-- The Cork Examiner 5 June 1844

REPEAL RENT - MALLOW

In addition to the Rent subscribed at the Meeting on Sunday,
Mr. Edmond Brown, grocer, has handed R. B. Barry £1; Mr. D. Reily,
grocer, 10s.  A vigorous effort is being made among the rural
wardens who were idle this year.  A committee will go round the
town also; the victuallers always foremost in the good fight, are
collecting amongst their body; those poor but patriotic fellows
who gave but one shilling before, now give five shillings.  Thus
Peel may see that every fresh insult offered our beloved Liberator
only arouses his followers.   R.B.B.

-- The Cork Examiner 7 June 1844

THE MILITARY - INVASION OF MALLOW

Two companies of the 33d Infantry from Buttevant, and a posse of
Constabulary occupied the Town of Mallow on yesterday, in consequence of
an absurd and maliscious rumour set afloat by some evil-disposed person,
of an invasion of the Town by some labourers who were to attack the town
and demolish the Workhouse.  The Rev. Messrs. Collins and M'Carthy
addressed the people after mass, and alluded to the rumour as an atrocious
calumny on the peaceable people of the district, and desired them to avoid
drunken and riotous persons as enemies.  They cautioned them particularly
against spies, who are going about to trap the unwary.  There was not a
drunken man in town, although it was a holiday, and tens of thousands
lined the streets. There was a guard of Policemen in the Provincial Bank -
what absurdity?  R.B.B.

MURDER

We regret to inform our readers of the perpetration of a barborous murder
between Oakley-park, Ballybritt, and Kinnetty, in the King's County, on
the morning of Saturday the 1st instant between the hours of seven and
eight o'clock.  The victim in this instance was James Stapleton, lately a
resident of this town, and the supposed cause of this cruel deed, was the
circumstance of his having taken a small farm of seven acres out of which
one Michael Conway was evicted. 

Sir William Lynar, R.M., who had been attending the Birr Sessions, was
quickly on the spot with a large party of police.  He found the murdered
man lying inside a ditch, horribly mutilated.  None of the neighbouring
people went near the remains of Stapleton, nor could they be induced to
do so, the fact, as they alleged being, that he had taken the ground out
of which others had been thrown. 

It appeared at the inquest that Stapleton was first fired at--that he ran
off, and having been overtaken inside the ditch to which he fled for
protection, his assailants beat in the back part of his head with a heavy
instrument, supposed to be the stock of a gun, a portion of which was in
the poor man's head.  It is said that a child passing at the time heard
the cries of Stapleton begging the murderers to spare his life and he
would quit the land ; but this appears to be apochryphal.

Papers and letters were found in the unfortunate victim's pocket, and a
memorandum directed to his wife, respecting the debts incurred, and
directing her, in the event of the memorandum not being accurate, to give
ten shillings in charity.  He bore a fair character.

An immediate search was instituted by Sir William Lynar and the police,
the result of which was that four persons named Conway were arrested ; but
nothing more than mere suspicion attaches to them.  The police buried
Stapleton, and a guard of police is placed over the cattle on his
ground.  Alas ! that crying crimes should stain our ill-starred land! 
Alas ! that the landlord will not make an advance towards improving the
conditions of the tenant.--Tipperary Vindicator

-- The Cork Examiner 21 June 1844

INDECENT CONDUCT OF THE MILITARY IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST. MARY

GLASGOW, JUNE 17, 1844 - On yesterday at 10 o'clock Mass, at which were
present about 500 of the 87th regiment, now quartered here, as the priest
got into the pulpit to preach the sermon of the day, he announced to his
congregation that Mass would be offered up on Thursday and Friday next,
for the spiritual welfare of Mr. O'Connell.  At the mention of the revered
name, one of the officers who had accompanied the men to the church,
started up, and with out-stretched hand beckoned the soldiers to
immediately quit the church.  About a dozen instantly obeyed, and the
remainder not seeming inclined to follow the example, a scene of
considerable confusion took place.  The priest remonstrated, that as
Catholics they were bound to pray for Mr. O'Connell, who had done so much
for their spiritual liberties, and that in the announcement made, he had
no other object in view, and begged that the congregation might not be
disturbed; but the "man of war" was not to be appeased by any explanation
coming from a Popish priest, and he continued to insist on the men to quit
the church immediately.  The priest, seeing that any disobedience on the
part of the men might be very injurious to them, requested they would
instantly obey their officers, as Mass was finished.  They did so, with
apparent mortification, and in about 20 minutes they were entirely
removed. 

On the Sunday before, the Bishop announced in his church, that Mass would
be offered for Mr. O'Connell on Friday last, being the festival of the
Sacred Heart, and which he himself celebrated; but there were no bigoted
officers to ignorantly take offense.  The presence of so many of the
military that now hear Mass in St. Mary's Church, where regular
congregation is so large, is a source of considerable inconvenience to the
people; but so anxious are they to accommodate them, that all the seats
are given to the army, whilst those who pay for them are enduring
considerable inconvenience.  Application had lately been made to
Government for a small compensation, to enable the clergyman of this
church, to get a Priest to say a special Mass for the army, and to attend
to their spiritual wants; but the application was not only refused, but
the Colonel of the 87th refused flatly to countenance the application ...