A LIVELY EVICTION. Tenants Who Defended Themselves. In Medl val Style.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 215, 13 August 1887, Page 7

A LIVELY EVICTION. Tenants Who Defended Themselves. In Mcdl val Style.

The evictions at Bodyke were resumed on June 10th, and there was a repetition of the excitement and the scenes which have attended the numerous attempts to evict tenants. The Sheriff and his bodyguard were stubbornly resisted at the hou*>e of a tenant named O'Halloran. The hillside near the house was covered with an excited mob, who cheered the defcndeis of the premises and urged them to hold out. O'Hallomn and his pai-fcy bad dug a tiencli around the house and barricaded the lower rooms, while the upper portion of the house was occupied by ten men, including two who had returned from America, and some women. The bailiffs made an attack on the walls of the house with crowbars, but were ieceived with scalding water and (led. The Inspector of Police, with a drawn sword, then mounted the ladder placed against the bide oi the house, but wab beaten down. The constable, with a rifle and lived bayonet, next mounted the ladder, but hi.s head was battered by the defenders. Several gashes were inflicted upon him and he retiied. Another constable also attempted to climb the ladder, but iailed. A second ladder Avas then pio luced and seveial constables mounted it, but were beaten down Cox essayed to climb up the ladder to speak to the inmates of the house, but the police prevented him from doing ko. Finally a constable entered with a ritie and fixed bayonet, but the rifle was wrested from him and his safety was imperilled, when Father Hannon entered and commanded a cessation of hostilities. The inmates were then arrested and the woik oi eviction v>as carried out.