AGRARIAN OUTRAGE IN IRELAND.

Evening Post, Volume XX, Issue 213, 11 September 1880, Page 4

AGRARIAN OUTRAGE IN IRELAND.

A serious outrage occurred near Ballinrobe in the first week of July, in which a tenant farmer, named Feerick, was shot, and who now lies in a hopeless state. His own account of the outrage is that he had been attending a baronial He.ssion, and left to return home to Brownstown. He had ordered a car to meet him, and walked on while waiting about for it. When he was about a qiiarter of a mile from Ballinrobe he .saw three men looking over a wall into a field of oats. He had hardly passed them when he received a shot in the arm. The bullet struck him about the elbow, and, going through tho flesh, passed out at the wrist. He turned round, and then received shots in the left eye, cheek, and nose. He saw the three men standing back with a revolver pointed at him, and almost simultaneously a volley was fired at him. He staggered a few paces, and then fell on his face. As ho was falling he received another shot in the back, which penetrated the spine, and it is feared will prove fatal. Lest their work should not be completed, the assassins shot him twice in the legs. He feigned to be dead, and they turned him over, searched his pockets, and took his purse, containing £3 15s, and left him for dead. He lay bleeding for some time, till some men who happened to pass saw him, and went into Ballinrobe for assistance. After they had left, Mr Glover, the county surveyor, drove up, and at Mr. Feerick's request returned to the town for a priest, and gave information to the police. He was afterwards placed on a car and taken to the hospital of Ballinrobe, followed by a crowd of nearly 1000 persons. His clothes were found to have been pierced by 10 bullets, and two dropped out of them. Three bullets have been extracted from his body. Paralysis of the lower extremities has resulted from the injury to his spine. He stated that the three men were strangers. Since the previous attempt on his life he had carried a revolver, but, unfortunately, had left it at home on the day the assault was committed. On July Bth seven persons were charged with being concerned in this case. Five were discharged and two remanded. Feerick is now said to be very much worse, and is not expected to live.