The Irish standard., 1905-05-27
AN ISLAND Scene
After a Desperate Encounter
Two Hundred Policemen
Evict Daniel Healy, A Poor Old
Irish Peasant.


ton has taken place between 200
picked men of the Royal Irish Con
stabulary and the entire population OF
,Dursey Island, bleak speck in the
Atlantic, sixteen miles from Castle,
town, Berehaven, County Cork, says
the London Daily Express.
The two hundred policemen were
sent to evict Daniel Healy, an aged
peasant. They only did so after des
perate encounter with the other occu
pants OF the island-some thirty-five
fanilies-who met them on landing
with a fusilade of stones, and then
fought a hand-to-hand conflict, in
which fixed bayonets and the butt
ends of rifles We're freely used. Hea
~, the peasant who was the cause OF
the extraordinary conflict, owns a
patch of land on which he keeps four
cows, his only source of livelihood
His rent is f9 15s. a year, but he has
paid none for four years. The evicting
force of 200 men, in charge of county
inspector three district inspectors,
and accompanied by resident Magis-
trate, left Bantry at 8 o'clock on Tues
day night on board the Government
steam tug Gamecock.
In the early hours of Wednesday
morning the tug stole down on the
island. The police were expected, and
the islanders had prepared for their
coming by fortifying the east landing
place, one OF the two accessible places
on the island. There is however, an,
other landing-place on the west side OF
the island, which is only practicable
in the calmest weather. Here thirty
policemen, under the charge of Inspec-
for Armstrong, put off in boats and
landed unknown to the islanders. 1t
was a clever tactical movement, for
this force covered the landing of the
main body at the east side stage. The
islanders were completely taken by
surprise. They had not expected that
the police knew their cove, and their
powers of effective resistance were
considerably neutralized. They con-
centrated at the east stage-men,
women and children. Every able
bodied person in the island AS the
boatloads OF police approached they
were met by a fusilade of stones and
rocks from the human batteries
on shore. Then Inspector Armstrong;
covering party attacked the islanders
from behind. They showed, buffeted,
and jostled the defenders, anxious at
first to hurt as few as possible Very
quickly the fight became vicious. The
parties fell on one another, and the
widest excitement followed. The men
in the boats shouted and blew their
whistles, and it seemed as If their
comrades would have bad time be-
fore they could land.
. The men fought the police on shore
with their fists, while the women and
children kept up running fire of
stones on the men in the boats. The
police fought at first with the batons,
and laid about them vigorously. Some
of them fixed bayonets and used them,
while others used the butt ends of
their rifles.
One man jumped into the sea and
CIV M 01N1N hn c1, fn q
batons of the police. Another at
tempted to grapple with a policeman,
and received teribrle blow from a
baton on the temple. After this his
bayonet, and the half stunned man, in
attempting to ward off a thrust with
his bare hand, received terrible cash.
At last sheer weight of numbers
told. The islanders were overcome,
and they were allowed to dispense
with aching heads and limbs. Then
the rest of the force was landed, and
the all conquering 200, having van
quished the islanders, advanced to
evict Daniel Healy.
The actual eviction was a pitiful
affair, unrelieved by touch of color.
Healy is an old man living with his
wife, his son and daughter-in-law and
their two children. The wretched
cabin is the only home they have
ever known, and they clung to the
place with its oozy walls and SWIM
ming floor with the inherent devotion
of the Celt for his home
The 200 police halted outside the
house. The agents of the landlord
were the first to enter. Healy
approached them and pleaded for a
settlement. His proposition was
fiouted. "The law must take its
course" said the agent. CLEAR out
everything!" Then the Sheriff's men
started to remove the furniture
To add to the pathos of the scene,
steady downpour Of rain had set in.
The young mother gathered her infant
from the cradle, while kindly neigh.
Dor took charge of the other child
an ailing mite of three, who had been
ill for some time. The melancholy
party dragged out of the house crying
bitterly, while one by one their few
goods were thrown after them and
scattered in the rain round about the
4 house. Then the police, having accom-