The Irish standard., 1903-01-03

4, Even as early as 1900 there were
more police than civilians 10 be seen
ON the streets at all times. The police
nad to have provisions and this caused
more trouble. One old man of G5 years
| supplied the bluecoats with bread. 1t
was found out. His cart, dragged
along by donkey, was stopped in the
streets and the animals ears were
clipped off. Cattle owned by the police
providers were mutilated. The strug-
gle was destroying the town.
Still the war kept up. O'Keefre's
business was wholly destroyed. He
had not drawn a shilling in rental from
the farm. The house on the place is
today Il battered wreck. The streets
Of the town became desolate. Trade
dwindled away to nothing. There
were further attempts to end the dis
pute. But, just when public opinion
was giving in somewhat to the plea
for settlement, the government,
through Dublin castle, stepped in and
completed the final ruin.
With the opening Of 1901 the author.
tiles began prosecution of the men who
were charged with prosecuting O'Keef-
fe. There was renewed uproar i'm
mediately. Efforts of the clergy by
arguments and missionary work to end
the trouble went by the board ut once
and were rendered fruitless. The
trials ground out the trouble anew.
There were trials before juries ut
Waterford. There were disagreements
in every instance. The repetition of
this result grew into public scandal.
About a year ago Mr.. O'Keeffe,
driven out Of business and seeking to
vindicatc his conduct, began civil pro-
ceedings to recover damages from ten
men who were alleged to have headed
the movement. There We're two
trials in Dublin, which went the same
way as the criminal proceedings-.no
vcrdicts. The third trial, just con-
cludcd, before Catholic Judge and
with neither side having exhausted
their challenges, has resulted in find.
ing for $27, 800 damages, though $780,
OOo was asked for.
The fear now is that Mr.. O'Keeffc
will use the power thus secured to ruin
all his opponents and complete the
desOlatiOn of the town. lie does not
discuss the case publicly at length,
nor do those who figured as the de-
PENDANTS i'm the trial. Mr.. O'Kceffe
promises to be fair" The ten alleged
consprators assert that they will be
vin'licatcd i'm time; that much of the
trouble was business jealousy; that 10
outsider should have taken up the land.
At public meetings their names are ell
Enthusiastically applauded and tleir
course approved.
But Tallow is wreck. Its main
streets are wide and well kept Bus
mess houses line either side. But
many are closed, and you meet scarce
ly a soul OH the streets. There is an
air of desolation which will not shake
Off. Business has diminished to the
vanishing point. The place is as it
it had been stricken by the plague.
The police still holds the streets II
force, and the rap of the hammer of
the auctioncer is telling the llnal result
The household effects and shop goods
of John O'Bricn were going under the
Sruti. tersc cries Of the sheriff $ %;
iiccr. There was but handful ni
people gathered about, chiefly out OF
curiosity, and there was a ring of cun.
stables, all in full dress uniform an,
carrying rifles and ball cartridges.
about the chair from which tln officer
of the law carried OH the sale.
There was no trouble; the monoton
GUS cry OF the shcriff's deputy mcatin.
with bidding responses only from ~
representative OF Mr.. O'kceffe and
from Mrs. O'Brien. \ total Of 81, ,125
was realized before the hammer came
down for the last time, Mrs. O'Bricn
being allowed to take the household
goods. O'Briem conducted large oil,
timber, iron, and agricultural store,
and all the lots were sold. The build.
ing is Il fine three story structure, and
it. too, will have been sold before this
letter is published.