The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-12
IRISH AGRARIANISM.
THE DIFFICULTIES BETWEEN TEN.
ANTS AND LANDLORDS IN
THE GREEN ISLE.
Increase In the Spirit Of Lawlessness
During the Past Year some Inter-
est1ng Criminal statistics.
New York World.l


be famous In the annals Of Ireland as that Of
the assassination OF Lord Leitrim, his clerk
and car-driver, a murder which has caused as
wide and deep excitement as did the first
notable "agrarian crime" the doing to death,
by murderer never discovered, of Lord
Norbury, son OF the execrated Judge who
sentenced Emmett. The history Of these out
RACES, from the time he was shot while walk
ing with his steward In the plantations Of
Durrow Abbey, forty years ago tomorrow,
down to the triple tragedy of Cratlagh wood
on the I'd of April last was told in detail in
the World, but interest In the general subject
has been revived by the publication Of the
Irish criminal and judicial statistics for the
year; and we have taken the pains to Gull
from the columns Of our Irish exchanges
during the summer illustrations that may
lend additional significance to the figures.
| Drunkenness is still assigned as
THE LEADING CAUSE OF CRIME
| in the Green Isle. AS to Ignorance, some
striking facts are adduced. or the meR and
| boys committed to the Irish jails as ordinary
criminals last year-the statistics are for
| 1877, and the special report on agrarian crime
comes down to June 30, 1S7S-38.7 per cent
could neither read nor write, the proportion
| In England being 1912, and in France 2s.9. OF
those that could read and write well, the pro-
portion In Ireland was Al per cent, while In
England and Wales 1t was only IL. AS to men
and boys imperfectly educated, In Ireland the
percentage was only III. while In England
and Wales 1t was 63.2. Men Of superior edu-
cation accused OF crime are--in Ireland, O.8
per cent; In England, o.; and In France, 4.S.
There are as strong contrasts In the case OF
the females. In Ireland 54.S per cent OF the
women and girls were wholly uneducated as
compared with so In France and 38 In England
and Wales, while as Ia those that could read
and write we'll the RI entage In Ireland was
23.2, and across the channel only "a.
INDICTABLE oFFENsEs.
On the total number Of indictable offenses
In an equal population, Ireland has a great
advantage over England, the figures being
roundly as Is for Ireland and "a for the sister
country, but the ratio Is not sustained In
most OF the classes. England's excess Is
largely made up Of theft and similar offenses,
and In the larger island there Is bad pre-
eminence Of crimes against women and Of
lenses against property without violence, not
malicious In character. On the other hand,
offenses against life, assaults and riots are
relatively much more numerous in the land
of the shillalagh. Simple riots are fifty
times more frequent in Ireland than in
England; an Irishman will assault police
man eight times while an Englishman will
once, and the proportion OF general as
saults, malicious offenses against property
In the last ease the excess Is 80 per cent
among the Celts than among the Saxons
While the country districts furnish the
greater percentage OF grave crimes, the great
from the towns. More than half the indlct-
able offenses not disposed OF summarily in
Ireland 1922 Of 6328) took place In the Dub
lin metropolitan district, which far exceeds
London In the matter OF small thefts. Dublin
has .one-sixteenth OF the population, and
whiIp the avpt,a o. Of Offanepc Cf fhic
sort is in the whole island less than twelve In
every 10000 souls, In Dublin 1t Is ninety
seven.
AS TO AGRARIAN CRIME,
it, has been rising steadily since in 1875 it
reached a minimum OF 1885, the lowest recorded
for many years, except In the abnormally
peaceful season OF 1866, when only 81 offenses
Of this class were recorded. The maximum
was In 1870, 1929. From 1876 In 1875 the figures
rose to POI In 1876, and 236 In 1877; the first
the same period In 1877, which would indicate
for the year a total OF $50. OF this increase
the report says that 1t is accounted for by
the increase OF % In intimidation by threaten
ing notices or other causes, and OF ID In crimes
against human life, including the murder of
the Earl OF Leitrim, his clerk and car-driver,
on the second OF April. Up to that period the
crimes Of intimidation had diminished by II
In the three months. Subsequently they in |
creased by 80 OF the sad consequences to |
IL
that the increase appears to bave arisen from |
that crime and the use made OF it for the pur- |
pose Of intimidation"
THEIR ORIGIN, ETC.
The agrarian crimes all possess common |
features in their origin and execution. For
Instance, the case Of Margaret Hayes. MUIR
1 sao pear near Emily IipPerary. in August; In
Ann, and thereafter lived with her father, in
whose name the rent was paid. In 1856 Mar
yaret came to America, where she was when |
ler father died, his intention OF leaving will |
iisinheriting the McGraths and preferring
Margaret being a subject Of public gossip. |
he died intestate, but Margaret went home
rom New York, took out letters OF admins
ration, and evicted her brother-in-law. After
mass on quiet Sunday in August she was
trolling through the fields, when she was
titled. She was strangled; her neck was dis
coated; she was stabbed twice in the throat
md twice In the head; her nose was smashed,
md there were three other confused wounds
N the skull. One brother-in-law found the
'Ody, but said nothing about the matter for
wo hours: The sympathies OF the avowed
riends Of the deceased, wrote local reporter, |
are entirely with the perpetrators OF the
rhine, and no person seems disposed to lend
erers.' When the prisoners (the McGraths)
we're removed, crowd collected in Emily
md stoned the police" Three years ago
lartin OGorman, respectable farmer of
5allyclare, Limerick, evicted two tenants,
Who had to emigrate; last summer he was
ound on the road one morning with
lis skull battered in and his throat cut. A
armer named Dolan Of Coplattin, West
meath, purchased holding from which a
enant had been elected. Ona Saturday night
q October band Of unknown men burst into
lis house and stabbed him to death. Just a |
ortnlght ago Patrick Madden, bailiff, who
lad had an alteration with some tenants
bout turfery, was shot through the head
While riding home near Tuam. December
I W.s,nty unknown men burst into the house of
William Reynolds, farmer at Bann, Cavan.
nd beat him within an inch of his life with
ticks and stones, threatening him as they
eparted with 1.-THE death of Lord Leitrim."
t Barna, Galway, Mr.. A. Vesey's agent, a
IT. jackson, was expected on certain day to
oliect the rents. His room was prepared
nd lighted at his house, but he did not come.
Ihich was just as well for him, because lust
the moment after the arrival OF the train
nat he would have been likely to enter the
partment a volley from four guns was fired
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