The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-02-20

around idle were utilized in one wav
or another for the support of the
evicted.
The case out of which the murder of
kinsella resulted was most peculiar
one. Michael KavanagE, one of the
tenants, had some outhouses in his
farnlyard, and these were converted
into dwellings for the evicted tenants.
and ten exvicted families found shelter
in them. Kavanagh's interest in his
farm had been sold out by the landlord
for one years rent in May, 1887, and
OH September 2S of that year the estate
bailiff OH the Brooke estate, George
Freeman, with eighteen other men
known as emergency men," went to
seize Kavanagh's cattle and other
property for the rent
These "emergency men, were ne'er-
| do-wells and rufians drawn from the
lowest strata of society in the larger
towns throughout the country. Most
of them had criminal records of one
kind or another and were utterly
heartless in the work which they we're
called upon to perform in the interest
of the landlords. This gang was arm
ed with fifteen revolvers and three
rifles, while the unfortunate evicted
| tenants did not have a frearm of any
kind.
The leader Of the emergency men,
McCabe, on reaching the entrance to
kavanagh's yard, told Kavanagh that
he had warrant against him for about
5000, or one years rent. Kavanagh
asked McCabe for copy of the war
rant, which McCabe refused to give
saying that he had men enough to take
the cattle by force. Johnston, another
OF the emergency men, got up OH Kav-
anagl1's gate with the intention of
climbing over it and entering the yard
and John Kinsella, one of the evcted
tenants, who was on the inside, struck
the top of the gate with fork which
he held in his hand in order to scare
Johnston back. He made no effort, ac-
cording to the testimony given at the
inquest and trial, to strike Johnston
| According to the sworn testimony of
five witnesses, George Freeman, the
estate bailiff on the Brooke property
at that moment advanced and shouted
to the evicted tenant with an oath to
go back or he would shoot him. At
the same moment he pulled revolver
from his pocket and shot Kinsella dead.
The other emergency men Immediately
followed his example, and within few
seconds there were between twenty and
twenty-five shots fired at the inohfen-
sive crowd of evicted tenants and FAM
lilies by the emergency men. A man
named Stephen Maher had his hat shot
through. Another man named Stephen
Maher had his ear grazed by bullet,
and girl named Maggie Darcy was
fortunate enough to fall as one of the
revolvers was discharged at her, and
by doing SO escaped death.
The outrage caused thrill of horror
throughout the country when the facts
became known. Mr.. Gladstone, speak
ing at Nottingham, England October
18th, 1887, referred to the shooting of
Kinsella as one of the most outrageous
acts which had ever occurred in any
country. Describing it, Mr. Gladstone
said: '"There were no firearms among
the people. There was not blow
struck by the people. There was not a
stone thrown by the people. But a
party of emergency men had come
down, and apparently some of these
emergency men-I do not refer to any
individual-shot Kinsella dead (Cries
OF shame and murder.) I am not en-
deavoring to concentrate your censure
upon their act, but rather to use it to
| illustrate the difference between Eng
land and Ireland, for that will help us
to understand why it is there sore
experience and not a natural defect
that the Irish are difficult to bring into
harmony with the law. This was done,
remember, in the name of the law. 1
do not say the government was re-
49,. ltu r