The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-10-20

sporting themselves with the blood of
innocents. These barbarohs and saw
age cruelties were ordinaty not only
near Dublin, but in all OTHER parts of
the kingdom
One of the English officers. named
who commanded In Dun
dalk in 1G42, was able to boast that in
his district "there was neither man nor
beast to be found in 16 mles between
the towns of Drogheda and Dundalk,
nor on the other side of the Dundalll,
in the county of Monaghan. nearer
than Carrickmacross." Another writ
er states that "the Puritans of the
north shot down the Catholics as wild
beasts and made it their special de-
light to imbrue their swords in the
hearts blood of all the male children"
When in April, 1912, the Earl of
induced the citizens of
Galway to submit and took them un-
der the kings protection, he received
a reprimand from the lords justices.
declaring that he should have perse-
cuted them with fire and sword"
Moreover, to prevent like clemency for
the future, "they issued general Or
der to the commanders Of all garrlsons
not to presume to hold any correspond
ence of treaty with any Of the Irish
papists dwelling or residing in any
place near or about their garrisots, or
to give protection, immunity or dispen-
sation from spoil, burning or other
prosecution of war, to any of them,
but to persecute all such rebels with
fire and sword, according to former
commands and proclamations In that
behalf"
Sir Charles Coote was one of the
leading champions of Puritanism in
Ireland, and of him in particular and
his associate officers McGeoghan
writes: "There were no exceptions in
the barbarous orders which they gave
to the soldiery when letting them
loose to make their bloody hunts
among the Irish Catholics" Yet far
was the parliament from reproving the
conduct of this sanguinary monster,
and when he was slain at Trim, in
April, 1642, we are informed by Bor-
lase that floods of English tears ac
companied him to the grave"
The manner of his death is thus de-
scribed: At Trim there were two very
beautiful statues of IS. Peter and Paul
which were held in great veneration.
These Coote caused to :se hewn in
pieces and thrown into the fire. There
was also a very ancient image of Our
Blessed Lady, engraved in wood,
which met the fate Of the other stat
ues, at the instigation of Sir Charles,
"that he might provoke the Catholics
to resent the insult so that he might
burn the town." While he was seated
in chair watching the burning of the
three statues it was announced that q
body of Irish troops was ut hand and
before he could quit the spot he was
shot dead.
Another instance of the cruelty of
Sir Charles Coote is thus related: He
received an order from the council in
Dublin in 1841 to proceed to County
Wicklow against the O'Brynes. ellis
troops killed all that came in their way
both man, woman and child-nay, they
would murder women in their very
travail" One Of his troopers carried
on the point of his spear the head of q
little babe which he cut off after kill
ing the poor mother, (which Coote oh
serving said that he was nightly
pleased with many such frolics.'
The younger Sir Charles Coote RI
vailed his father in those deeds of cruel
ty. He commanded the army in Nun
ster at the time Of the death of Over
Roe O'Neill. The author of the Alith
inologia attests that as soon as the
Irish leader, the only check to his raw
ages, was removed he acted like anoth
er Attila, devastating the provinces OF
Ulster and Connaught and spreading
desolation everywhere, 'massacrine
the inhabitants, destroying the sacred
edi1iccs and putting to death the cler
gy."