The Mankato free press., 1902-06-20
CONSPIRACY CHARGED
LORD DE FREYNE BEGINS AC-
TIoN AGAINST LEADERS OF
ThE IRISH LEAGUE.
LANDLORDS ARE BACK OF 1T

Believed to Be the Beginning OF
Struggle, Which, 1t Is Feared VIII
Be Severe and Far Reaching, as
There Are Ample Funds Behind the
Proprietors in Their Fight-Result
of the Recent No Rent Campaign.
Dublin, June 14.-At the instance OF
Lord De Freyne writ has been issued
against large number OF members
of the Irish parliamentary party on the
charge of conspiracy in connection
with the tenant troubles on the DE
Freyne estate, Roscommon county.
Among the defendants are John Red
mond, John Dillon, w. j. O'Brlen, ).
G.. Swift, MacNeill, Conor Okelly ana
the members of the standing commit
tee of the United Irish league, which
includes Michael Davitt and number
of the former members OF parliament.
The Freeman's Journal is also a de-
fendant. Lord De Freyne seeks an IN
junction and damages.
Forty farms on Lord De Freyne's
estate were sold by the sheriff Feb. 10
of the present year, the tenants having
refused to pay rents. A large number
of other clearance sales" were then
pending as the result of the mo rent
campaign" at that time being carried
on by the United Irish league, and 1t
was said that many hundreds of other
tenants were to be proceeded against.
John Redmond, at the time, said the
country thereabouts was alive with po-
| lice and that fifteen representative
public men of the district had been I'M
prisoned merely for taking part IN
| meetings of a peaceable nature. He
attributed all the trouble to the gov
| ernment's refusal to permit Legislation
| giving power to the government to buy
| out the Irish landlords and thus re
store the land to the Irish people.
| Altogether thirty writs have beer
| issued in the De Freyne action. The
action is really taken by the Land
lords association and it is the begin
ming of a struggle of the organized
landlords against the United Irlsr
league, which, it is feared, will be Sc
we're and far reaching, as the land
1
The Biggest Move Yet.
| John Redmond, in an interview IL
| the house of commons, frankly admit
ted that this was the biggest move the
landlords, with the support of DubliI
castle, had yet undertaken against tht
Irish national movement. He said h
| regarded the De Freyne action as evl
dence of recognition of the fact tina
the attempt of Mr.. Wyndham, the chic
secretary for Ireland, to suppress tn
United Irish league had failed, ant
that in his mind there was no doub
that Dublin castle was an active all.
in the prosecutions. Mr.. Redmont
was equally confident of the issue. HI
said:
"The Irish leaders may be impris
oned for indefinite periods and thei
property may be attached, yet ulti
mately the Irish cause will triumph.
Colonel Saunderson, Conservative
member of the house of commons AM
lord lieutenant of County Calvin, in al
interview on the subject, said:
"Yes, an organized attack must b.
met by organized action, and the Irisl
landlords have now resolved to TAX
such action. The same course will b
followed wherever they have been al
tackled by the league. l am happy t
say that there are sufficient funds be
hind the landlords to fight any battle
which may arise"
William Redmond, James O'Kelly
Patrick O'Brien, John Hayden, ST
Thomas Esmonde, Patrick McHug
and some of the best known priests il
Ireland are also among the defendant
In the action of Lord De Freyne.