e of the
commercial community. A well-known tradesman says: "A man in
Newcastlewest owed me L24 for goods delivered. He had a flourishing
shop and also an excellent farm. He was so slow in paying, and
apparently so certain that in a little while he would escape
altogether, that I sued him for the amount. It was a common action for
a common debt, between one Irish tradesman and another. But I am a
Unionist, and therefore fair game. I got judgment, but no instalments
were paid. I remonstrated over and over again, and was from time to
time met with solemn promises, the debtor gaining time by every delay.
At last I lost patience, and determined to distrain. Everybody laughed
at me. 'Where will you get an auctioneer, and who will bid? they
asked. I determined to carry through this one case, if it cost a
hundred pounds. I got a good revolver, and succeeded in bringing an
auctioneer from a distance. The debtor said he would brain me with a
bill-hook if I put my foot on his ground, and another man promised to
shoot me from a bed-room window. It was necessary, to carry out the
sale at all, to have police protection. I went to the barracks and
submitted the case. Had I a sheriff's order, &c., &c., &c.? All
difficulties overcome I went to the 'sale.' We seized a cow, a watch,
and some of my own goods, and commenced the auction. Nobody bid but
myself, and when I had covered the amount due the sale ceased, the
aspect of the people being very menacing. Remember, this was not
agrarian at all. The debt was for goods delivered to be sold in the
way of trade. Most of them were there before my face. The debtor came
and said, 'You can't take the things away. But we like your pluck, and
if you will settle the matter for L5 I will give you the money.' I
declined to take L5 for L24 and costs, although the police looked on
the offer as unexpectedly liberal, and the bystanders shed tears of
emotion and said that Gallagher was 'iver an' always the dacent boy.'
When I wished to remove the things the troubles began. I had my
revolver, the police their rifles, but things looked very blue. I
drove the cow to the station and got her away, but the other things
could not walk aboard, and how to get them there was hard to know. I
asked people I knew to lend me their carts--people who were under some
obligation to me, men I had known and done business with for years.
They all refused; they feared the evil eye of the vigilance committee
of a Fenian organi