Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1878-04-24
Lord Lcitrlln.

1orK Word gives the following account
OF Lord Leitrim, who was assassinated
by his evicted tenants on the ed inst:
William Sydney Clements, third
Earl of Leitrim, succeeded his father in
1854, and within a few years of his ac-
cession to the title and to the estates in
Donegal, Leitrim and Kildare, his name
had become symbol of terror over his
vast possessions, which comprised near
~ ninety thousand acres of territory.
An attempt was made upon his life at
characterization many years ago. and
ever afterwards it was the habit of the
unhappy Earl to travel armed. and
even to keep loaded weapons lying on his
table while he was at meals. For MANY
years he never appeared on his estates
in Donegal unaccompanied by consta-
bles armed to the teeth. He first be-
came notorious IN the North by his
evictions in Ramelton and Milford,
when Mr.. Lavens, the Rev. Robert
White and Others were the victims of
OF his arbitrary rule. His name added
Tor time new word to the language,
for when tenants in Donegal were cause
lessly evicted from their holdings on
any estate the popular expression was
that they had been Leitrimed." This
one word was understood to express the
last measure of injustice, harshness and
desolation. All through the decade
from 1857 to 1867, he reigncd in undis-
puted power IN his own portion of the
barony of kilmacrenan, for no one on
his estates chose to enter into conflict
with the man who had made such short
work Of recalcitrant tenants in Ramel.
ton and Milford. At length Mr. Glad
stone came into power, and Lord
Leltrim was no Indifferent spec
tator Of the reforms which that
statesman proposed in the land
laws of Ireland. He raved against the
Land bill in the House of Lords, and,
when it became law in spite of his pro-
testations, he ut once set to work to
compel his tenants to sign agreements
which would have debarred them from
making or sustaining any claims under
the provisions of the act. These agree
ments were set aside by the Court for
Land Cases Reserved, on the suit of the
Rev. Mr.. Stevenson. From the year
1871, and EDWARDS, Lord Leitrim has
never been out of the Land Courts, and,
though he was generally worsted in the
encounter so far as compensation was
concerned, he had the satisfaction of
turning the tenants that resisted out of
house and home. In one case q tenant
recovered forty-three years rent M
compensation for his contscated inter-
est in his farm. His lordship paid the
money, and next half-year set to
work for new crop Of evic-
tons. He had one remedy for the
peccadilloes of his tenants-eviction.
If they took seaweed--eviction Ii they
refused to give up field which he ca
priciously wanted to give somebody
else-eviction. If they contested his
right to take the pick Of the family into
his domestic service-eviction. If they
controverted his decision about an ease
ment or right of way-eviction. 1t was
not any sordid love of money which
led to his dispute with the tenantry, for
had they been content TO be slaves he
would have given them their slavery at
u cheap enough rate. An inordinate
love Of power was the one quality which
dominated all his actions. He spent in
law on fishery case with Mr.. Stewart,
Of Ards Thousand times more money
than the fishery would be worth till the
crack of doom. His form was ~ familiar
in the law courts rs that of the Chair
nan of the county, for he was always
present to superintend the con-
Quoting Of his own case. When he
thought the lawyer employed by him
was too yielding or TO amenable to rea-
son and law, he would take up the
cudgels himself and browbeat all round
until the judge called him to order.
His treatment of Mrs. Algoe in 1876
created widespread indignation, and in
many homes dismay. Rackrenting
was not his foible, for the rents on his
Donegal estate are rather under than
above the average of rents in the coun-
ty, bu. morbid love of d0mineering
over human beings seemed to have fair
~ eaten him up. He thought nothing
of spending f2OO or $500 to spite and
ruin q tenant who had taken cart OF
seaweed in violation of his estate
rules. He represented County
Leitrim several years in the
House of Commons. In the House Of
Lords he never spoke except on Irish
questions, and his brief speeches were
generally made in moving for returns
of one kind or another respecting land.
During last session of Parliament he
was a frequent visitor to the room
where Mr.. Lefevre's committee was sit
ting to take evidence on the operation
of the Bright clauses Of the land act.
That the horrible crime which has
brought troubled life to close is of
an agrarian character can hardly be
doubted. His relatives could, if they