DESPERATE AFFRAY AT CLONMEL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IX, Issue 433, 29 July 1881, Page 23

DESPERATE AFFRAY AT CLONMEL.

The correspondent of the Irish Times, writing from Clonmel on May 3lßt, cays :—: — For some days past the inhabitants of the town of Clonmel and the surrounding neighbourhood have been in a state of unusual excitement, owing to the announcement that upwards of twenty-one executior. sales were to take place at the court-house to-day. The EmergencJ^ommittee were represented by Messrs. Godd' rd, Smith, Dudgeon, and Emerson. Mr. Gerald Fitzgerald conducted the proceedings, an auctioneer not having been found to act. At two o'clock sharp the sub-sheriff opened the proceedings. The first sale was that of the chattel interest in the lands of Kilmore and Ballagh, belonging to Rodger Gleeson. The farm was bought in by the tenant. The next sale was that of Daniel Eackett's farm. The landlord is Mr. Charles William White. Mr. Goddard was declared the purchaser at £250. The next sale was that of the farm of Edmond Morris, a tenant on Mr. White's property. His holding is 82 acres, valuation £62, and rent £86. He owes a year and a half's rent. Mr. Goddard was declared the purchaser at £100. The other farms, with the exception of two, were purchased by the representatives of the Emergency Committee. As Mr. Goddard was leaving the court he was received with hisses and groaning. The Rev. Mr. Maher was leaving the court-house, and the crowd outside, thinking to get in, made a rush for the door, but they were pushed back again, and in the confusion a policeman accidentally laid his hand on the Rev. Mr. Maber. Immediately the cry went up that Father Maher was arrested. The demeanour of the now excited crowd became go threatening that the authorities deemed it necessary to concentrate the whole force. Bottles and other missiles began to pour in on the police and soldiers. The volley became so heavy that Captain Slack, R.M., Carrick-on-Suir, who was in command with Colonel Carew, threatened to read the Riot Act. The next moment a policeman was knocked senseless with a blow of a stone. Captain Slack then produced the Riot Act, and the Rev. John Cahill, Kjaockavilla, Cashel, attempted to prevent him several times, and implored of him not to read the Act because one man had been hurt, as, if be did, the consequences would be terrible. However, the stone throwing did not cease, and as Captain Slack was pronouncing the words " God save the Queen," a policeman named Fennell, of Clerahan, was knocked off his feet by a brick. The police immediately charged the crowd with fixed bayonets, and the scene that followed can be more easily imagined than described. Simultaneously with the charge of the police the cavalry dashed in amongst the crowd. A terrible scene ensued — the air was black with missiles, and frightened shopkeepers endeavouring to put up their shutters were knocked down. Several hursars were unhorsed, and trampled on by the horses of their comrades. The charge lasted fully half a hour, during which time the air was rent with the frantic cries of women with children in their arms endeavouring to get away from the horses. Portions of the crowd fled, while others faced the charging party and battered their helmets with stones. A hussar coming round the main guard stumbled and fell, and some five or six hussars coming round the corner sharply fell over the horse and rider. Before the men could get up again their horses were gone some hundreds of yards, and they had to defend themselves as well as they could from the mob until the were rescued by their comrades. A soldier of the 48th Regiment is despaired of. The doctor states that if he recovers he will be insane. There are about 30 citizens injured, some seriously, others dangerously. One man escaped a sabre cut narrowly, the top of his hat having been cut clean off by a hussar's sword, Some clergymen came in for a good many hard knocks.