The Idaho Springs siftings-news., July 27, 1912, Image 6

About The Idaho Springs siftings-news. (Idaho Springs, Colo.) 1905-19??

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WHY IRELAND
HATES ITS POLICE
• y^yvc?/yd'7Xi'}} r y r yc&yyv ’
HE traveler in Ireland
can generally get
plenty of Information
from tiie policeman,
who is sure to be not
far off having in
these days little to do
except to scrutinize
strangers at railway
Pj'rA
Sip
station and street corners Although
oft**ri frigid and uncommunicative to
natives the- policeman is free enough
wiih strangers, and his Information is
apt to bo reliable about the country
generally, for. as he is never kept
long at any one place, his local knowl
edge is extensive It Is true that he
u P I to be biased against the peas
an«rv. because, although a peasant’s
•° n himself, his training and ernploy
nieru have made the people hate him,
for the common people have no use
for the "peeler,” as the constabulary
are contemptuously called by them
Imagine the policemen, the natural protectors
of Iff.- and property, being hated by the people!
Thar is the condition in Ireland yet. and has been
so almost from the beginning. That does not
mean that th«- Irish do not want to have life and
property protected It means that they have so
long < n the policeman identified with the pro
te ti.u, of a particular kind of life, to-wit: the
landlord s and bailiff’s, and a particular kind of
property, to-wit the landlord's property in land
fh.tr they overlook his other useful public serv
fees It 1b a most unfortunate state of things
The policeman has been made the buffer between
the English Government and the Irish people, and
• • • • ’• ' • •nt of coert ion of the : .
and between the two his lot has not been a happy
one When borne rule becomes an accomplished
fart the Koval Irish Constabulary will be dis
banded. It will no longer be necessary to keep
*»i; English garrison” in Ireland.
Th.- estrangement between the police and the
people is indeed remarkable In the lawless dis
trlcts of which there are still too many, the people
who could give information to the police will not
<lo so. Hence, there is a good deal of unpunished
crime in those districts. One of the worst coun
tbs in this respect Is the county of Clare, the
historic constituency that first elected O’Connell
to Parliament. Here the old wounds of the agra
rian war have never closed up. During my stay
I saw In one of the papers a pastoral letter of
the Most Rev. I)r. Fogarty. Bishop of Killaloe, giv
ing a blood-curdling description of outrages which
continued to be committed with impunity against
life and property in Clare. I visited Ennis, the
capital of the county. 1 was told that In one week
no less than three shooting outrages had been
perpetrated on unoffending men One of the vic
tims was an ex-soldier, who was acting letter
carrier. and who was shot in the highway in open
day Although many people passed his wounded
body on the road, not one would comfort or re
lieve him till the police came several hours after
wards These* passers by doubtless felt that if
they gave any help to the victim they might meet
the same fate as himself So helpless has British
law become in the county of Clare.
Sauntering round the narrow streets I fell in
with an old man who did not object to conversa
tion Ho proved to be an ex-policeman. This
man did not mince matters in detailing his views
and experiences. “Clare was the most peaceable
county In Ireland," said he. "when I joined the
force, but the cursed Land League came upon us.
and since then things have been different Most
of the men you meet on the road are Fenians or
Rlbbonmen. and many of them are criminals."
I toid him I thought this was too strong a de
scription of ids countrymen. He. however, stuck
to bis opinion, and took me to an elevated spot at
the ba< k of the Court House, from which he
pointed out the scenes of as many as seventeen
assassinations, all more or less successful, but
for which only one man was ever brought to
Justice.
It Is not alone the malcontents and the secret
society men that refuse to tell the police what
they know’ about outrages. Even the relatives of
the Injured persons are often known to adopt a
similarly uncommunicative attitude To give in
formation to the police is to be branded as an
•Mnfornler.” which is the most offensive epithet in
the Irishman’s vocabulary, being worse than that
of "hangman.” The stigma descends from father
to son. while there is any of the family left to
endure it. My ex-policeman friend told me that
be himself had heard a Clare mother, whose son
was shot before her eyes, make the avowal that
ahe would rather see all her sons lying dead be
side her than become a hated “informer." She
brought the secret to the grave with her.
