MASKED MOONLIGHTERS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8030, 7 June 1904, Page 2

MASKED MOONLIGHTERS

— -* — 1 RAID FOR ARMS BY TWELVE MEN WITH BLACKENED FACES.Tie Moyoda OasOe "moonlighting" affair — if moonlighting can take plaoe at midday — was recently the subject of a magisterial investigation at Athenry. Five men, who had been in prison for about a fortnight, -were charged with having broken into the house of Lord Ardilaun's . steward & Moyoda Castle, and stolen four guns, two revolvers and some ammunition. Mia Martha Butler, wife of the steward, tdld the story "oi the raid. On Sunday, March. 20, she was standing outside her house, about three yards from her door, when she heard- ai noise of footsteps, and then saw from ten to twelve men. They }Ja>s their faces blackened, &nd\ihad big sticks in their 'hands. They came by her with, a rush, and went straight into the house. In five or. six minutes she saw some of the men going out. She was unable to identify any of the prisoners. When she entered the house the glass in the guncase was all smashed and the guns token* away. Eileen Butler, daughter of the previous witnesf, .gave evidence that whilst upstairs jlhe heard a noise like the breaking of furniture. On going downstairs she saw a number of men in the kitefhen, only one of whom had his face turned towards her. It was blackened 1 . She could not identify any of the accused. Mr Blake, Crown solicitor, intimated that lie had no further evidence of identification! beyond what was given in a previous deposition, -which' was made by a boy named' Byrne^ who identified two of the .prisoaeis.. . The chairman then discharged all the prisoners save these two — Hansberry and HaaT&e, constable who arrested Haniffy deposed to finding a black spot like burnt cork an his. jaw. He took out his handkerchief and rubbed the spot, and he had to rub pretty hard before it came off. Haniffy made no statement after being cautioned, but on passing the house of Rooney, on© of tibe prisoners, he said : " I see a light in Jimmy Rooney's; is he arrested?" Cross-examined by prisoner's solicitor, the constable said the black spot on Haniffy'g f ape was made by burnt oork. "Do you know that plain burnt cork 1 without grease is easily wiped off?"—" It i is not; because, I tried it." (Laughter). M Mr Gardiner, Resident Magistrate, said 1 a very serious crime had been perpetrated ] in the middle of the day by a party of men j For a., dozen men with blackened faces to ' ] enter anybody's 'house' and terrify the occsu- ' j pa-nis showed % terrible state of fhings/Th^.i I girl who gave evidence was in such a state of fright that she actaally broke the top ' window and tried to get put of it. At th« \ 1 Ba'me time the evidence did not warrant 1 him in sending t^e/ prisoners for trial, and j t {therefore he rsfusod informatiou3, " ' |