Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1882-06-17 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

THE MURDER OF MR. BOURKE AND  HIS ESCORT.  The Dublin Correspondent of The Times, in alluding to the murder of Mr. Bourke and his soldier escort, writes i—The fate of Mr. Bourke and his escort has called the attention of the authorities to the expet diency of altering some of the existing arrangements with a view to a greater efficiency of the system of police and military protection. Mr. Bourke was one of the bravest of men; his courage migh called foolhardiness, but it was indomitable, e knew for more than a year that his assassins ion had been resolved upon. A correspondent of the Daily Express states that he was told twelve months ago that twenty-four men were lying in wait to shoot him on his way home from Claremorris to Curraghleagh, but he declined protection, saying that he would shoot any head that appeared where it ought not to be. He always carried a Wineheeter rifle, and when approaching his own woods used to fire several shots into them to clear them. An incident occurred some time ago which illustrated this practice in a rather startling manner. A constable was rezonDoitring in a wood which he knew Mr. Bourke was to pass, when he drew up and fired 16 bullets into it before he passed. The constable, it is said, found it necessary to get quickly under cover or he would have had a bad chance. Mr. Bourke was repeatedly warned to have protection, but he refused it, and it was only within the last two or three months that he was persuaded to allow it. He had three dragoons at Rahassane and two infantry soldiers at Curraghleagh. By a singular omission of the authorities, however, the dragoons were without their horses, and these would only be provided at the expense of the person protected. The result was that, bringing hut one guard with him and having him on the same vehicle as himsalt he lost the advantage which a separate and double guard would have afforded. It was a dear piece of economy which cost him and the poor trooper their lives. The fact that the soldier's carbine was unloaded was due to another regulation the folly of which is unhappily proved by this outrage—namely, that no trooper is to carry his carbine loaded unless M full cook, and, as it is liable to go off by the alightest accident, the practice is not to load until the occasion arises. Poor Wallace was in the act of getting out his cartridges to load when the messenger of death intercepted him. The authorities are now considering the propriety of arming escorts with the Winchester repeater. Better experience ought by thie time to have taught both the persons threatened and their protectors the necessity of adopting the roost efficient means of defeating the purpose of the assassins, who are ever vigilant and prepared. kefk  Two fowling pieces and a Snider rifle which appear to have been used in the murder of Mr. Bourke and his guard on Thnraday were found on Saturday in a field pear an old abbey about two miles from Castle Taylor. Two of them had been recently dischafged, and the third had a charge about 6in. deep in it.  THE FUNERAL OP CORPORAL WALLACE,  The funeral of the unfortunate soldier, Corporal Wallace took place on Monday. His remains, whieh reached Dublin on Saturday evening by mail train, were interred with full military honours at Arbor Hill Military Cemetery. The deceased belonged to the let Royal Dragoons, was barely 25 years of age, and a native of Shotts, Lanark, N.B. He was a young soldier, having completed six years and 105 days of irreproachable service. The bands of the Coldstreams, the 21st Hussars, the 53rd Shropshire Regiment, and the Ist Royals followed the remains, which were on a gun carriage, drawn by six horses of the Royal Horse Artillery. A contingent of eorporals was furnished by each regiment in the garrison. The public were most respectful in bearing, the greatest sympathy being expressed. Lord Olarina and staff attended to pay the last compliment to the body as it passed the Infirmary gate for the last time. The coffin MA covered with wreaths of intmortelles—one presented by his Excellency the LordLieutenant, one by the officers and men of the 18th Hussars stationed at Gort, and one by the Soldiers' _ . .