I asked my friend for his opinion as to why the
force was so unpopular. He laid the blame un
hesitatingly upon the English Government. The
Government have employed the police almost ex
cluabively at evictions and other such unpopular
Casks. when they might have employed the regu
lar soldiers or the militia. The result Is that the
T. ? 1 -
COLLEEN BAWN and VITORIA ROCKS, KILLARNEY
latter forces are popular, or at least are treated
with some toleration, whereas the police are de
tested. It may be that recruiting reasons were
back of England’s policy of keeping the army and
militia out of Irish agrarian troubles. Ireland
used to be a good recruiting ground for these lat
ter forces, and if is important to England that it
should continue so This consideration would dic
tate the wisdom of keeping the military force
neutral in Irish internal affairs.
One of the allegations made by Nationalists is
that outrages have often been "manufactured” by
police agents at the instigation of the Government
itself, in order to furnish an excuse for coercive
laws. I asked this police veteran if there was
any truth in this statement.
"It is no longer true,” h£ said. "But," he added.
"I can well remember when there were some very
queer methods employed by the Dublin Castle
authorities to get evidence about outrages. Did
you ever hear of the Tubbercurry conspiracy?” he
inquired.
1 told him I had not. He thereupon told me
the story of how a Government spy, disguised as
a blacksmith, settled in a Western town, got In
to the confidence of the people, became sworn in
as a secret society man. and ended by making
things so hot that nearly one hundred young men
had to flee the country
"It was." said he. "in the early Land League
days, when the famous, or infamous, Jimmy
French was at the head of the detective depart
ment in Dublin Castle I was a recruit in the
constabulary depot then. Tubbercurry is a little
town In the west, and many outrages were com
mitted around that spot, but not a man w-as pun
ished for them, nor was any word of information
given to the police Secret societies ruled the
place. Going among the raw’ recruits one day.
and questioning them. Jimmy French picked out
a young man. named Morris, a blacksmith’s son.
who had also learned the trade himself, and in
structed him to repair to Tubbercurry. set up a
blacksmith’s forge there, make himself popular
with the people, keep his ears and eyes open, and
if he got any bit of imi>ortant information, to take
it himself to Dublin He was not to divulge his
Identity to the local police, for this would ruin his
chances. They were to be kept In the dark as
much as the peasantry. Of course. Morris w T as to
have plenty of money for the Job. but he was to
live poorly and dress poorly on the profits of the
forge.
"Morris carried out his Instructions to the
letter. He took the name of ’Billy Bartley.’ Bart
ley's forge soon became a rendezvous for the
idle or half Idle youth of the neighborhood. The
kind young blacksmith would only charge a few
coppers for shoeing a horse, or mending a spade,
and smaller jobs be often did for nothing, espe-
daily when his clients were of the
poorer sort. He acquired a reputa
tion as the broth of a boy;’ he was
a willing gamester, being always
ready, if a game of cards was pro
po- -d. to cease w ork and reach over
for he cards, which were always
kept on the top of the bel
lows. and continued playing as long
as he found company. He omitted
no oportunity of making himself
known and liked, went to every
fair dance, wake and festival
where people congregated. In the
political life of the village he was
always on the popular side in giv
ing hfs opinions, and even his mon
ey Had he continued this gait
he must have found himself In
some public office. A Poor Law
Guardian, or a Justice of the Peace
he might have been if the plot had
been allowed to develop so far.
"Of course, there were those who
had their suspicions of young aßrt
ley Where did he come from, and
what were his antecedents? When
this kind of questioning got too
close, he managed to turn it off In
some adroit way. Beyond the state
ment that he had had some trouble
with his parents, and that he had
resolved to earn his livelihood away
from them, he would confide noth
ing as to his paßt. The old men
shook their heads, and warned the
young men to shun him. One said
he was too good to last long Another said he
might be a Government spy who would get them
all In trouble. That he went to mass regularly
was admitted, but there were some who remarked
that his manner of blessing himself revealed the
amateur worshiper The conjecture that he might
be a Government spy came to Bartley’s own ears,
and at once he 6et about to explode it.
