Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-10-15

have chased them into the sea, OF
dashed their brains out against the
rocks, but what would it avail; others
would come and take their places, for
Cloonabeg was doomed. The men
looked passively Oh as they saw their
homes levelled to the earth, as they
saw cabin after cabin fall in.
Opposite their door, Dennis Connor
and his wife and daughter sat waiting
for the end before starting for Gal
way. In vain they entreatcd Judy
Merrick to accompany them; she
would not leave her cabin. Grim
and rcsolute she sat on her bed, and
declared solemnly that out she would
not 90. And her grandson, Willie?
Poor Willie, he was in Galway Jail
on charge Of attempted murder
Mr.. Hayes, the agent, had been fired
at, and without any hesitation he ac
cuscd Willie Merrick, and the bailitf'
swore he heard the young man threat
en- him; so he was committed to
stand his trial at the spring assizes.
When the men came to Mrs. Mcr-
rick's house, and still found her in
side, they paused in dismay, but the
head bailitf's order came sharp and
decisive, t:Go on" and a shower of
dust and stones about poor Judy's
ears, showed that they were going on
without any mistake. Then Denis
Connor rushed in, and seizing the
woman in his arms, carried her out
just as the roof gave way; but he
might us well have left her in her
dearly loved cabin, for Judy Merricl
was dead? The first desecting blow
struck to the roof which had 50 long
sheltered her had stilIed her heart for
ever.
All through that drcary winter day
the people sat shiyering by the way
side, mourning over their ruined, dcs-
olate homes, and at night some few
Of them were sheltered in barns and
outhouses, while others lay under the
hedges or on the fallen cabins. The
next morning vans came and took
the very old and sick to the work
! house, and those who were able to
walk and work went hither and thith-
er in search of employment.
All this time, his honor, the land
lord, was enjoying his honeymoon
on the shores of Lake Leman, and
knew no more about the fearful scene
enacted in Cloonabeg than his some
while tenants knew about his locail-
ty. The agent thought the little vii
lage in the way; the common, he
| tancied, would make valuable piece
of pasture land; and 50 he wrote to
/ his master and sad the houses were
dclapitatcd dens; declared the ten
ants never did, or could, or would pay
any rent; and that the best thing for
all parties was to pull the cabins
down, as the people would then emf
CRATE to America. And so MIR. Hayes
cvictcd the people, and razed their
homes to the earth. Such things
have been common, and are still not
unknown in the west of Ireland
Months passed, and Willie Mcrr1ck
sull lay in jail awaiting his trial. At
the assizcs, there was not a shadow
Of proof against him, and one of the
gamckeepers on an adjoining estate
confessed that it was he fired the shot
which wounded the agent.
so Merrick was ACQUITTED, and a
few kind-heartcd people subscribed
money enough to pay his passage to
America.
"You'll come out to me, Oona, dar-
ling, won't you?" he SAID, holding his
promised wife in his arms rs he said
goodbye. "You aren't ashamed Of
me, are you:"
"No, Willie; but I'll not follow you
to America" Oona said, sadly. "Tm
going longer journey. Oh, Willie,
Willie, my heart is broken. You'll
never look on the face Of Oona Con-
nor again. Goodbye, and may lleav-
en- forever bless you"
Willie was pushed into the train
which was to take him to Cork, and
Oona fell fainting into her fathers
arms.
Three months after there was Il
quiet funeral in the old graveyard of
Cloonabeg, an old man and an old
woman the only mourners.
Oona Connor was dead, and her
last wish had been to sleep beside her
brothers and sisters i'll the little coum-
try graveyard she had played III as Il
child. There she sleeps, with no
cross at her head or stone at her feet f;
but her grave is well known, and the
memory of the events which caused
her death green. No one IN the west
Of Ireland has forgotten the Cloona-
beg eviction.