The Nationalist, June 1920.
Sinn Fein Courts.
PROMPT ACTION IN CARLOW.
The people of these parts are breathing
more freely since the Irish Volunteers began to put a stop to the crimes
that were being committed by gangs that took advantage of the prevailing
unrest.
Robberies and even assaults on
unoffending people had become the order of the day -- or rather night.
As a matter of fact several daylight
robberies have been reported from all parts of the country.
Many public bodies -- irrespective of
politics -- have thanked the Sinn Fein Volunteers -- and indeed they
deserve the thanks of the Irish nation in general. In every period of
unrest in Ireland certain elements break loose.
It is the same as a matter of course in
every country under the sun. There is a certain number of people in
every land either parasites or criminals.
They won't work and they want to exist.
But this is a matter for sociologist and not for the journalist, whose
province is to give the news, explain things and comment on every
subject.
AROUND HERE.
Every week during the last six months
reports have reached us from all parts of our wide district about people
being held up on the national highways and relieved of anything they
were so foolish as to carry with them.
This form of robbery is bad enough
surely; but when the miscreants force entry to an unprotected house,
ransack it and terrify the inmates, strong action becomes imperative.
It becomes the duty of someone to combat
it.
Only recently a young girl going home
from Carlow to Mageney was held up on the lonely road and all she
possessed in money was taken. It happened to be only a couple of
shillings. The amount is nothing, but the crime is everything.
STERN ACTION.
Last week we briefly drew attention to
certain happenings around Carlow and Graiguecullen. On a Saturday night,
about a month ago, three young men came to the farm residence of an old
couple, Mr. John Reilly and his wife at Crosseen. They knocked and were
admitted by the unwary couple.
The place was ransacked and an amount of
money between £12 and £15 was taken.
About a fortnight afterwards they called
again and knocked, claiming they were policemen. they were admitted.
When inside they claimed they were Sinn
Feiners. The house was again searched and not finding any money this
time they took the man's clothes and a large portion of the woman's
wearables.
They then left -- but not to go --. Mrs
Reilly -- thinking they had gone -- went to see if £5 was safe, where
she had it hidden.
It was there, but it did not remain long.
The gang kept watching and again knocked, and the £5 went the way of the
clothes. Mrs Reilly was unable to go to Mass the following Sunday owing
to the insufficiency of clothing.
DEVELOPMENTS.
The Sinn Fein Volunteers took the matter
in hand promptly.
On Friday night at 11o'clock, one of the
suspected parties was quietly arrested outside the Cinema Palace in
Burrin Street, Carlow. Afterwards the others were arrested. All were
conveyed by motor lorry to an unknown destination, where the court was
held.
Three Volunteer officers constituted the
court, in which the prisoners were described as civilians.
A Volunteer officer was appointed to
defend them. Two of the parties pleaded guilty and were fined £1 each
and ordered to find work or to leave the district.
The third was found not guilty and
honourably discharged.
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- Transcribed by M. Purcell c2011.
- Old newspapers in the PPP.
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