The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-07-06
TARGETS FOR BOTH SIDES.
Irish Constabulary Object to Blows
from ALI Factions.
THEY ARE DENIED THE PLEASURE
OF HITTING BACK.

"TaISing One Consideration with Another,
"A Policeman's Lot Is Not a Happy One."
Irish Newspapers Filled with Accounts of
Sundays Battles-One Man Who Was
Mistaken for William O'Brien Came
Pretty Near Dying for that Famous
Leader.
LONDON, July 5.-The constant fight
ing between the Irish factions is making
an enormous amount of work for the
Irish constabulary, and that much abused
body of men are beginning to grumble
pretty openly against the extraordinary
burdens placed upon them. In every
row between the Parnellites and anti
Parnellites the police are sure to receive
blows from both sides, impartially, when
they interfere, and they declare that on
this account they are really greater suf-
ferers than either of the combating par
ties, as they are victims not of one body
of assailants merely, but of two. The
police could very easily defend them
selves in an open conflict, but their Or
ders from headquarters are such as to
keep them wholly onthe defensive, with
out any power to retaliate upon their
tormenters. This, in fact, is the chief
cause of the grumbling in which thew
are indulging. If they had chance to
break a head now and then they would
find enough amusement in the pastime
to compensate them for the unusual la
bors and hardships to which they are
now subjected. The governments or
ders are to maintain strict impartiality
between the parties; not to use their ba-
tons unless under severe proyocation and
not to think of
Bayonets or Rifles
except in grave emergency. 1t is pre-
sumed that these orders are due to the
necessity which the government feels it
self under of keeping Ireland free from
actual bloodshed during the elections, so
that Mr.. Balforr's policy toward the
country may be vindicated in the appar-
ent peacefulness of the people.
Sunday was an especially hard day for
the police. The officers in nearly every
town and village were kept on active
duty in the hot sun instead of being
given at least a partial day of Sunday
rest after their fatigue of the past week.
Many of the men are firmly convinced
factions would be benefit to all con-
cerned, aud they have very slight sym
pathy for policy which keeps the ex-
citement at fever heat while allowing no
safety valve for it's dissipation, such as
would be afforded by few tests of
strength and of skill with blackthorns.
The police are likely to have need
of all of their patience and forbearance if
the result of the elections indicates the
Coming of Home Rule
for Ireland. In that case the people will
feel encouraged to ill-use the constables
as they have never ventured to do be-
fore, knowing that the time is imminent
when these hatred representatives of
English rule will be given their congo.
The accounts in the Irish newspapers
indicate that Sundays fighting was of
the most desperate nature. But for the
efficient protection given him by the po-
lice escort, O'Brien would almost GER
tainly have been killed at Limerick. The
attack upon him was evidently well
planned, and it looks as though con
siderable number of persons had been
carefully selected for the purpose, as the
repeated and desperate assaults made
upon the police lines were not like the
usual desultory surges of an irresponsi-
BILE mob. The Gordon maintained by the
police was almost broken through several
times by these concerted onsets, and what
would have happened to O'Brien if the
constables had been less dogged in their
performance of duty may be imagined
from the fact that man alongside of
OBrien who was captured during one of
the rushes of the crowd, was almost
kicked to death before it was discovered
that he was not the eminent victim
whom the mob were seeking. When
O'Brien reached his hotel he was in
state of nervous prostration. He could
barely walk, and admitted that he was
too exhausted and excited to even at
tempt again to deliver an address. The
meeting which had been projected was
therefore abandoned. Later in the day,
however, Mr.. O'Brien rallied somewhat
from the effects of his ill-treatment, and
addressed two small impromptu meet
ings.