The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-12-02
Origin of the Molly Maguircs.

The organization has very large mem
bership in Pennsylvania. The hcadquar
tcrs of the chiefs being there also One
mood Yesterday. furnished your corrc-
spondcnt with the following facts about
the origin and formation of. the Molly
Mcguire society. The body Is hut one
OF the numerous organizations that
came into existence i'll Ireland during
the latter part of the last century.
These secret bodies were known hy diff
icrcnt arpcllations. such as the Lev
oilers. the white Boys the Hearts
q steel. or Steel Boys" the " Peer
q Day Boys. the Right Boys and
others. These, although operating I'M
der different names. had generally hut
One common purpose in view. which
was to resist the rapacity of landlords
who rented their lands far above their
value. and. when the tenant had not the
means to pay promptly on rent day.
seized his goods or flung him and his
family out to perish by the roadside
Many persons are said to have died
through exposure 10y these crucltics.
At the time whcu the name of Il land
lord i'll Ireland WIS the synonymc Of
cruelty, there lived in the County of
Roscommon an old woman named Molly
Mcguire She had small holding of
Land. and struggled hard to bring up
the family of bows which her husband
had left her The constant failure Of
the crops made her somewhat tnrdv III
paying her rent, and ut length the land
agent an INSCRIPTIONS man deter
mined to eject her from the little home
that WAS SO full OF sacred rccolcctons
to her. He summoned his - crow bar
brigade gang of men kept in those
days 10y every land agent for the pnr-
pose of rNicting tenants, throwing the
houses over the heads of those who ir-
fused to leave. and Selling the cattle of
others for rent and went to the "shul-
ing" hat or cottagc) of Molly Mcguire.
The gray-haircd mairon WIS alone mt
her spinning wheel when the cruel gang
came. They commanded her To leave
but SO attached WAS she to the old hearth,
SO hcaribrokcn at the prospect OF eve
ton. that she said she would die first.
and refused to be- dragged from the hut.
The brigade then commenced their work
Of destruction, and, laying their icono-
elastic hands ON the cottage, soon
hurled it over the PROSTATE form Of old
Mrs. Mcguire, who was killed IN the
ruins. The cruel act stirred the l,opu
lar sentiment to white heat, and at the
old wnman's wake. II few cnra%cI and
desperate men pledged themselves to
he rcvcngcd for her death. Headed Ivy
two of Molly MlGuirc5 sons, they
bundled themselves into II society, To
which they gave the murdered woman's
name, and III II short time 1t spread
throughout the adjoining Counties OF
Mayo and Galway. Land agents were
occasionally shot. barns burned, and OF
ten in the morning an agent went INTO
his domain and WAS shocked to see hls
fine herd Of cattle disigurcd 10y having
| their tails cut OF during the night.
! These atrocities continued for some
! time. but ut present are unknown IL
ireland. The introduction of the Molly
| Mcguire movement in the coal regions
occurred about the close of the war. 1t
was revived by some dissatisfied and
desperate miners for the purpose of hay
ing revenge. on mine bosses and others
in authority in and around the col licrics,
and received its title from some of the
old work men who in their younger days,
ut home, held tryst with the leaders III
some secluded spot where the ''pcclcrs'
would not he likely to find them.
SuKEWD PLAGIARISM. While litcrt-
turc continues, Plagiarism will exist,
and prctcndcrs snatch from honest writ
crs their Just dues. \ friend of ours,
smart enough in his way, but not quito
equal to his position rs minister, for
years pursued IL very clever system %
plagarsni and, through the excellence
Of the sermons he delivered, became ii
f.voric with his people. BY and by one
of his old col g mates paid him IL visit,
spent the sabbath with him, and heard
him preach. The visitor was surprised
- TO depth and power of the sermon,
....l questioned him, aftcrward, concern
.lg It, saying it was the best he had
ever heard. The minister laughed.
You can keep IL sccr~t?' he asked.
"Wcll, then, I'll tell you about it, My
wife i, Il scholar. She selects sermons