PROCESS SERVING IN THE WEST.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VII, Issue 400, 10 December 1880, Page 7

PROCESS SERVING IN THE WEST.

We (Nation) abridge as follows an Irish Times report telegraphed from Clifden on Sunday, September 18th. One of the most sensational and exciting scenes that has yet been witnessed in connection with the land agitation in Connemara was yesterday enacted in the remote district of Errismore, upon the estate of the late Mr. Valentine Blake, of Tower Castle, Mayo. All the male inhabitants of the place assembled together, armed with heavy sticks, for the purpose of preventing by force the service of notices to quit upon sixteen of the tenantry for non-payment r f rent. The property on which this demonstration took, place is situated upon the Atlantic sea coast, and lies in one of the wildest and most rocky Tegions of Connemara. In winter time, and, indeed, in all seasons wherein the roads are flooded by heavy rainstorms, it is almost inacessible, being six miles from Clifden, the nearest town, and fifty miles from the nearest railway station (Galway Terminus). The property was left by Mr. Blake to his sons, the eldest of whom, Mr. Chas. Islake, is executor of his father's will and acts as agent over the estate. The rent in arrears was, in most cases, one year, two years, and eighteen months ; but chiefly the last-mentioned amount, and the Rev. Thomas Flannery, CO., who was present throughout the posting of the notices, stated that in nearly every instance a half year's rent had been offered by the tenants as a compromise, but the proposal had not been accepted. The holdings are small, and the rents which had not been paid ranged frcm £7 10s to £24. It appears that the day on which the notices were to be served had been carefully kept secret for some time, but through some means or other it was discovered by the local branch of the Land League on Friday evening, who at once spread the news, and, notwithstanding the latenesß of obtaining the information, the tenantry were hastily summoned to assemble. About 10 o'clock in the morning the people began to collect from all parts of the neighbourhood, until in about half an hour there were probably at the lowest estimate over 900 men, besides women and children, present. Each man carried a large thick stick in his hand. As soon as they collected they formed in a mass in front of the house in which Cloherty lived, in order to resist the police, who, numbering 78, and under the command of Mr. Parkinson, 8.M., and Sub-Inspectors Dunne and Mills, had airived, and had taken up a position in the roadway, near the people. Closely guarded in their ranks was the process-server, whose appearance was greeted with loud hoots and cries. Mr. Parkinson ordered the people to retire and make way for the passage of the constabulary up the roadway to the cabin, which stood near on rising ground, but they refused to do so, and, flourishing their sticks, declared their determination not to allow a single notice to be served. Mr. Parkinson again and again asked them to let the police pass, but without success. The police were then ordered to advance with fixed bayouets, and were about doing so whea the Rev. Mr. Flannery arrived, and, standing between the constabulary and the crowd, besought the latter to make way, telling them that it was useless attempting to oppose the policej and that they should only offer a passive resistance to the service of the notices. By their peaceful presence there that day they would sufficiently show their opinion of Mr. Blake's conduct. At length reluctantly the crowd parted, and the police, guarding the process-server, advanced up to the house, the door of which was closed fast, and the notice was posted up, only to be taken off by the crowd a couple of minutes afterwards. Two other notices were then posted on the doors of neighbouring cabins without sny interference. Borne of the people, however, as they stood watching, began to repent their inaction, and moved forward towards the constabulary in a threatening manner. The Rev. Mr. Flannery again entreated them to make no attack, and they, perceiving that about half their number seemed inclined to obey him, finally relinquished their purpose, and drew up on the roadside at some distance from the police. Just about this time Mr. Brennan, of the Land League, arrived from Dublin, and as soon as he introduced himself he was loudly cheered. The Rev. Mr. Flannery then, standing on a slight eminence, addressed the people in Irish, eulogising the League, repeating the advice he had previously given them, and referred to the injustice of a landlord who insisted on the full rent from the people who had been supported by charity last year. Mr. Brennan, who was received with cheers, asked them not to offer any physical resistance to the police. They were only doing their duty, and he was sure that most of them thought it a disagreeable duty indeed (cheers.) He did not counsel physical resistance, not but that he believed physical resistance would be justifiable, but because the people themselves were then unable to resist successfully (cheers.) Therefore he counselled them that day to act prudently, but as Irishmen determined that the accursed system of landlordism should be put down (loud cheers.) The men were then ordered by Mr. Brennan to form ranks four deep, and to follow the police. In a few minutes the men were marshalled in order. The women and ch^dren following behind, Having gradually outstepped the police tlje people by degrees took the same line of advance and marched before them towards the houses, and at length arriving at the first house, which was situated at the foot of a small hill, the men moved forward and stood in front of it in three rows, the innermost one leaning against the wall and effectually concealing the door from view. The foremost half of the police advanced down the declivity proceeded by Mr. Parkinson, while the rest halted and remained at a short distance. Seeing that the people still remained standing in front of, the house, Mr. Parkinson asked them to let the notice be served, but they refused to move. The order was then given to charge, and the constabulary, some of •whom were still on the hill side, being unable to descend owing to the obstruction offered, moved forward with fixed bayonets, but the people still maintained their position, although rhe points of steel almost touched their breasts. The police then shortened their grasp on the rifles, and raising them partly, so as to allow more freedom of movement, made several thrusts at and between the men. Some three or four of the younger

