The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-04-18
WICKED EARL LE|TR|M.
One of His sslayers Speaks From
the Depths Of His
Grave, ..
A Tragedy of Donegal Recalled
by the Death of His
Successor.
How a Hard, Cruel and Licentious Man
Brought About His Own End
His Executioners' Fate.

A few days ago there died in Cambria
county, Pennsylvania, an Irishman known
as Hugh Boyle, says the New York World.
He was about 80, and, although only a COM
mon laborer, much respected for his EN-
perance, integrity and industry. About the
same time the English journals announced
the decease of Robert Birmingham
Clements, fourth earl of Leitrim. in the
county of Donegal, Ireland. The connec-
ton between the peer and the laborer is
due to the tragic fact that Boyle was the
last survivor of the men who. i'll 1873, shot
to death tho third earl, by whose removal
Richard Clements, then a poor lieutenant
in the British navy, was raised to rank and
wealth.
It is a fact that even the Protestant gem
try of the north of Ireland, who are frat to
denounce aRrarian crime, regarded the kill
Ing of Lord Leitrlm as the inevitable re-
suit of his evil life and character.
Boyle's right name was Stephens and he
belonged TO a family of yeo1nan peculiar to
the north-sturdy,~ law-abiding and indus
tr~lous-devout Presbyterinns, whose strong
est motive in life is to maintain the tenant
right of Ulster, which secures to them a
EGLul6u L6Ilulb J. blC1I lduu anu 4 freedom
from the tyranny that Expresses their Cath
olic brethren in the south.
For thirty yea Is the earl of Leitrim had
been at strife with his tenants-he had
$4,000 acres Of land stretching across three
counties and giving him a rental of over
80, 900 per annum, and he snent the hest
part of this in harnssinp his poorer neicb-
bors by suits at law, but the worst trait WINS
shown in his brutal and lustful attem nta
to dishonor the wives and daughters of his
tenants, and to accomplish this his infiu-
ence as q peer and magistrate mud hia
power rs a landlord were used without fenr
or r~estraint-in fact there wag NOT n wor,s
scoundrel in Europe, and it was with frutb
that hts taking ca was described az "a Wild
act of natural justice"
Hugh Stephens had served in the British
army for five years and with an excellent
record as Il soldier. On his return home ba
rented n small place and commenced iife "a
a farmer. One day he met his landlord
driving on the road and was ordered tt,
ditch his little cart SO as to make room for
the peers coach, and this was
enforced with a horsewhip. and this re-
scented with a cudgel, the earl getting much
the worst of it. This was the beginning OF
trouble for StephsnS-he was eyicted and
ruined by litigation. and his sister, n bean.
tiful and Intelligent girl. WAS assaulted by
a ruffanly retainer of his landlord and hel
character assailed. Some of the %neighbor-
ing gantry took this up. the man was ar
rested, tried and sentenced to ten years
imprisonment. Leitrim was furious, anc
swore yengsnce IN all concerned.
In March, 1878, a dozen of the tenantrl
met at a rath In the mountains overlooking
Tough toyle. One of the oldest and mos
respected of the men on the estate said
few words to the effect that the tyranny o.