THE PRIESTS' STATEMENT OF THE ORANGE OUTRAGES AT BAY ROBERTS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 50, 3 April 1885, Page 7

THE PRIESTS' STATEMENT OF THE ORANGE OUTRAGES AT BAY ROBERTS.

Editor or the Pilot :— The following statement of the cowardly and outrageoas attack on the New York Redemptorist Fathers, by the Orangemen of Bay Boberts, Conception Bay, was made to your correspondent to-day, at the office of the United States Consul :— •* St. John's, N.F., January 10. "About two months ago, we, the undersigned Redemptorist Fathers, arrived from Boston, Mass., to hold missions in Conception Bay, Newfoundland ; we reached a locality in that Bay named Bay Roberts on the 17th of November ; we had not long taken np our residence there before we were subjected to the grossest abuse, persecution and intimidation by a crowd of Orangemen assembled daily and nightly on the streets. The most vile, scurrilous and nameless language was used, and threats menacing our lives were hourly uttered. We were told that if we did not leave Bay Roberts immediately the house we occupied would be pulled down about our heads. One savage ruffian drew a large knife, and made a plunge at Father Delargey. At another time a gang of moie than usually truculent Orangemea threatened to hurl the Fathers over a neighbouring embankment. During the night heavy stones were flung at the house and the windows were smashed. Barrels partially filled with stones were rolled up and down under onr windows ; in fact every species of terrorism was resorted to in the rain attempt to force us to an immediate retreat. Recognising at last that our lives were seriously imperilled we requested Father E. T. Welsh, pastor of Bay Roberts, to make application to the local authorities for protection. He went to Captain Dane, one of the resident magistrates of the place, but received no satisfaction. This worthy guardian of the law even told him he did not believe his statements. We were, therefore, obliged to suspend our Mission, and we left Bay Boberts amid the demoniac yells, hootings and execrations of the assembled Orange mob. " Subsequently, after.having closed a series of Missions in other parts of Conception Bay, we were requested by Right Rev. Dr. M'Donald, Bishop of Harbour Grace, to resume and complete our Mission at Bay" Roberts. We cheerfully promised to comply with this request, if protection for our lives and liberty were guaranteed by the Government of Newfoundland. Accordingly Bishop M'Donald sent the Right Rev. Father Walsh to the Premier fcir William Whitenoy, and also to His Excellency Governor Glover, to ask for the necessary protection to enable us to complete our Mission. '• On that same day about 20 policemen were sent to Bay Roberts, and placed under the control of Captain Dane and Mr. Taylor, the magistrates of the place. About 50 persons were summoned by the Justices of the Peace, " in the Queen's name," to act as special con. stables, but only six individuals responded to the summoue. " Under such guarantees we proceeded to Bay Roberts on Sunday, January i. As we approached the settlement, we were surprised to find a crowd of Orangemen — numbering between 1,200 aud 2,000 persons— obstructing the highway or main road, as far ahead as we could see ; and also an Orange arch erected across the road and confronting us, merely for the purpose of exposing us to the opprobrium and indignity of walking under Orange banuers. We at once declined to proceed, and firmly declared that the " Stars and Stripes " would not, in our persons, be subjected to such a lawless outrage. " Seeing that the Newfoundland Government had apparently neither law nor power to remove the standing insult set up againsc our faces, we appealed to the Cjqsul of the United States for protectiun from open insult and threatened violence. At the demand of United States Consul Molloy, His Excellency Governor Glover sent over an additional police force, and also ordered the British warsuip TeneriO3 to the scene of the disturbance. 11 However, it was only after repeated consultations with the Government at St. John's. that the obnoxious flags were removed on Tuesday, January 6, at 11 o'clock a.m. We then proceeded to complete our Mission under protection of the land force and under cover of the guns of the Tenedos. " We now declare our solemn conviction that had ifc not been for the authority of the United States, speaking through the Consul at St. John'?, we could not have exercised our inviolable rights as priests of the Catholic Church in Newfoundland. "(signed) Rev. Patrick M'Givbbn, C.S.S.R. "Rev. Fkank Delakgey, 0.8.5. R.",