The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-06-20

F., were badly wounded in the attack on
the coach This account is taken
! from the Leinster Journal Of that date.
So common did such occurrences be-
come that one cannot take up news
paper or news letter of the period
( without finding accounts of the Abduc-
! tiOE club and its manifestations. At
/ last the government resolved TO stand
such a state Of affairs no longer.
! PrOclamatiOns were issued by the lord
! lieutenant and priyy council, announc-
! ing that any further law breaking on
I the part of the abduction clubs would
! be punished to the full extent of the
/ law, despite the position and connec-
] tons of the abductors. At the same
/ time abduction was made a capital Of
/ fense-punishable with death.
/ But the ''squireens" were not fright
I ened or deferred by these threats and
warnings So long had they enjoyed
/ immutiny that they fancied they could
continue to run away with whatsoever
girls they pleased. But in this they
were cruelty mistaken. A determined
lord lieutenant was at the helm and
he had no sympathy with the abduc-
/ ton clubs.
THE KENNEDY SISTERS.
In 1873 two young ladies made their
/ appearance upon the Irish social hori-
zon who combined in themselves the
rare attributes of considerable wealth
and great beauty They were Rather
inc and Anne Kennedy, daughters of a
county Waterford esquire of large es-
tate, Mr.. Kennedy of Rathmeathan
manor. A meeting of the South Lem
ster Abduction club was called and
lots were drawn for the heiresses. The
lucky cor as it afterward proved, hid
eously unlucky) members were Lieu
tenant James Strange. brother to the
3 RON M n1tulyiff and collateral an
cestor of the present Lord Bellew, and
Mr.. Gerald Byrne. cousin of the Earl
of Ormonde. Both were of eXcellenl
families and exceptionally we'll con-
nected. Mr.. Byrne was an easy-going.
rather stupid person, renowned as a
hard rider to hounds and fine ath-
lete. MT. Strange pronounced Strang),
on the contrary. was a young man of
violent, headstTong disposition, en-
dowed with a fair share of brains and
an ex-offfcer in the French service.
They were both % years of age and
neither had laid eyes upon the young
ladies who had fallen to them by lot.
The abduction clubs had spies in
every parish, and it was soon ascer-
tanned that, on certain day, the
Misses Kennedy would drive from
Lord Desart's country place (where
they had been Staying) to attend
performance in Kilkenny given by the
famous Samuel FOCfe. A meeting or
the conspirators was held in Kilkenny
and on the appointed day the APP
proaches to the theatre were guarded
by over 100 gentlemen, armed with
swords. and by twice that number of
peasants with shillelaghs. The fair
Kennedys attracted great attention as
they sat in a stage box during Mr..
Foote'S performance of THE Mayor of
Garratt;" and there, for the first time,
Strange and Byrne saw their destined
heiresses. The result was an immediate
voluntary exchange on the part of the
young men. Strange, TO whose lot
Katherine Kennedy had fallen, fell in
love with Anne at first sight, and
Byrne became equally smiSten with
Katherine. In the theatre they agreed
Ito swap sweethearts.
THE LAST ABDUCTION.
AS the ladies left the theatre, they
were escorted by their cousin, Mr..
Loughnan (whose sisters abduction has
been alluded to-. Sir Charles Cuffe and
Colonel Helsham. They were in the
act of stepping into coach, when four
gentlemen with wizards over their faces
attacked them. Colonel Helsham and
Mr.. Loughnan instantly drew their
swords, but the first-named gentleman
was struck down with a shillalah, while
Mr.. Loughnan fell pierced through the
shoulder with a rapier. Sir Charles
Cuffe attempted to seize the girls, but
the mob swarmed down upon him, and
he was finely stunned by blow from
the butt end of a pistol. Then the
Kennedys were carried rapidly to- the
other end of the Parade Ga fashionable
street,. where two coaches, each with
four horses and Dostillions, were in