Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-12-21
ST. PAUL. Dec. 20. 1850

To the Public
Recent events of public concern de-
mand the following statement and report
concerning the true condition of affairs in
the Connemara colony
Ever since the unprecedented storm of
October reports of severe suffering among
the COnnemaras have been current They
have been promptly denied by men in the
Graceville colony, and by men whose po-
sitien should have enabled them to have
known better. These reports would not
down, becoming better and better authen-
ticated, until the board of trade of Morris
took the matter in hand, and appointed
Henry Hutchins, justice of the peace of
Morris, an old settler and man of SUBJ
stance and character, to personally inves-
tigate and report upon the condition of
the Connemaras.
Mr.. Hutchins, calling to his aid Geo.
Mcpherson as pilot and driver, made a
thorough investigation and reported the
facts. The actual facts were ugly, and
were promptly denied and denounced as
false by the priest Ryan, and his crew.
On Monday last Bishop Ireland request
ed me to proceed with Dillon O'Brien to
the Connemara settlement O'Brien
started from st. Paul the next morning,
reaching Morris the same evening. l left
St. Paul Wednesday morning, reaching
Morris that evening. On the train that
day l found copy of
the Pioneer Press. containing Hutchins
statement and report to the board of
trade. Of my own knowledge had good
reason to believe the report substantially
true, my business having kept me in the
neighborhOOd of the alleged suffering
most of my time ever since the Connema-
"a crowd settled there
| had often thought of the inevitable
suffering IN store for those poor people
when winter came, and with many other
old frontiermen had frequently discussed
the matter among ourselves, but were al
ways snubbed by prominent Catholics in
and around Graceville whenever we al
luded to the subject.
Knowing the difficulty of getting man
and proper conveyance at Graceville to
carry us rapidly over the prairies, and
knowing it to be a case involving the
loss of human life should another blizzard
soon set in, l arranged the following plan
while on the cars, viz: to get
the fastest team | could procure
in Morris and with Hutchins and
Mcpherson, who had recently been over
the same ground, 60 over it again and
with O'Brien, whom | at once notified of
this arrangement, to meet me the next
forenoon at the eastern end of the settle
ment, some ten miles east of Graceville.
| fully expected O'Brien to meet me at
the point indicated, as my message was
promptly delivered to O'Brien on the ar
rival of the train at Graceville at about
1890 A. NJ. Thursday l carried out the
programme to the letter, visiting sixteen
families the same day left Morris, and
getting into Graceville sometime after
dark.
+ You will now be as much surprised as
[ was when | tell you that as soon as
Hutchins learned of O'Brien's arrival at
Morris on Tuesday evening he called on
O'Brien and requested the privilege of
accompanying him on his proposed trip
of investigation, and that o. Brien refused
to allow him to go in his company This
request was repeated and again refused
[ considered it blunder on the part of
O'Brien and came to the conclusion that
if any one could fool me into having any,
thing to do in getting up a withdrawing
report they were mistaken in their man
Bishop Ireland requested me to make a
thorough investigation and report to
him the EXACT FACTS, and if found any
cases of suffering to relieve them
promptly and draw on him for the
money. There was no understanding
expressed or implied that / should play
second fiddle to anyone When | found
O'Brie had blundered, had fallen in the
hands of Ryan, the priest, and was
counseling with him, | took the bit in my
own mouth.
Here are the facts, taken down briefly
as possible in each shanty as | visited it.
The first shanty we struck as we drove
from Morris to Graceville was Ed. Melias',
some ten miles east of Graceville. Got
there little before noon, found Melias at
home, both hands and ears considerably
frozen, while on trip to the priest, Ryan,
for relief: said he told the priest his fami-
ly was suffering with cold and hunger,
was out of wood and food and
would all die; that Ryan repuls-
ed him roughly, told him to go home,
and if they died he would bury them,
says the priest is a id brute, has had no
wood of any account this winter, had no
wood during the storm in October, no
milk, COW dry, has had no meal at all,
only one blanket and one quilt, about
two days supply of wood on hand,
some two bushels rotten potatoes.
Found his daughter, a girl sixteen OF
seventeen years old, in bed with both
legs frozen from knees down to her
ankles, and turned black. The mother
and one smaller child more or less frosted
in the shanty some time ago. Here we
had expected to meet Dillon O'Brien
and while waiting for him drove over to
VOLTS, nearby, who corroborates Melias'
statement. Took them food when they
were starving, and probably saved their
lives. After feeding our horses and wait
ing sufficient time for O'Brien we struck
south to Michael Curran's. Wife and four
children; have had in all half cord of
wood this winter; burns hay; son works
out and sends some money home; has had
a barrel of corn meal; decent, respectable
sort of folks.
VIM Burke, nearby, has had three
quarters of cord of wood of the priest.
and one barrel corn meal: four children
from IA to years; supply of wood can
be made to last six or seven DAYS: pro-
visions for week
.,l, Il To II