IRISH VENDETTA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13453, 1 June 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

IRISH VENDETTA.

; TERRIBLE FIGHTif WITH- HAMMERS. : 1 The hillside overlooking the beautiful val- J ley of Glerariffe, Antrim, has been the scene of a terrible family vendetta, which ' , resulted in the death of one of the combatants and serious injury to many others. , There had been bad blood between two , families named McAuley and Delargey for a long period, and one Sunday morning ; on the way home from Mass a young man , of the McAuley clan and another of., the Delargey s had a fight. About six o'clock i in the evening, as if by common consent, i 1 there was a strong muster of both families' ' supporters near a limekiln. The story of what followed was told to , the coroner's jury by Daniel McAuley, . a brother of the man who was killed. He . said that on that everting he saw i people running from the opposite side of , the glen. He followed them, and when he ; , came to. the end of the road leading to , the limekiln he saw a crowd standing, , ; among whom were Alexander Delargey, his : wife, and four sons. , Delargey had a stick, Ms wife tod a , hammer, and one of his sons had a coal sledge-hammer. He heard someone say , . that the two young men who fought in the , morning should finish it. Just then John , McAuley was struck with a stick, and a 1 . man aimed a blow at him with a coal ! , hammer. "■; \-. • . •■.'- .-- .- •- , There was then regular fight with ham- • , mers, sticks, and stones. Witness was ■ . trying to defend his brother John, and got < i several knocks about the head. A few , , minutes later he saw his other brother, ; , James, lying in- the road, and one of the . Delargeys hit him on the temple with a . stone. The shout was raised that a man was ' , killed, and the fight was stopped. There , . was a pathetic scene when the wife of the . dying man hurried to the spot. His bead ; , was pillowed on a brother's knee, and he : , was surrounded by bis sons. The woman ! picked up the blood-stained stone, but the i sledge-hammer . with which the man was felled could not be found. -One of the Delargeys was dangerously : ; injured, and one of the McAuleys -had several ribs broken. Nearly all the other combatants had severe injuries. ! Onarles and Alexander Delargey were i ■ charged with the murder of James Mc- i AuJey, and remanded. Both appeared in i 1 court heavily bandaged. i_* . .