The San Francisco call., 1909-07-27
Remarkable Scene Which
May Never Be Repeated
Over Two Hundred of the ConstabuIary
Needed to Evict Man and Aged Woman
Continued from Page !

sullen country people stood about as
the big force of constables marched
up. Between and o'clock the
church bells in surrounding villages
began to ring, and horns were blown.
This reused the whole countryside. and
from every direction men and women
came tramping through the mud to
the scene of strife.
1t was little after o'clock when
the attack commenced. The deadly
looking eviction paraphernalia-peac
full weapons in their proper use-had
been brought along in carts. There
was no battering ram, probably pe-
cause since evictions have become so
unusual the old weapon of assault has
fallen into disuse. The ram was very
picturesque. if very barbarous, means
of persuasion in the old days. 1t was
huge log, slung by chains from
tripod of short beams, placed near the
doomed house. Swung by Is or 20
men. the great timber was sent crash
ing against the cottage wall until
breach was made, and the family
dragged out For the subjugation OF
Walsh the military brought only such
prosaic instruments as ropes and lad
ders. axes, picks and crowbars.
FeIIed Trees as Barrier
a lane overhung by huge elms. Two
of these trees, hundred yards apart,
had been cut near the ground, ana
blocked the thoroughfare with tangle
of big branches. While squads of po-
lice were detached to surround the
farm. baliffs took big crosscut saws
and axes from the cart, and began
the task of cutting away the first
barrier 1t should be observed that
only the civil authorities were em-
ployed in the attack at first. The mil
itary arm was used when the sheriff S
men had confessed themselves beaten.
1t took a full half hour for the
sweating bailiffs to cut passage
through the felled trees, admitting the
vehicles Meanwhile, Mr.. Murphy,
more as a matter of form than with
any hope of stopping the attack
/ talked to Inspector, Ball about Walsh S
aged mother, lying i'll in the beleagued
house. Ball readily promised that
every effort would be made to avoid
harming her. Mr.. Murphy tried to get
pledge that the police would merely
protect the civil officers and not assist
/ in the attack He urged the desirable
/ ity of bringing about peace, II
/ possible.
please don't address me on these
/ points" said the inspector. Il have
nothing to do with negotiations MY
duty is to protect the sheriff and his
men. If they are resisted with vio-
I lence, it becomes our duty to smash
/ in and make arrests"
Mr. Murphy persisted. but the in
! spector was in1exible, and finally
asked sharply that the discussion be
/ ended While it was in progress the
4 bailiffs had cleared a gap which had
been filled with small trees, brambles
and stones, and through this the
horses and carts were led into field
adjoining the house.
1t was a curious sight-an amazing
/ sight in a time of peace in this
ktwentieth century In the center OF
! the armed circle was the farmhouse
/ built OF stone, in the ordinary cottage
/ design. On every side it was heavily
( fortified with big trunks of trees
/ stones and brambies. Holes had beer
cut in the roof, and from these peereo
/ the masked faces of the defenders
/ There was a pause of a few moments
besiegers and besieged regarding each
other silently. Then the sheriff
started work.
A horse was unhitched, rope fas-
/ tened to him and a half dozen bailihs
carried one end of the rope to the
house, where they took q hitch around
one of the tree trunks. crack Of the
whip a crash and a stumble and one
of the big timbers had been dragged
1 from the fortificationS.