spot re-
ferred to- deposed that after the troops and voters
had got over the bridge he had the military divided
so as to force the people into two parties and compel
them to retire upon u cross-road that ran at right
angles TO the line of march. Stones then began TO be
thrown from both wings OF the crowd:
He couldn't say the number OF stones thrown there
were hundreds they were like hail the Lancers did not
gallon down the quay til after the stone throwing II
would certainly be untrue for 70 say there were
no thrown before the Iancers charged down the
quay; he had full opportunity OF observing what had
taken place. he was under the impression the men had
shown great forbearance and patience
Having studied the evidence closely as could
myself the facts appear to to be. that the soldiers
and the voters came the bridge unmoested, but
amid some murmurings from the crowd Then in
dividing the crowd from off the line of march, and
forcing them on the cross-road the soldiers acted
very violently. and caused great excitement among
them. Some stonetbIowing then commenced, and
then the Lancers fell to charging and stabbng in all
directions The first violence Of conduct according
TO this reading came from the soldiers. They drove
II lii o,,I tIafr
before n single stone was thrown and their suisse
Quent gallOp appeared 10 be but part of the same
operation. This, l think, is what Mr.. Kennedy and
Mr.. Redmond had in their minds when giving their
evidence. But the following material facts OF the
should be borne in mind:
The stones" In question were OF very small descrp-
macadanzng the road That proved by all the wit
nesses The action Of the Lancers without warrant
sworn in the distinct that he did not judge
the occasion to he requiring the use of deadly wea
would consider myself justified in ordering infantry 70
fire cavalry 10 use their lanccs; saw great petng
going on but would not consider myself Justified In
taking those extreme measures" -
Then mark the discipline of the men. They not
only charged without orders, but some OF them had
suggested the making of that movement to their
superior officer! Mr.. Greene, the magistrate, who
present at the conversation, gives the remarks OF
the soldiers and their officers thus;
'Te soldiers said, Sure, Major flesh and blood can't
stand be beaten thus with stones and the Major said
We can't help it; we must all bear IT. you must be
steady"
Ii is new thing in tho British army il private
soldiers are thus to advise their officers as 90 the
right thing to be done while out on duty; 1t ia still
more of novelty TO find them when their advice is
not taken going off and doing what they think best
Themselves leaving their officers to stay behind or
follow after them just as they choose That is Just
what has been done at Dungaryan. And mark the
difference between the system adopted by the au-
thorties in England and in Ireland qt election times.
In England the military are removed from the neigh
borhoOd of an election else confined very closely
to barracks In Irela49 troops are always poured
into the country, city or town, in which an cleo
ton is being held. and great display is made With
them.
The inquest at Dungarvan will probably conclude