A Relentless Boycott

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume VII, Issue 2053, 26 September 1907, Page 3

A Relentless Boycott

As account is Riven by the special correspondent of tiro Daily Express of what is described as the most relentless ease of persecution on record in Ireland, Thomas Brady, the caretaker of two ovictcd farms in the Ballinagleragh mountains, refused to leave tho proporty, which his neighbours thought should bo returned to the former ownors, Phis was two ynrs ago. Sinco then a morons boycott of Brady and hib familylias been maintained without a truce of oven an hour. When Brady and his sons started in their donkoy curt for tho , nearest, village to get food the pickets wato nng tho farms gave the alarm, and jtl tho peasants in the neighbourhood lott tliolr work, and trooped after their Victims. No shopkeeper in four villaccs was allowed to supply the Bradys, and a howling, mob followed them,- pelting thorn with stones and somtimos beating them with clubs, It was soon evident that without police protection tho family would starve, so a detachment of constables was sent into this wilderness for the sole purpose of protecting this one family. The Bradys went to market with their armed oicort, followed by a mob of several hundred enemies. Once, when there was nothing to oat, two of tho hoys crept out for food at haif-past rno in tho morning, thinking thoivatch would bo relaxed. But the enemy ,vas wide awake, and when the two were returning home, a mob met them, scattered their provisions over tho ground, and turning the donkeyloose. The police icscucd. tho boys, and took them to fho barracks for safety. The ringlcadors in this disturbance were tried threo times, and each time tho juries disagreed. Brady returned to his homo after the third disagreement, and resumed his life of misery. This one family necessitates the maintenance of a miniature army in the field, for a Brady cannot set foot outside the farms unescorted, and the constables have to bo fed. The enemy have found out the exact range of the constabulary rifle, and on Sundays they surround the Bradys 1 ' residence, just out of range, and'make a vigorous demonstration. Tho correspondent goes on to make a statement which is hard to believe. "As mav bo imagined, the police are heartily sick of their task, Brady senior suffers fiom nerves, and occasionally lapsoi into alcoholic demonstrativeness. .On sonic of these occasions his disgusted guards bundle him into a cart and escort him to town", to bo tried and fined by n magistrate for drunkenness. This ft a welcome break in the monotony, for it gives the police a glimpse of civilisation. Brady is, of course, carefully protected from attack, and when he has paid his lino he is carted back to his fortress,"