The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1841-07-23 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.  JULY 12.—An atrocious and savage outrage was this day perpetrated upon a body of gentlemen, who were proceeding to Clonmel, for the purpose of recording their votes for Messrs. Maude and Barker. The party, which amounted to forty-one persons, left Roscrea at half-past four o'clock in the morning, and proceeded pretty quietly as far as Kilcooley Abbey (the seat of Mr. Barker), when they halted for a short time ; on again setting forth they were reinforced by a few policemen. They arrived without any important interruption as far as a place called " Birmingham," when a formidable mob were perceived posted on the brow of the hill, and fields, and ditches surrounding which were exceedingly high, and completely lined with the peasantry. They had evidently been arranging a systematic and murderous attack, for, on turning an angle of the road, several cars, laden with coals, were found completely drawn across the road, faced and flanked with stone barricades, and surrounded by at least 1000 of the mob, many of them nearly naked, and every one of them armed with large stones and other missiles. The gentlemen immediately left the carriages and proceeded to remove the barricades amidst the yells, hootings, and clouds of stones, many of which took effect ; nevertheless, the gentlemen intrepidly forced the barricades, and beat back the mob—not, however, before the riot act was read, and the police and party, quite in their own defence, were obliged to fire upon them. This alternative was avoided until the most brutal treatment was inflicted upon the party. The mob having been beaten back, and the passage cleared, .the carriages Were regained and the cavalcade had resumed their route, when an alarm was given from the extreme rear that some freeholders had been dragged off the binder cars and were savagely attacked, when the party again quitted the carriages and rushed to the rescue of the police, who were engaged with the people, and endeavouring to save the lives of a few old and defenceless freeholders. On coming up to the rioters, two old gentlemen, named Corcoran and Davis, were found lying on the ground, and the savages brutally beating them with stones. Again they were beaten back by another volley from the police and the party ; but on returning to look for the carriages, the mob had literally smashed them to pieces. Two of the horses were lying dead on the road, and the. drivers in full retreat. Here there appeared no alternative but to return to Kilcooley Abbey, which was effected by the party fighting their way, inch by inch, for a considerable part of the road. We regret to state the humane anxiety to avoid an unnecessary sacrifice of life, and which was the first object of the gentlemen comprising the party, even in the midst of such a fearful scene, was not as effectual as we could wish, as several of the peasantry were severely wounded ; however, before a shot was fired, very many of the gentlemen were knocxed down. The greatest credit is due to the magistrate who commanded the police, and to the gentlemen, for the coolness and forbearance they exhibited. P. S.—Two of the gentlemen injured are in great danger. Mr. Davis has lost his eye, and Mr. Corcoran narrowly escaped being murdered, as one of the ruffians who knocked him off the car, rifled him of his pistols, and fired one of them at his head, but the bullet of which only perforated his hat. He is now lying at Kilcooley, in a state of extreme weakness.