Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 December 1890 — A HIGH OLD IRISH TIME. [ARTICLE]

A HIGH OLD IRISH TIME.

Irishmen ▼«, Irishmen—Parnell Blinded— Dante ;lnjared. The Parnellites and anti-Parnellites both held meetings at Ballinakill on the 16th, and it was not a very quiet affair. There were elubs and bricks freely used. Davitt was injured, and many followers of both ‘factions carried off broken heads. The attempts to speak were almost futile, the bearers preferring to exercise muscular force. After the Ballinakill meeting Mr. Parnell and his friends drove to Castle Comer, Mr. Davitt and Dr. Tanner following in their wake. At Castle Comer Messrs. Davitt and Tanner addressed an open air assemblage, dilating upon the incidents at Ballinakill, and asserting that Mr. Parnell brought a hired mob there to attack them. Just then the carriages containing the Parnellites passed through the crowu, which hooted and pelted them with mud and stones. Wm. Redmond appearing on the edge of the crowd. Mr. Davitt sent him a message saying that if Parnell would agree to stand beside him and deliver a speech Mr. Davitt would reply to it and would guarantee Parnell a quiet hearing. Redmond bore the Message to Parnell, who instantly replied: “I am not in a position to treat, lam only in spo sitionto fight.” The Parnelli tes cheered their approval. 1 Mr, Purnell afterward spoke to a small meeting. He said he valued them not by their numbers, but by their quality. He jvas not accustomed to face a crowd o f ignoraut fools; he preferred a crowd of patriotic Irishmen. He was not afraid of being in the minority, but he knew that when the voice of Kilkenny spoke he would not be in the minority. He did not wish to assail men that had stood by his side many a long day, but he was not going to ask permission to speak fram a cocksparrow like Tanner or a jackdaw like Davitt. While other Parnellites were addressing the crowd a number of Davitt’s followers got together and began hooting at the speakers. The Parnellites closed around the vehicle from which their orators were" addressing the people, and the police appeared and tried to divide the factions. The meeting ended in a scene of wild confusion, and Parnell and his friends drove off amid a shower of stones and mud. Frequent attempts to assail members of the party were made, and several bags filled with lime were thrown at them. Mr, Harrington’s shoulders were covered with lime, and a mass of lime struck Mr. Parnell full in the face, completely blinding him. This insult infuriated Mr. Parnell’s friend’s. Mr. Harrington turned, and advancing toward Father Downey, who was at the head of Mr. Parnell’s opponents, shouted: “Coward, you are a disgrace to your church.”

The police here again Interfered, and Mr. Parnell’s party, who had left their car, again took their S9ata and finally got away on to the road. Mr. Parnell’s eyes, which were quite closed, were intensely painful. He was soon obliged to stop his carriage, wbieb be left and entered a laborer’s cabin in a fainting condition. A local doctor attended him. The lime had become caked beneath his eyelids, and the doctor was only able to remove some of it by using a silk handkerchief and some hair which he found in the cabin. Mr. Parnell was finally advised by the doctor to drive immediately to Kilkenny, so the latter again entered his carriage and proceeded on his journey. But the pain again became so intense that a second halt was ordered, this time at a roadside public house, where the doctor made further efforts to relieve the terrible pain which Mr. Parnell was suffering. The doctor was able at this place to procure a quantity of castor oil, which he poured freely into Mr. Parnell’s eyes. He then tried to scrape off some more of the lime, using for this purpose the point of an ordinary lead pencil. The lime, however, had become incrusted inside the eye-lids and the doctor, with the crude implements at hand, was only able to remove the torturing substance slowly and with much difficulty. The doctor apologized to Mr. Parnell for causine him so much pain, but said it-was unavoidable, Mr. Parnell replied: “Never mind the Do your best: don’t let me loose my sight.” The doctor poured more oil into Mr. Parnell’s eyes and said he hoped that the case was not as bad as that. Finding that he was unable to remove all the lime tho doctor urged Mr, Parnell to drive with all speed to the town and this was done. Arriving at the Victoria hotel Mr. Parnell had to be led from the wagonette to his room. He reclined in an arm-chair, apparently sightless, and suffering the most intense agony. He still remains in the hands of his doctor. Surgeon Hackett, who attended Mr. Parnell along the road, stated at a late hour Tuesday night that all the lime had been removed, but that the patient was still suffering intensely. He did not anticipate from present appearances permanent injury to Mr. Parnell’s sight.