The Irish standard., 1904-05-14

ert Musgrave tells us. "killed many Of
the insurgents" Local traditions tell
nought of any instruction ut this
period-1762. But the great Edmund
Burke writes:-'I was in Ireland from
the year 176O to the year 1867, where l
had sufficient means of information
concerning the inhuman proceedings
(among which were many cruel muir
ders, besides an infinity Of outrages
and expressions unknown before in a
civilized age) which prevailed during
the period in consequence Of pretend
ed conspiracy amongst Roman Catho-
lies against the kings government"
The pity Of it was that the Roman
Catholics were not in position to "con-
spire" to such good effect as to sweep
'the kings government into the sea.
1t was penal offense at that time
for Catholic priest to celebrate mass
in fact he had no right to exist in
the land unless he had been duly regis
tered and sworn an impossible ''oath
of abjurgation." Time after time the
devoted pastor of Clogheen was arrest
ed on various charges-including the
hideous crime Of being "Popish
priest" But though in those dark days
'sThey bribed the flock, they bribed the
To sell the priest, to rob the sire,'
Father Shelby was we'll shielded by
his humble, tortured people, and the
infamous Maudes, Bagnells and Tolers
failed to find even such evidence as
would justify conviction. He was
acquitted on the charge Of being "a
Popish priest'-as DR.. Curry says ''to
his own great misfortune, because had
he been convicted, his punishment,
which would be only transportation,
might have prevented his ignominious
death, which soon after followed"
The human bloodlounds were not to
be baked. For two years their arch
enemy batiled all their efforts, and
stood by his unhappy parishioners.
while the gaols We're filled and the glib
bets black with the wretched peasants
of that wild Munster valley. Some
times hiding in sequestered glens, steal
ing forth by night to minister to the
dying and to comfort the downtrodden,
and again celebrating the holy mystic
ries of religion i'll the early dawn in
some secluded ravine, while a terrified
little congregation trembled ut the
rllstling of the wind, he detied his per-
secutors, until at last their patience be-
anne exhausted, and they induced Dub
lin Castle to issue a warrant for his
arrest on charge Of high treason. Here
again the good priest proved too slSillful
for his pursuers. He claimed trial in
Dublin instead of at the hands of the
bandogs Of Clonmel. and offered to sur
render on that condition and save the
1890 offered as a reward for his appre
tension. The economical authorities
accepted the terms, and Father Shelby
was brought to Dublin, whittier his
foes despatched the only creatures who
could be bribed or intimidated into
bearing false testimony against him-a
notorious young lad whose fame as q
blackguard had already spread over
Tipperary, wretched woman of evil
repute, and an impeached thief spe-
ciaHy sent from Clonmel Jail.
For II hours bigoted jury and a
partisan judge tried" the case. But
they could not convict-and Father
Sheehy returned in triumph to the
scene of his sufferings and labors.
The Cromwellians were desperate. 1t
so happened that soon afterwards a
scoundrel named Bridge. upon whose
perjured evidence several persons had
been hanged, mysteriously disappeared.
All the probabilities are that he was
paid to leave the country. But the ex-
cuse was good enough for the Infamous
gang of prosecutors at Clonmel. They
procured the priests arrest on the
charge Of numbering Bridge, and
brought him to trial, this time at Clon-
mel, where their instruments were
ready; they brought up once again
their blackguard boy, their convicted
thief and their wretched harlot; and on
this evidence, rejected in Dublin, they
found no difficulty in obtaining a con-
viction at Clonmel, although absolutely
unimpeachable testimony was produced
to prove that Father Sheehy had slept
at the house Of Mr.. Heating on the
night Of Bridges disappearance" and
of the occurrences invented and sworn
to by the infamous trio Of suborned
periurers.
For offering such evidence Mr.. Keat-
ing was thrust into Kilkenny Jail on a
false charge preferred by the Rev. Mr..
Heweston, minister of the Estab-
lished church, who, in the true spirit
of the Christian charity practised by
the tithc-gatherers during the penal
days, took an active part in priest
hunting" He was kept in a dungeon
until the crime ut Clonmel had been
duly cOnsummated.