The Irish standard., 1915-01-02

AoSSeAA 0OS6dA I'll 10 a oCCAuuSO SpOI az
one of the highest points of Sieve
Beagh, and there is still the altar with
its natural table of rugged and un-
hewn stone, and its reredos, a rock
which some upheaval of nature
planted on the face of the hill, where
the sanity Father Mulligan took his
stand upon this memorable night. The
sentinels were posted, the candles
were lighted on the crude altar, the
priest had donned his vestments, the
clerks" were in their places, and the
Offering of the great Holocaust COM
mehced. At the mea culpa, the as.
sembled peasantry bend their faces
to the sward, and murmured suppl
cation rises to heaven for the forgive
ness of their transgressions. So the
ceremonies proceed, the congregation
now PROSTATE on the heather, praying
silently and devoutly; again raising
their hands and voices in fervent sup
plication. But what of the soldiery :?
Had they gone to the distant part of
the district which it was rumored they
had intended to visit? No. They had
long suspected that there was priest
in the district, and this rumor was put
in circulation that they might trap
him. They were well aware that Mass
had been celebrated at Lattan Sog-
garth as well as at worked-out quarry
at Carrickroe, but in their various
excursions to these places they had
never made the discovery they sighed
and longed for, and cursed and bias
phemed over. But tonight the sleuth-
hounds were on the track. Oh, God,
protect the priest and his flock, as
sembled on that bleak cherries noun.
tain side! Upwards and EDWARDS
through Carrickroe with many a NUT
tered imprecation, the bloodthirsty
soldiery took their course, and halt.
ing at the quarry to which we have
referred they searched in vain for the
sanity priest.
mot there" growled the officer in
command, but we'll find them at Lat
tan Soggarth," and giving his com
mand, the troopers proceeded in that
direction. The sentinel was still on
a few fleet-limbed sons of the heather
the lookout, but the intense darkness
hid the surrounding country from
view, and they depended more upor
their ears than their eyes for the ap
proach of danger. But the soldier,
were willy ruftians. When they were
nearing Lattan Soggarth number O.
them were ordered to dismount and
leaving their chargers to be looked
after by their comrades, they stealth
lily and noiselessly approached tn,
rock. AS the scene burst upon tn,
gladdened vision of the officer he ex
claimed:
"Ha! ha! the hell-hounds, we hav,
trapped them at last" The priest wa
In the act of raising the Sacred Host
when bang" went the report of
niusket, and the sanity priest fel
dead across the rugged altar stone
The bullet passed through the saint
pastors body, and left an impression
upon the stone which remains to tn
present day mute witness to hi
martyrdom. Needless to describe tn
scene which ensued. The flying peas
antry, the pursuing soldiery yellin
imp1ecations and blasphemies an
sparing neither women nor childre,
in their desire for blood. In conclr
sion 1t may be mentioned that thes
Facts are substantially true, and tn
period is not remote when the ma,
tyred Father Mulligan will be know
to the Catholic world by the title o
Blessed.