The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-20
LORD LEITRIM.
The Eviction and LegallZed Robbery OF
John and James LAWNS.
AN OLD STORY RETOLD.
His Exaggerated Ideas OF
Landlord Privileges.
HIS MORAL CHARACTER.
The Story OF the Ruined Girl
COrrobOrated.
HIS MORAL CHARACTER

Leitrnl. tho great Irish andhoder who has recently
met such terrible DEATH Is NJ present merchant IN
this CITY lie Ia other than Mr. John LAWNS whose
treatment at tho hands OF Lord Lcitrim. OF whom
he was tenant twcntytwo years ago. created great
sensation at timc rms gentleman aud his fathor
James Lawns, occupied three farms a; Mifrcd,
county Donegal when the late Earl came
INTO tho property. they had greatly i'm
proved their holdings thar thoy were Tho
finest Lerim lands IN all Donegal. They
had built nnc dwellings, tanncry, barns, stables,
outhouses, several small dwellings, ana made many
other very valuable improvements, nil at their own
expense, and requiring IN course Of time the cx.
penditure Q. very large amount Of money.
The Lawns family had lived on this ground
for over hundred years. They had come TO 1t when
II was part OF the college lands owned by Trinity Col
csc, Dublin, and before It passoa INTO the hands OF
Reginald the second Earl of Leitrim. father OF
tho hard and cxactne lately shot.
Tue EARL.
Reginald was good man and Il KIND and consider
ate landlord. As miGdienan he was loved BY tho
tcnaniry who held the college lands under him. ara
the lavnsos aud other holders were told that they
were 10 have long lcascs their farms
OLD Earl obtained his tiiio to the college anus
aud His Lordship's word good as his bond
But alter living to grest ago he dci before these
leases could be executed, and the ubc late Ear)
succeeded tho pflnceiy IN lS0l Meantime
tho Lawns family had become prosperous enter
prsing farmers ana traders Thcy built up
the town of Milford. engaged extensively
in business, gave employment to many
families and contributed much tho general wei
faro Of their neghbors. These all facts
tho newspapers OF the time gave testimony when
their case aftcrward was called 10 tho attention OF
Parliament ana tho country. Upon their farms they
had laid out tner own money until they were tho
most valuable on The Leitrm estate.
CHANGE FOR THE WORSE.
Such in brief seems to navc been tho condition OF
tho Lawns family when, IN 1854, tho iaic Earl
cccdcd his father IN tho ownership OF estates,
reaching ninety Thousand Of iand. The new
Earl stood by quietly Tor a while, watch ng CON
plclion OF some improvements John Lawns was
making, and then, IN 1856, six months
notice without cause, and without the
payment OF ono penny, no took pos
session of the Lawns farms and properties and drove
tho tenant homeless and nearly pcnniesa, from uu-
der the rootrce which had sheltered his ancestors
century. Protests aud appeals 10 DO reimbursed Tor
tho improvements winch the tenant had made
at his cost and for ut least u moicty OF the
large sums OF money he had expended wcre all
In vain. Tho landlord hnd the power under the law
to drivc out tenant and take advantage Of all that
no had donc TO increase the value OF tho property
was the beginning OF Lord Lcitrim's exercise OF
tho right oil eviction, and this tho mor-
cicss policy which aitcrward made his very
name terror To his tcnantry. Tho Lavinsos
wore so widely known and SO thoroughly
respected that there general cry Of Indignation
at The outrage which had been Inflicted upon ihcm.
The attention Of Parliament called TO tho matter
the Lawns case served and striking Illus.
tratlon OF tho injustice o. tho English law between
landlord ana tenant In Ireland. Mr. Gladstone took
official cosn,zancc OF tho victim, and good um iicy
grew out OF ~, Tor tho Premier. with this for
text. urged tho Tenant Right law good effect
and eviction Is no longer the tvranncal aud arbitrary
prcrogstivc OF a grnsping land holder VINO wishes to
pcrsscute the wrctcncd tenanty Of his Irish estates
al least nis power IL somewhat restricted.
LAWNS.
Mr.. John Lawns. as before stated Is IN basincss
In this city. where be has hvcd since coming to
America in 1851 lie Is wholesale liquor dealer and
hi onicc is at No 2o3 south Second street. When
caI ell upon him To day and asked what no know
about tho late Iord Leitrim, tho old mans facc
flushed with anger AS he answered that he knew
him to DO urJast misery tyranncal landlord and
a hocrtine (using very offensive cpithc,l But no
checked himself quickly. for tho anger was only mo-
mcptary. he told the story OF bis wrongs It
was IN a cain and patient way 1t was only afor much
questioning that | was ablc TO get a clear un der
standing OF tho great addition 10 the vaiuc or
Lord Lcitrm's land which John Lawns and his fn.hcr
had made, aud rot until had read several papers aud
old letters did nnacrstand the full extent of ,c To-
gaiized robbery which the grinding Earl had
prac,iscd upon his tenants. Mr.. Lawns Is
apparently gentleman OF Intelligence and
refinement, aud he seemed modost.y dislnciinod
to parade hts wrongs, Tho more 50, perhaps,
because no has heard that tho young man to whom
,ttto cd ,c Ynct "A
IKE the Lcitrims Of DID, and the evictci tenant In
tends to write 10 him n statement OF his with
request for reimbursement, which would not come
amiss, even after 30 many years, "ior I am poor
man. " said Mr.. Lawns
TENANT
1--WE lvcd Just outside the town OF Milford, county
Donog1" said Mr.. Lawns "within two miles Of whcro
the shooting TOOK place. Know the spot whore tho
Earl was shot better than whore sitting.
My father and myself had three farms, about seventy
IN all The ,hroc places were called Drumbarn.
wolparK ard Artciliy. Improved they
they wcrc worth G3 200 and
el.ooo rboy wcro tho ancsl sort of farms. In tho
best order, and we had bult two fine Dwellings Tor
our families, two smaller houses, besides barns.
stables, outhouses auu Ny father
had nnncry ana ! furnished help. Our
family had lived there tor "a hundred years fno
farms had originally boon tho college landa. aud
Lord Lctrim's latter, the Earl Reginald became the
middcman who decided u out under the college. rho
tenants had no long leases. bat the old Earl was an
honorable landlord we knew that under him VIC would
all receive iair treatment, and wc id no tense, and
needed mono. An act OF Parliament had
been passed under which tho Earl could purchase
tho college lands Tor about nftcur years rental, anu
THIS wDua give aim the right TO docd u IN fee staple.
The old Earl died before these title deeds were per-
fcctcd. elise We would have haa q long loaxe.
A. long 10 lived The tenants were happy
aud the es,0tcs prosperous. There such conn.
dcnco IN him that tenant rights were sold Tor large
sans. We could have got halt as much again for our
farms as We valued them during the Old Ears ilc.
The latc Lord, who succeed ell him, very unlike
him. aud there were dark timos after he came. Jhe
was hard, cruel man. who oppressed nis tenants Ia
every way have heard Std he was not a Clements
al all, but was changed at nurse, ana some have de-
ciarcd he was mad, but ,hink there was too much
method IN ~ Tor tnat.'
rltE gKoiSSlSo rnR EvIcuoss.
Mr.. Lawns proceeded to relate his expcricnct
win the late Lord. when questioned upon IL ny 70
icrfng mo TO several ola lettcrs and papers, iron
a. N-4