The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1880-05-27
THE 1AREG1ENlNe LETTER.

The THREATENING LETTER.
The present Is not the only famine
which has uiteq kelsnt There was
one in ls2twAtrhthe reepl6 years after,
referred 70 as "The Dear Summer, 4"
and such an appellation was richly de-
served. Potatoes, the stample food of the
poor, rose from one cent per stone flour
teen pounds) to twenty eight cents that
year; oat-meal was as high as twenty
cents per quart, and starvation was
threatened. II. Castlebar, County Mayo
(where great Trouble. is. pow.l uctets
were given out lbr oat-n1e ~ fcco7 ding
70 the number ot.nouths in each family.
This was done by::a committee appointed
for that purpose; and remember that
people claimed that the said committee
had the best CT the suppliesfto fhennG
selves, for a song called The Commit
tee Meal" was suDg in the street, of
which can only remember the follow
ing couplet ending one of the verses: &.
Many quath<r Of prime mutton en- vu,e (veaD 4
W" tmss ss,n ~ the bile and e'm,ni.'es nae
The aliusion To the |" bilers" v meant esa,npta
the vessels In which soup was made for
distribution, and distinctly remembe-
the constables beating away the poor
creatures who came with their cans to
get some. When brighter time. bsgan
TO dawn another street. hallxd riade its
appearance, commene$ng.ss~ns% ~aR
"come, all 70 brave sons Of ould Grapus,
Take ecursge and don't Dc In grief;
Our mertifu, fath, r in heaven,
He son win Afford us relief. I"
Evictions, too, were frequent and the
little cabins which the poor people had
owned for years used to be levelled with
the groond and the poor inmates turned
adrift to do the hest they could, and
many who were old and feeble did not
survive It. This was usually done under
the protection of two or three COM
panies Df soldiers, and years afterward,
when i wasi soldier myself, and saw
this work done By men of my own regi-
ment felt disgusted with government
which would put the country's defenders
To such dirty work. The landlords were,
Of course hated foI this work, aud ven
geance was vowed against them, and
indeed 1t often proved to Be no idle
threat. rQFFsKRN n
The regiment ! Belonged to in 1s43
had but just returned from a service of
eleven years in British North America.
In 1914 / was stationed in Oughterard,
County Galway, where / was promoted
70 be a non-oommissioDed Oficer on the
1st Of March, 1874, and cent to Join ths
headquarters In my native town,
Castlebar. The spring Assizes COM
menced about the middle of this month,
and one day / strolled into the Grim
minal Court, wearing my cap (for an
English so 'dier never uncovers except
when tskipg the oath--not even in the
presence OF royalty) 1sDH iaEaa1J -
Al this period Ireland was greatly
sgitated. There were many evictions
by landlords, and O'Connell and several
& e.: & Z; T. i;s.''!::E " s:;: ;;
before suooNe2sa-ts@ahs~sstutc~onsthe
death Of his fethexr 1edauhilnf q
SsoaarFlS; sSoa | fsaJs i. " Il -
formed that man was to be tried for
4: ;:;::::: 4: a.! q: 4 E: 81;
The crier suddenly called "silenc y.
and the clerkaefzths crown .eallsd
Patrick Mulsesdy.t ~ kEEslTTT
A small farmer who owned only two or
three acrss .aRpeared at The, rfrent-,of
the the prdinssy - Isoss 2 "a da.sssS ss:sStb :
breeches worn Inn .2ahoEins men. and
!. :
seemed scarcelr nion.
~ he smiled nd
looked round ~
then proceeded ner
thus! "PfisC ox,
about the 10th ~ 49, .ln nbeS.
and the ssventh AZ the re1
Her Mot Gra616 Mliestv
Victoria, sent y fxrsaten u lr-
Charles Lsvei1o -. of,HT7
County Of Nc 4 lat ~ st7c
Majesty's- dou1 eslIsd ~
against the pea( | &uxc overeirn i +
the Queen, h& <&bh and drK
in;,,,, hGE s,y y0uf Eo9 ~
:" Not guilty replIe1 q ~
How win ysu s. trisd n - 12
BY God and my = yss Country, y . .SSsasS
sssrI.ss; sss .s,;Gass n ,5. fS!iHAsi ~
man, and an excellent lawyer, with ,
slight impediment iHbiUSpsoskvtfTr
A jury was room einpadsfiAd ahi
sworn, 'and thesoopusel 5orF 20 xrovI
rose and briefly, stating the .csse. CON
sludins BY reading the letter a. sfol
lows; sit iiy4 duod Nh z, .aid.-s,-,S-,, !,
..,,I. S;cLhs ,.,l rsPa.atisn lsn by Ienr Late =
,.a1sns Saa, syrsn m.Ss, a. ss.n t.sslsh yea a.