"The first thing Bartley did was to go to a
liquor seller’s and get drunk. When he was told
to get out he became abusive, cursing everybody
In authority, especially the Government, the Lord
Lieutenant, and the Queen. Rolling in the gutter,
he called for three cheers for an Irish Republic
and a Parliament in College Green. When the
police came. Bartley become more abusive. At
the station house he assaulted two of them, and
challenged any miserable hound that ever wore
the Queen's uniform to a stand-up fight. When
he appeared before the magistrates he was fined
heaVlly, and. in accordance with the part he was
playing, would have gone to Jail instead of paying
the fine, had not a crowd of sympathizing Na
tionalists in the body of the court subscribed the
amount of the fine between them. After giving
this incontestable proof that he w’as a genuine
Nationalist and no Government spy. Bartley’s
reputation was re-established
"Work at the forge now became more brisk.
But whereas previously the men brought spades,
shovels, and plowshares to mend, they now
brought pikes and muskets. Bartley was trusted
as he bad never been before. The week after his
encounter with the police he was sworn in as a
regular member of the secret society ready to
take the field against the Government when the
rebellion was announced. He had. however, stipu
lated that be should not be asked to leave the
forge until actual war had broken out. and bis
wishes were respected. Many firearms were
mended and many pikes w’ere made for the mem
bers of the revolutionary society. Bartley knew
the name of every member; the name of every
man who had a rifle; the name of everybody who
committed an outrage for five years previously,
and the name of every person on whom an out
rage was Intended to be committed. Bartley
made reports of these particulars to the central
office in Dublin. He was thanked and told to
keep cool. When the Government thought the net
was full they drew It out. and presto! the whole
town and district of Tubbercurry was thrown
Into a state of the wildest confusion. Summonses
were Issued for all the names on Bartley’s list.
Those who felt that their cases were light attend
ed court and were let off with a fine.
Bartley took the first train for Dublin as soon
as he heard that the first summons was Issued.
Had be remained a few hours later, he would
have been assuredly '
A vanithcd thirst—a cool body and a refreshed one; the W
//H sure way—the on/y w»y it via a glass or bottle of W A
j! &&(>£!%
| Ideally delicious—pure as purity—crisp and sparkling as frost. )
C rf r Onr nnr booklet, leUlnc of Coca-Col*
* * l Whmrrf
Ij *M Demand tb* Genuine as made br
THE COCA-COLA CO., Atlanta, ca. cfCoca-coia.
' J2Cf.m7 r -y~
Faultless Starch Twin Dolls
His* LiDyWhite u 4 Miss Phoebe Priam.
fsy~£ lf yon will o«e the boot starch mad«* both of throe V* f} \ ItL-‘-'*'J
I Cvyl rsadolli, each 121-2 l&chra high and rt*on!y to cat out I wffH I r-t-He J
I /*w V/ I and staff! will be sent to au* address, poatpaid. on re* \ E^-r-Tti-fl-jS I
V 1 , a y / oeipt of alx fronts of!0 c«?nt Fnnltle** Starch pack age*. \ V* ' ■ /
or twelve fronts of 5 cent Faulthrsa Starch package* jk \// ; |
■'. and d cents la stamps to coTor pmuga and packing. eiOssfv
/ 7 i7TTl' Or either doll will be sent on receipt of three IJ cent e?'
C* * • , fronts or six 6 cent front* and 4 cents In atamjw. Cat
I oat thla ad. It will be accepted in piece of on.# D
yfiy cent front, or two 6 oent front*. ‘-r“ • p-*
MADE BIG PROFIT FOR STATE
Purely Business Argument for the Es
tablishment of Sanltoriums for
the Tuberculosis.
According to figures contained In the
annual report of Dr. H. L. Barnes, su
perintendent of the Rhode Island state
sanitorlum. the earnings of the ex
patients of that institution during the
year 1911 would amount to over $266,-
000. This is a sum three tipies as
large as that spent each year for main
tenance of the institution. Including
four per cent, interest and deprecia
tion charges.
The actual earnings in 1911 of 170
ex-patients were obtained by Dr.
Barnes. These ranged from $2 to
s3l per week, the total earnings for
the year amounting to $102,752. On
this basis. Dr. Barnes computes the
figures above given. He says, how
ever: “While Institutions for the cure
of tuberculosis are good Investments,
there is good reason for thinking that
Institutions for the Isolation of far
advanced cases would be still better
investments. ”
Out of a total of 46,450 hospital days’
treatment given, 39,147, or 84 per
cent., were free, the treatment costing
the state on an average S2OO per pa
tient. Out of the 188 free cases investi
gated, 56 had no families and no in
come on admission to the sanitoriura.
