The Irish standard., 1902-12-13
MOST REV j. McEVILLY.
The Aged Archbishop Of ::TuamI. Mas
Passed Away.

! IOuI OdLuO11C GCClCSlISLlCS
of Irish birth or extraction have died
within the year. The last of the four
was the Most Rev. John McEvilly,
Archbishop Of Tuam in Ireland, who
died on Wednesday, Nov. 26. The
other three were Archbishops Corri-
gan of New York, Feehan of Chicago,
and Croke Of Cashel. All Of them had
reached an advanced age. That of the
late Archbishop of Tuam was S5.
Archbishop McEvilly had been wear
ing the inter as bishop and archbishop
for more than 45 years. He was for
! some time president of a college and
was profound student of the Scrip
lures. The results of his scriptural
studies he produced from time to time
in commentaries on the Epistles, e"
which have attained a worldwide eel
| ebrity.
Outside his valuable contributions
to religious literature he was simply Al
Woodworking churchman of the old
conservative school Of the Roman
Catholic hierarchy of Ireland. AL
though descended from the peasant
or small farming class, he took, unlike
his celebrated contemporary, Archbish-
op Croke, little or no part in national
movements or the land agitation which
ragged at intervals throughout the vast
western territory over which he eXer-
cised spiritual rule On the contrary,
he generally discountenanced and at
times denounced the methods Of the
agitators.
For instance, in the days Of the Land
League some evictions attended with
unusual severity took place in the
semi-barren district Of Carraroe, in the
wild, remote part of the archdiocese.
A branch of the Ladies' Land League,
which was organized in Galway, took
part in relieving the evicted. Arch
bishop McEvilly, who strongly disap-
proved Of women in politics or public
life, denounced the Ladies' League us
unfeminine. His denunciation had the
effect Of driving the Galway branch
out Of existence.
On the other hand His Grace often
interested himself warmly on behalf
Of the victims of Dublin Castle and
Of the miscarriage Of justice through
the medium of packed juries. Some
twenty years ago a brutal murder or
murders took place in a mountain dis
trict in his diocese named Maamstras-
na. A large number Of peasant resi-
dents of the locality were arrested for
the crime, tried by specially selected
juries and convicted. Five Of them
We're hanged and others We're sent to
penal servitude for life.
Some of them died protesting their
entire innocence of the crime, among
them being Miles Joyce, whose exc
cution was a sickening bungle. The
rope caught under his arm when fall
ing. Marwood, the eXecutioner, had to
stretch down into the trap and ell
deavor with his foot to disengage the
cord.
Course the fellowv' was his bruta,
exclamation as he kicked the victim
into eternity.
Some years after the hanging, whel
a religious mission was being held i
a little mountain chapel near Maam
strnsna, two men came before th
archbishop and congregation. Stricl
en- by remorse, the two declared tha
in order to save their own lives fro,
he scatfold, they had given, und
hreat of the crown lawyers and L,
ice. the false evidence that sent Mil
Joyce and his fellow victims to deaf
Archbishop McEvilly immediat,
rOught the matter, With the repenta
eriurers' atlidavits, under the not
the government. With the dema
.at the surviving victims of the !,
rr trial be released from prison. II
quest was contemptuouSly refus
lived. however. to see tardy al
lrtial justice done.
\ few weeks ago, when the prescl