A Brave Priest on the Battle Field.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 33, 7 July 1885, Page 2

A Brave Priest on the Battle Field.

: : The' Sydney Freeman's Journal; j.says ) bravery oftthe? sons of Erin hag/nthrown BjomQthing of a glory -fixer the otherwise ™J«J#tf d 4!# WnoWf tfcej^an^ Almost without exception the brave generals and officers who sacrificed their lives to save their men from defeat, and to maintiEiih^the prestige of British armA^ B h(ave been Irishmen ; and now we have^ . chronicled the latest, and perhaps the noblest act of valour on the part of a lion-hearted Irish c priest. ;In another part of this issue we ; publisH.;af graphic • dßscriptioiiby,the correspondent of the , liondon Ddilyr : Chronich~ 6t the heroic conduct of "the l Eey.vMr Go]Ui^"army chaplain, on the occasion of thip recent terrible surprise, and narrowly-averted massacre of. the troops under command of Sir John M'Neill. The chaphun, who after figh' ting back to back with'., M*fd* Alston against .the swarming Arabs, having, as we are -told, " seized- the nearest available,weapon, -which he w,eildedvigorouily) as if to the manner bbm.vjrpJiin^ teered to, cross the bullet-swept ground w^tfi'h'iVlifein his hands to sparry ' ie ttfi'- i: ■ Goneral^siofders to the Indian' regiment, which was firing most recklessly, was, a devoted, Irish, priest, Bey. f Tjlather lins. We are not surprise^ to M read that (tb^e soldiers, struck by 'the'' inarvelloug coolness and bravery of the chaplain m suchi;&-' moment of peril anddifflctiltytiA raised cheer .after cheeri and their hehnets on their bayonets, waved don paper states that Father Collins, is* to receive the Victoria , Cross for his heroism. This is not the first time that Irish l ptiestS i! have distinguished r theni< selves ; in '. the ; battle-field, and m 'thissi > instance it: should not be forgotteni^thajf,,.; Father Colhhs, who, doubtless, is -at peaceful . ;a man as , ever .'.wa^kedj <^ was compelled to take up ;the sword to defend himself from the frantic Arab spearmen ; while m the act of crossaig - ' between the lines ot fire he nobly risked "his own life to save his comrades.