EXTRAORDINARY SCENE AT AN EVICTION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2322, 28 May 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

EXTRAORDINARY SCENE AT AN EVICTION.

A Cork correspondent states that on the morning of the 7th February, Sub-Sherilf Huggard, of Kerry, went with forty policemen to carry out the eviction of Mr John Trench, P.L.G., a few miles distant. Shortly, before their arrival in the locality, Mr Trench got the word from town that he was to be the victim. Hβ determined upon offering as much resistance in defence of his home as he could, and, with the aid of sympathising neighbours, he began to barricade his " castle " as well as he possibly could with stones, gates, branches of trees, etc. Having secured the house outside as best he could, he, with about a dozen young men, entered through one of the windows, and immediately cut away the stairs leading from the lower part of the house. They then blocked themselves in one of the rooms on the second floor, and secured the door by placing a large iron gate propped by thick poles against it. In the meantime horns were blown and hundreds of peasantry poured in from the surrounding districts. The bailiffs, on getting word, began their work with a will, and after about half an hour succeeded in gaining an entrance to the lower part of the house, which they cleared of its furniture in a short time. In the meantime four policemen and District Inspector Rice who were up in the upper landing called on Mr Trench and the other, occupants of the barricaded room to snrrender quietly and peaceably. This was only met by the defenders with cries of " Never ! never !" and cheers for the "Plan of Campaign," "Parnell," "Dillon," "O'Brien," &c. The police then fell to breaking the door with hatchets and every other available things they could get. After hard work, they succeeded in breaking the door, but then the real difficulty presented itself. The iron gate inside was supported by thick props inside from the gate. Notwithstanding all this, the police could not effect an entrance to the room. They were then ordered to load their guns with buckshot, which they did. Seeing this, Mr Treuch bared his breast, and said ho was better prepared to go before his God than his landlord, George Sandes. After several hour's struggle an entrance was effected and the tenants evicted.