of them moved aside rather hastily, but the others stood their ground with a desperate courage. In another instant bloodshed seemed inevitable, when Mr. Parkinson threw himself before the police, and, raising his hands, ordered them to cease advancing. He then repeatedly asked the people to retire, but they refused to do so, even when he threatened to read the Riot Act. The police, who during the parley had retired a foot or so, again advanced for a bayonet charge*, when the Rev. Mr. Flannery and Mr. Brennan, who had been spectators of the scene, managed to get between the police and the tenantry, and urged the latter not to resist any longer. Mr. Parkinson also again asked them to move aside, and after a couple of minutes they did so, but not without much seeming reluctance. Mr. Brennan, addressing the crowd, told them they had made a sufficient display of their own determination and their landlord's meanness. They had no quarrel with the police, who were simply doing their duly, aud whose parents and relations were of the same class and condition, and perhaps in the same circumstances, as themselves. He advised them to offer no violent resistance, but to allow the British hirelings, those buckshot warriors, to perform their hellish errand (cheers.) Father Flannery, in a loud voice, advised the people to remain quiet, and reminded them that was not the eviction, nor was it the last day on which they could resist if they wished. Several other houses were then marched to, and the notices to quit posted on the closed doors, the crowd of men, women, and children preceding, following, and hurrying forward in every direction as the constabulary advanced at a quick pace across the high, rocky, barren hills which form this portion of the estate. As the police were about to direct their course to the houße of a man named M'Namara, Mr. Brennan, mounting a rocky eminence at the roadside, called a number of men about him, and, "addressing then) in a loud voice, said :—": — " Go, boys, surround the next house, and stay there till I tell you to leave. Go, surround the house, surround the house, and do not move till I tell you." His words were xeceived with loud cheers, and soon a large party were seen making for M'Namara's house, at which they arrived before the police had come up, the latter having taken a more circuitous route. The men, as soon as th«y reached the bouse, which is situated in a hollow, with a level space of a couple ©f yards between it and the rising ground that encircles it with a sloping ascent, surrounded the place, closed the doors, and formed a line against the front. The police, as usual, descended the declivity carrying fixed bayonets, and preceded by Mr. Parkinson, who called upon the men to allow the police to approach. The reply was that they would not leave though their lives were sacrificed. Mr. Parkinson then took the Riot Act out of his pocket, and, removing his hat, the sub-inspector also remaining bareheaded, called upon the people for the last time to retire, or he would read the Act and disperse them by the constabulary. The men standing in front of the house merely leaned, it seemed, more firmly against the wall, and all preserved a dogged silence except one big, burly, determined-looking man, who, with his arms folded, stood in the doorway, and told Mr. Parkinson that they might pierce him with bayonets if they would, but while he lived they would never enter. Mr. Parkinson ran forward, and seizing him by the shoulders, attempted to drag him away by main force, but in vain. Mr. Parkinson then tried, by direct personal expostulation, and by endeavouring to push the men away, to succeed in causing them to retire, but his efforts were ineffectual. Springing back to the side of the sub-insj.ector, he again opened the Kiot Act, and, amid almost perfect silence, commenced to read it. As the first words were heard there appeared to be some agitation and nervous excitement among the crowd standing behind the police, but those guarding the bouse seemed either to believe that the whole thing was a farce and they would enjoy perfect immunity, or they were men absolutely careless of death. Not the slightest change of colour in the stolid, good-humoured-looking face of the man standing in the doorway betrayed the least emotion or excitement, and his comrade on the right, though apparently somewhat agitated, appeared equally determined to try conclusions with the police. The magistrate, however, as if overcome by a sudden impulse, shut the book before he had read more than the opening words of the fatal summons, and walking forward, seized the two men at the door, and endeavoured to drag them away. At the Bame moment the Rev. Mr. Flannery also ran forward and brought the people to give way, while Mr. Brennan made a signal to them to the same effect. The people moved away from the house, and the notice was posted. From that moment all serious interest in the proceedings seemed to have been lost by the people, who, however, still followe l the police, amusing themselves with making sarcastic allusions to the quality of the soil, ridiculling and abusing Mr. Blake and the process-server, and laughing at any constable who might happen to slip on the rocky surfaces of the hills or in crossing the innumerable stone walls that bounded every patch of ground. Mr. Brennau suggested that all the inhabitants should leave the remaining houses and the doors be taken off their hinges, so as to make, he said, the service null and void. A* soon as the suggestion was made it was carried out. When there only remained two or three notices to be served it was decided that a sufficient demonstration had been made, and the order was given for the people to assemble on one of the hills. They were there addressed by Mr. Brennan, who, speaking amid cheers and frequent expressions of assent, said he had been invited down from Dublin by the Errismore Land League, and bad travelled the whole night in order to be present. Unfortunately they had not accomplished much that day, but he took upon himself, with Father Flannery, the responsibility of the course that had been adopted.

The late Messrs. Stokes Bros., of Melbourne Station, near Kaikoura, have willed the bulk of their properly, valued at £100.000, to London Hospitals.

Captain Gerard de Nisme of thft Royal Irish Hussars was killed in India by a stone, dislodged by a goat on a hillside, striking him on the head while he was taking his afternoon ride on horseback.