ROBBED OF HIS BRIDE.

Evening Star, Issue 12942, 4 May 1908, Page 7

ROBBED OF HIS BRIDE.

WORTHY OF LEVER. An extraordinary affair is reported i from the Ballinaglera-gh district of County ijeitrim, in another part of which a number of masked men recently broke up some wedding festivities. A young man of tho farming class, living at Ballinagleragh, had been paying marked attention to a girl in the district, when ho broke off tho engagement and transferred his affections to another girl. The jilted girl's relatives did their utmost to prevent the wedding taking place. Thev were supported by the parish priest, who is a power in Ireland in these matters. Me refused tho necessary certificate. The young man thereupon went to the bishop of the diocese, but the bishop upheld his priest. The young man, however, is a. person of resource, and told the clergy that he would go and get married in 'a registry office in the district town of En- . niskillen. Nobody in Ballinagleragh be- : lioved that he would fly in the face of tho parish priest, but he did. The night ' he brought his bride home an extra- ] ordinary scene occurred (says the ' Daily ■ Express'). A large crowd collected out- j side tho house where the dancing and ' feasting were in progres, and groaned and j hooted. The groaning ceased about mid- I night, and the festivities continued. An j hour later about thirty men, wearing crepe i masks, burst in the door of the cottage, j and called on the father of the bride to ! take his daughter home, with the alter- j native of being seriously dealt with. The j old man thereupon took his daughter ! away. The valiant bridegroom declared j he would accompany them. The trio ' marched in the small hours of the morn- | ing towards the home of the bride's parents to the accompaniment of groaning and hooting. When about a mile of the journey had been traversed, the bride-

groom was seized by another masked band . and .compelled to go back to his -own ' homei Ho has not been allowed to leave his house, and the bride has not been allowed to leave her father's. Both ' houses are watched night and day. The . police are powerless to restore order in ! the _ district, or to prevent this very i original form of boycotting. !