LORD ASHTOWN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 66, 11 December 1907, Page 7

LORD ASHTOWN.

MORE ABOUT THE GLENAHIRY LODGE EXPLOSION. CHARGES OF CONSPIRACY. SOME LETTERS. BY TELEGBAriI—riiBSS ASSOCIATION—COrYUIGIIT. London, December 9. Anothor phaso of tho Glenahiry Lodge case —i.e., the explosion in August at Lord Ashtown's shooting seat—has developed. Mrs. .Minnie Walsh and Percy,' her fiftcon-ycar-old son, wore charged at Dublin with conspiracy to obtain from Lord Ashtown and Chenovix Trench, his agent, and from a iclativo, money by falso protences; also with conspiracy to incite Patrick Cahill, J. Ward, and others unknown to blow up a building at Woodlawn, Lord Ashtown's Galway seat. - Minnio Walsh wrote to Lord Ashtown, warning him of coming danger, and after tho late .outrage at Glenahiry Lodgo she wrote that the authors were Gahvay men. Anonymous letters, alleged to bo in Percy Walsh's writing, were produced. Mr. Trench denied that ho or luord Ashtown prompted Mrs. Walsh's letters. Tho hearing was adjourned. . AN UNEASY LIFE. CARRYING A LOADED RIFLE. It has been alleged that Lord Ashtown himself caused or connived at the explosion, in oider to sustain.statements contained in his publication "Grievances from Ireland." That was, in substauco, tho defence to a claim for compensation brought by Lord Ashtown against tho County of Waterford, but Judge Fitzgerald, after hearing some remarkable evidence, found that tho explosion was a malicious outrage, and that thero was no foundation for the allegation of the defcnco. Lord Ashtown was awarded <£140 damages. Much has been written about Lord Ashtown, both pro. and con. 'Hero is a pen-picture of his mode of life as a boycotted landowner, from the pages of tho' "Standard" "Lord Ashtown lives a few miles away in Ccunty tialway, I walked round his estato with, him tho other day, and ho carried a loaded rifle over his shoulder. Wo.wore, followed by an armed policeman at a distance of a few yards. When he drovo mo to tho station,, the policeman followed the carriage oj a bioycle. Lord Ashtown is under police protection, and is known in tho locality as the 'arch exterminator of Woodlawn.' Ho has had tho temerity to dismiss incompetent herds, under whoso hands his stock wero dying, and to replace llioni by Scotsmen, when local labour was forbidden by tho Leaguo. If ho complains, ho will doubtless get tho soft answer that does not turn away danger, and the reputation of n 'carrion crow.' Jle does njt complain, ho simply shoulders his rifle, and allows it to be understood in tho neighbourhood that if on a dark night ho sees anyone lurking behind a hedge, and if, on challenge, that person does not como forth it will be a bad job for him. And as lie has moro than a local reputation as a dead shot, ho is peihaps ill less danger than many others. But at least he owes nothing of his security to the good will of tho League." ; It, was Lord Ashtown who was tho subject of the speech in which Mr. Kelly, a magistrate, was said to have uttered an incitement to murder. Tho charge against Mr. Kelly was that lie urged the men of Woodlawn to put Lord Ashtown "on a stretcher" like John Blake (who was murdered when going to Mass in 1882). Tho evidence of reporters and of others present was conflicting, and the jury found Mr. Kelly not guilty.