Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-08-18
GOVERNMENT is UNABLE TO
COPE WITH IRISH SITUATION
SYSTEM is "UNWRITTEN LAW" OF
COUNTRY
Remarkable Stories Are Told In Lon-
don of Course Adopted by Peas
antry In Counties Leitrim
and Roscommon
Special Cable to The Herald.

|
patches and articles published in the Eng
lish papers the Irish peril' is now very
serious. A correspondent who is travel
| ing through the country writes from
| Drumkeerin, County Leitrim, as follows:
Scientific boycotting has reached the
| highest stage of efficiency in Counties
| Leitrim and Roscommon. 1t is the "un-
written law of these rich grazing dis
tricts, and as the "unwritten law it is
known and feared by rich and poor alike
throughout the country.
Agents of the United Irish league
boast openly of its power. A mere threat
| to punish man by the "unwritten law"
| is often sufficient to bring him to his
knees in submission. No one can appre-
ciate the far-reaching effects of a highly
| skilled boycotting movement who has not
studied the system at close range in this
part of Ireland. Some of it's results may
seem almost impossible in supposedly
| civilized land.
| The cases in Leitrim do not arise direct
| ly out of cattle grazing, for the Leitrim
| cattle are sent into Roscommon to Craze,
and there are verw few ranches here
The historic riot at Carrick-o on Shannon
few weeks ago in the presence of Lord
Dudley and his fellow commissioners
arose out of an attempt to send a herd
of bullocks from 3allinagleragh into Ros-
the Shannon and scattered.
| In Leitrim the "unwritten law is rig
orously enforced against the occupants of
evicted farms There are now sixty-five
evicted farms in Leitrim, of which forty
five are derelict Some of the others have
been relet, and the tenants or caretakers
of these farms are boycotted. Seven fami-
lies at least are thus banished from civili-
cation. AS Justice Wright said at the
Leitrim assizes, no one will deal with
them, sell to them, work for them; they
are cut off from all intercourse with the
human race except with their guardians
! and protectors-the police.
Boycott Is Rigorous
Even in the local annals of boycotting
one case stands out far beyond the others.
II is known throughout Ireland as the
most relentless, persistent case of perse-
cution on record. 1t is the case OF
Thomas Brady, caretaker of two evicted
farms in the Ballinagleragh mountains.
For two years Brady and his family have
been ostracized, hunted by mob when
ever they ventured outside the police cor
don around their farmhouse, forced to
travel twenty or thirty miles at night in
order to get food, and reduced to pit
liable state by gradual starvation and
constant terrorism.
Bradley is a sturdy, well preserved old
man, typical Irish peasant farmer In
appearance, with several sons. His farms
are located on the Crofton estate, on
SLEEVE an-Irein, a steep and rocky noun
tain in the Ballinagleragh chain. He re-
fused TO leave the farms, which his
neighbors thought should be returned TO
the former tenants, and rigorous poy-
colt was declared, which has continued
without the truce of even an hour, 10 the
present day. .M
uofched the farms
night and day. When the scanty stock
~ nrovisions was exhausted and Brady
or his sons started in their little donkey
cart for a village to buy supplies tne
picxets gave the alarm, ana all the resi-.
dents in the Ballinagleragh region ielt
their work and trooped after their VIC
| tins. 4,,.,
food BRADY was refused at Dowra, the
town nearest his farms; then at Ballinag-
leragh, Drumkeerin and Drumsnanoo;
thovyling mob would follow the Braoys'
| rrelting them with stones, ana occaSioh
ally beating them with CLUBS II wae
evident that unless they had ponce pro-
tection they would starve to death III
.,.o;. mountain cabin. Consequently de-
| tachment of unwilling constables was
sent into this wilderness for the soie pu,
nose of protecting the wretched fanny
| from the fury of their neignpors' pu'
even the police could not raise tne siese.
The Bradys went to market win tnsn
armed escort; yet their enemies VIM
assembled four and five huhoreu s'Ao"e'
continued their attacks.
Jures Disagree
| Eight residents of the baiiillas sia,as
| district. including county couhIn9,,
were charged with unlawtul asselhpiS ~
consequence of an attack niaue ~ III
| 1xy ago.
result of these prosecutions mas peen a.
rost as extraordinary as the boycotting
itself THE prisoners were tried hrst py
- sligo iury. which disagreed. Ihey
ryare fried again at the next assizes by
7 ,eitrim Jury. which disagreed. Iney
were tried for third time by anotnei
,eitr;m Jury. this .month-which as
aeraad And they are to be tried fourth
ti1,,e at the Connaught winter assizes.
fter the third disagreement the brauys
re+urned despairingly, amid hoots anu
ieers. to their mountain nome.
This boycott compels the authorities 10
maintain an expensive force OF ponce On
SLEEVE an-Irein. In fact 1t may De re-
oSarded as A separate punitive expeoltlon'
SIT. 81 - No connection with the other cases
- .hoycottinR. for the constables exlleo OH
this ynountein are not available for otner
duty. - ,,o,,cottino
in I,eitrim. The Bradys have taken tne
highest degree, but there are severai
ntSer offending families which are quail
f,,,ne for the same distinction by opsu-
nsteIv refusing to leave their farms. inc
Rradys are held up as a terrible example
~ what nay befall any resident VINO
1y,,I not obey mob law. No one denies tnat
the effect has been salutary, and that
MANY persons submit solely because 'hey
are afraid of being boycotteo'
The Strike Situation
The strike situation in Belfast does not
i,nnroye materially. The following let
fer signed by the three Belfast mem
hers of parliament. has been sent to the
emnloyers and men in Belfast:
an view of the grave situation which
has arisen in Belfast and the great evils
which are likely to arise from continu-
ance of the present labor dispute, we
have waited upon Mr.. Birreh the chier
secretary for Ireland, and appealed 10
him to use his influence to bring this ue-
plorable dispute to an end by consentins
to arbitrate Mr.. Birrell. at our request,
has offered to act as arbitrator, OF 70
appoint some one to act on his penal.
provided that the representatives OF .ne
Il