Out of 132 patients having homes, the
number in the family averaged 5.2, and
the average family earnings were
D 46. In 59 cases the families had no
income, and in only five cases were
there any savings, none of which
amounted to as much as SIOO.
Edelweiss and other characteristic
Swiss flowers are said to be in dan
ger of total extinction because of the
craze of tourists for collecting them.
Women tourists especially are always
anxious to take away souvenirs in
the way of a plant, and do not simply
pull the flowers, but dig up the plant.
It Is proposed to Introduce a law that
will prevent the buying, selling or dig
ging of edelweiss, fire lily, Siberian
spring crocus, Alpine columbine, the
Daphne, Alpine violet or other na
tlonal flower.
"I see,” said Mrs. De Jones, while
Mrs. Van Tyle was calling, ‘‘that you
have a Chinese chauffeur. Do you
find him satisfactory?”
“He’s perfectly fine,” said Mrs. Van
Tyle. “To begin with, his yellow com
plexion is such that at the end of a
long, dusty ride he doesn't show any
spots, and then when I am out in my
limousine I have his pigtail stuck
through a little hole In the plate-glass
window, and I use it as a sort of bell
rope to tell him where to stop.”—
Harper's Weekly.
"What made Mr. Chuggins buy an
automobile?”
“His wife persuaded him by calling
his attention to the economy of hav
ing gasoline on hand to clean glovee
with." —Washington Star.
No man is so dull that he can’t
make a bore of himself.
To Protect the Flowers.
Excellent Plan.
Persuasion.
Old Michigan's wonderful batter
Eats Toasties, ‘tis said, once a day.
For he knows they sue healthful and wholesom*
And furnish him strength for the fray.
His rivals have wondered and marvelled
To see him so much on the job.
Not knowing his strength and endurance
Is due to the com in TY COBB.
Written by J. F. MAOEB,
MlO luUaim at, two Btm, Wta.
One of the B 0 Jingles tor which the Post am On-
Bottle Creek, Mich., paid SKMUM in Moy.
People who are thrifty are apt to
get a reputation for being stingy.
Many a girl strives to make a name
for herself rather than attempt to
make a loaf of bread.
When He Can’t Be Overlooked.
Somehow or other we never take
much notice of the coming man till he
gets there.
Can’t Afford To.
Friend —You and your husband
seem to be getting on well together
just now. I thought you had quar
reled.
Wife —Can't do that these days
when our dresses fasten down the
back.
Her Affections Dampened.
A little girl was playing at the
table with her cup of water. Her fa
ther took the cup from her and In
so doing accidentally spilled some of
the water on her.
“There,” she cried, as she left the
table indignantly, “you wet me clear
-ro my feelings."—Everybody’s Maga
«ine.
Pittsburg Chivalry.
“What’s going on here?” demanded
a man as he came upon two little boys
battling In a vacant lot on the South
side. The lad who was on top was
rubbing weeds over the face of the un
der one.
"Stop It,*’ said the man, grabbing the
victor by the neck and pulling him
away. "What in the world are you
trying to do to his face with those
weeds?”
‘‘Do? Why, he swore In front of
some girls, and I rubbed some smart
weed In his eyes to become a great
man like Abraham Lincoln.” —Pitts-
burg Sun.
Too Eager.
Fred Poyner, a Chicago dentist, was
recently at a banquet given by the
Dental association.
He s&id: “On one side is the right
of things and on the other is wrong;
sometimes the difference between the
two Is slight. As the following story
shows: A gypsy upon release from
Jail met a friend. ‘What were you in
for?’ asked the friend.
“'I found a horse,’ the gypsy re
plied.
” ‘Found a horse? Nonsense! They
would never put you In Jail for finding
a horse.’
“ ’Well, but you see I found him
before the owner lost him.' ”
Voice of Conscience.
A western Kentucky negro was in
Jail awaiting trial for stealing a calf.
His wife called to see him. On her
way out the jailer, whose name was
Grady, halted her.
“Mandy,” he Inquired, "have you
got a lawyer for Jim?”
“No, sah,” said his wife. "Ef Jim
was guilty I’d git him a lawyer right
away; but he tells me he ain’t guilty,
and so, of co’se, I ain’t aimin’ to hire
none.”
“Mr. Grady," came a voice from the
cells above, "you tell dat nigger wom
an down thar to git a lawyer—and
git a dam’ good one, too!"—Saturday
Evening Post.