Omaha daily bee., 1908-05-17
Member Of Parliament Victim of
Prison Methods.
RELEASED TO PREVENT SCANDAL
Iron Discipline and Espionage Drive
Men Mad.
TINE SPENT WRITING A BOOK
Sentenced for Contempt for Making
Cattle Driving Speech. -
DID PRISONER swNDLE SCHEME
Ancient Plan 20 Make Money AP-
pears once More in Ire
IaRd-Irish ClerEymens
Poverty.
DID PRISONER swNDLE sCHEM1

DUBLIN. May B-Cspeciall-It will be
many months before M. Lawrence Gtnnell,
N. P. who has Just been released from
Kllmainham goal after three months i'm
prisonment for contempt Of court in making
9 speech advising the driving OF cattle off
a farm vhicn was in the care of the court.
will be able to resume his seat in Parlia-
nett Prison life has left its mark on M
GinneI and his release was finally ordered
by Judge Ross who committed him, on the
urgent representation by the prison medical
authorities that his reason would suffer
from continued confinement
Times have changed. Of course. since Mr..
william OBrien was compelled TO sit
wrapped IN a blanket IN the same gsol,
because the goalers had carried off his
trousers and he refused 70 wear the prison
uniform. and since the time when Irish
political prisoners were cruelty punished
for insisting on their rights as such. MT
Ginnen declares that as far as the actual
treatment went. he he'd nothing to com
plain OF. but the confinement itself. and the
feeling that one is constantly under the eve
Of q keeper is wearing TO q man Of Mr.
GinneIs temperament During his i'm
prtsonn,ent he spent most of his time in
writing a book which is 10 be called Land
and Liberty and which is now nearly
ready for publication.
Because OF the state Of Mr.. GinnelTs
health there was no demonstration on hlE
release. His wife met hiT1 with carriage
at the prison gBtes and took him straight
10 their nome where he viii be guarded as
much as possible against Intrusion until he
has fully recovered.
AdminiEtratioa of Poor Law.
A curious sidelight is thrown ihe ad-
rninistration of the poor law In ireland, ard
incidentally on the industrious character
Of the Irish people. by a debate at a recent
meeting Of the NeWry Board Of Guardians
A member Of that body announced that
he had Just learned that there were fS
mnatics in the workbouse and that as the
guardians were not properly chargeable Tor
their support ne demanded that they
should be transferred to the county asylum.
The clerk admitted that the statement Fas
true, but he explained that the lunaties
were more than earning their keep in the
workhouse. and that II they were sent TO
the asylum. where they belonged, the
guardians would be forced 20 incur a large
extra expense for labor. he then made the
surprising announcement that there was
not a single able-bodied sane pauper in the
workhouse and all the work was done by
the lunatics. who were Of the harmless va
risty. This is in sharp contrast with the
conditions in England, where the work
houses are overflowing with Gble-bodieo
men ana women, who otter cannot be per
suaded 10 do the light work set them In
these institutions After they had heard
the clerks statement the guardians decided
TO wink at the irregularity and allow the
lunatics 20 remain In workhouse.
Spanish Prisoner sWindIe.
The good old Spanish prisoner swindle.
80 common IN America In the days before
the iudependence Of Cuba, has made It's
appearance in ireland. and has. It is al
legged, secured some victims. Several resi-
dents OF Dublin have received letters within
: the last fortnight bearing the Madrid post
mark and Gated from Madrid castle. ask
ing the recipient 10 adsvrce a few hundred
dollars to enable the writer 70 secure
$4,000 which be has been able TO send
out Of the country and deposit securely in
the Bank Of England. Instead Of Cuban
patriot. as in the old days. the Spanish
prisoner is now q republican plotter. and
there is more than a hint in the letter
tina, the money in London was originally
revolutionary funds In any case, the
writer is always willing 10 promise half OF
It In return for the paltry advance needed
70 secure possession OF H.
Quite q protest has been raised IN lyman.
county Armagh, by a proposal 10 give up
the old custom Of ringing the church bell
9 O'clock every night. and II has been
decided that the custom shall continue. So
far as is known there Is only one other
place in ireland where the custom OF
ringing the eurfew bell Etill survives and
that is Derry. The Derry curfsw is 3 relie
Of the bad old days when no Roman
Catholic was allowed to live inside the
walls Of Derry, although the citizens were
glad enough 70 have them IN the day time
as lsborers and customers. Al sundoWn
however. the curfeW bell Was rung and
every Roman Cathohe who was then IN
the town had 20 leave with all haste. even
II Il meant sleeping in the open on the
bleak hills ghich surround the city.
Irizh ClerEymsn in Poverty.
The poverty Of some Of the Irish clergy
men connected with the Protestant EpiscO-
pal branch OF The immensely rich Church
of England Is only revealed now and
again when some man more courageous
than the rest speaks out and tells The
world how he and his fellows are treated
Such a one IS Canon MLarney, rector Of
Ban4gher. who has Just informed hiI
Easter vestry that something must be dons
10 Improve the condition Of the living
The nominal income from the parish Il
H.6o0 a year. but most OF the charges are
not paid and TIE actual income for several
years has been less thsn 8 naa = ysHr- In
addition 70 that there Is no house provided
and a proposal 70 withdrew the allowances
of $50 a year for a house Was what caused
Canon MLArney 10 speak out II Was de-
eided that an effort should be made tc
create q fund from which a better stipend
might be Forthcoming. r. \ CULLEN.