Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-05
HIS SAVIOR AND BRIDE
Romance and Tragedy in Irish
Rural Life.
REAL BATTLE FOUGHT
PEASANTS RESENTED EFFORTS
TO DISPoSSESS THEM.
Mary Moninn's Bravery and Humanity
Proved Daring Deed
of Love.

1T Is now tWenty-One years since the Oc-
currence of the incident / am about to re-
late. yet it seems to me like yesterday, so
wildly is it fixed on my mind" said a
Washingtonian yesterday.
1T was III the second year of the land
league agitation. NO rent manifestoes had
not Vet been issued, jails had not been
filed with agitation leaders. but in conse-
quence Of one Of those ever-recurring bad
narvests' a general doarth of the means of
subsistence in the rural districts of Ireland.
and particularly of Connaught, had rem
dered friction in the collection of rents
practically inevitable.
About that time relief expedition of
volunteer laborcrs from the north of Ire
land had come to the aid of Captain Boy
colt, in Mayo, the man whose treatment by
his neighbOrs at that juncture has added
a new word To the English language
Boycotting. though not then designated
by that name. had been commenced in a
few other districts of the west. and one or
two of my immediate ne!ghbors who had
rendered themselves conspicuous in admin
istering the boycott cure had been SER
fenced To short terms of imprisonment
As was then and afterward usual on
suCh occasions. the country people collected
and did the work on the farms of the =, ic-
Tins IN few hours which would REQUIRE
as many weeks to perform in the ordinary
course Every man brought with him a
SPADE shovel or other suitable implement
Of agriculture.
on this occasion l welded a spade and
made a unit in the spontaneous gathering.
People had come even from the far md
OF the parish to swell the crowd of en-
lhuSlastlc Iaborers; and on the following
evening | was startled to hear that SOM
or my fellow workers of the previous Gay
mad been engaged in violent conflict win
the police which resulted in at least ,f.rce
fatalities.
Returned With Arms.
II occurred IN this way: In poor dis
trio named Monasteraden on the boriers
or Mayo and Sligo counties. the tenant
FARMERS had failed to pay their rents The
landlords agent had. in consequence. issued
instructions TO have ejectment processes
served on them. This duty was assigned to
local process server named Rrodir He
went alone on his mission the first dav hut
WIS lohed- The country people. anticinat-
ing mis- unwelcOme me ssage had mot tir,
OF Ihe way and pelted him back with mud.
f.hraSed at this treatment Rrodir re-
turned next day armed with a revolver .,na
accompanied by four members of tho Iorai
PolIce iorce from the neighboring barracks
z, a .tI shroe- one of these was Sergeant
armstrong. a persona non grata' in me
Instruct owing To his strenuous execution az
tIs ia" IN us smallest details Another
was constable Hayes, fine looking speci-
q q
o'her TWO do not now remember and tbey
are OF no material consequence so far as
the subject of my story is concerned.
ne sergeant evidently meant busipeSs
TOT ne and his companions carried tbeir
guns loaded with buckshot the reg11Iation
ammunition for use by the r0yal Irish Gov,
stabuiary, just then introduced by the Riph,
mon. w r Forster. then chief secretary IN
Ihe Iord lieutenant Of Ireland The intrr
uUctloh or buckShot was due ii is said 70
the humanity of Mr. Forster who cnnsidD
ered IL less fatal in its results and re+
more effective in dispensing a riotous crowd
than the rifle bullet 0"u
On approaching the scene of the nro
p'std process serving the little party cana
10 small plateau in the road. and ON reach
ing the top they found themselves con-
1ronted by considerable crowd Of MOI
women ana children. who had assemhIeJ
IN tne hollow beyond. with the object of
AGAIN preventing service of the dreaded
e1ectment process.
"A halt was ordered The sergean, called
on the people to disDerse and warned thew
not TO interfere with the administrator
o: the law His words did not produce m,
desired effect, and. to what happened
Immediately afterward. different versions
are gwen by the police and the people
ne FORMER say they were attacked. bv a
shower OF missiles: the latter aver that only
one stone from the macaGamized road was
thrown In the direction of the police. and
thal by small boy. Be this as it may. the
sergeant immediately ordered his men to
me on the crowd