AGRARIAN CRIME IN IRELAND.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1809, 8 December 1879, Page 3

AGRARIAN CRIME IN IRELAND.

The most remarkable of the many recent agrarian crimes in Ireland was an attempt to murder Lord Sligo’s agent, but which ended in the death of a militiaman named Howard, who was one of the attacking party. At the inquest which was held on the body of Howard, Lord Sligo’s agent, Mr John Sidney Smith deposed that he left Westport about seven o’clock on Tuesday morning, accompanied by his son, Sidney Ward Smith, and the driver of the car. He drove to the Court house of Ballycroy, where he met a number of the tenants, and left for town at a quarter to two o’clock to return. While he was passing a sandpit at Daegan Mountain, u number of shots were fired across his way and over his head. He thought there were five shots fired, and would swear there were four. They were fired very quickly—as fast as it was possible—out of a double-barrelled gun. He believed the shots were fired at him. The persons who fired the shots were on the back of the pit, about eight or nine feet above him in front. When the shots were fired he looked up and saw three or four men. He would swear thsre were three, and thought there were four in front of the car. He saw that some had guns, but could not say that all had. The guns were not pointed then. The men appeared to be looking to see what they had done. The horse ran about thirty yards before the man could stop him. Witness did not notice whether his assailants had their faces blackened. He saw a few minutes afterwards that one of them was disguised—he meant Howard. It struck him at the moment they were black-looking men. His son jumped off the other side of the car immediately. Ho had a rifle in his hand, and discharged it at one of the men. They were retreating at the lime. Witness did not then see the effect of the shot. He did not see the man fall. He went up to his son and asked him whether lie was hurt. Ho replied “ No, but I’ve shot a man.” Witness asked where he was, and almost at the instant saw the man lying on the mountain, about thirty yards from the road. They both walked up to look at him. Ho was one of their assailants. Witness found a double-barrelled gun some yards behind him. One barrel had been discharged. The gun, which was a well made fowling piece, with one barrel loaded, was produced, and the coroner directed that the charge should be drawn.) The witness believed the man was dead and said so at once to his son. Ho was about sixty yards from (he road at the time. Thoy returned to the pit, and there found a hat and coat. The dead man had no coat on him,and and witness thought ho had no hat. (A constable here produced a piece of battered load which had been extracted from the gun. Captain Stoney, a juror, after hammering the gun again, produced a perfectly formed bullet.) The witness further stated that they then drove to the police barracks with tho coat and hit. About three weeks before tho occurrence ha received a threatening letter with the Newport postmark on it. It was to this effect:—‘l am in this country observing the conduct and tyranny of agents end landlords. Perhaps you are not aware there is a very large sum of money to be paid for the killing of you. Take heed to yourself on tho ro id between Ballycrory and Newport, for you will bo killed.’ The behaviour of the people of Ballycrory when he visited them did not load him in the least to apprehend any violence. They had never shown him anything like disrespect, and he never saw them rnsre correct in their behaviour than they were Oil his last visit. Thoy stated theninability to pay as they could not sell their cattle, and had not their harvest got together. Ho said ho wns perfectly willing to wait until they could sell or get their crops in. That was tho only conversation they had, and thoy parted on tho best terms. It was off the side of tho road that his son fired. He fired three shots altogether out of a small breechloading single barrelled gun. He fired in quick succession ; one at the man who fell, and the others at tho retreating men to keep them going. He believed the men had 1 fired with the intention of taking his life.