Widnes Examiner. — 1887-09-10 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

AND THE POLICE  OUTRAGE.  Mr. Labouchere, M.P., spoke on Saturday night at %great meeting held at Cork, under the auspices of the Yeung Ireland Society. Mr. Hooper, M.P., presided, and was supported by Messrs, Brunner, Ellis, Flynn, O'Hea, Lane, and Gill, Members of Parliament. The Chairman, iii opening the proceedings, said the men who were massacred atMitcheistown were the latest martyrs to Irish freedom, and their names would live and their memories be revered when the names of their murderers would be remembered only for their infamies. Mr. Labouchere.' who was loudly cheered, denounced the action of thet Government in reference to the meeting at Mitchelstown, and said he did not hesitate to say that a more foul, more base, and more despicable Government never cursed a country. Describing what he had witnessed at' Mitchelstown, he maintained that the proceedings were quite orderly until the police attempted to force their way through the crowd, that the police assaulted the police in a cowardly. manner, and that the resort to firearms was most unjustifiable. The scoundrels and villains who had dared to commit the murder in the public. streets should be severely punished. Messrs. Brunner and Ellis also denounced the conduct of the police. Mr. Labouchere writesto a London paper an account of the affray at Mitchelstown. After describing how the reporter and his escort attempted to force their. wog through the crowd, he says :—"By this time the reporter, with his escort, was as near to the head of the brake as a member at the bar of the House of Commons is to the Speaker. One of the constabulary at this moment drew his bayonet and wounded one of the horses. The horse reared, on which two policemen batoned the rider. The escort with the reporter fell back on the main body of the police,, and all together rushed upon the crowd, right and left. At once sticks were raised, and there was a scrimmage, but as few of the crowd had thick sticks, and as few even of these could get at the police, the resistance was slight, but the police seemed to be as cowardly as they were brutal. After a minute or two they lied in disorder to their barracks, with the exception of Captain Seagrove. who ran like a hare to a neighbouring hotel, where he seems to have concealed himself for some time. Mr. Dillon jumped down from the brake and walked to the barracks in order to see, if possible, the head of the conatabulary, and to urge him to refrain from further incitement to disorder. The door was closed, but on his knocking he was let in. He found the police in a wild state of exeitornent. They had dragged two men into the barracks mnd were bludgeoning them as they lay with their faces downwards. He describes the Chief Constable as almost beside himself, and in reply to repeated requests to keep his police within bounds he said he would march with his police. With the greatest 'difficulty indeed, by hanging on to his arms, Mr. Dillon prevented his rushing out with his men and shooting right and left. In conclusion. I assert that two men more unfit for their delicate duties than Captain Seagrove and Mr. Brownrigg could not be found on the face of the globe. They are responsible for the deaths which took place. They by their bungling and bullying created the disturbance, and if every man had his deserts they would be sentiinced to a lengthy term of imprisonment.'