tempt to blow up Mr. Hussey's dwelling is the first of its kind
in Kerry, and the third that has been made in Ireland. Within the past
few years the districts of Castleisland and Tralee have been
distinguished for the number and ferocity of the outrages that were
committed there.'

I am also tempted to quote from the 'Leader' in the _Times_ on the
outrage:--

'Mr. Hussey has a reputation, not confined to Ireland, as an able,
fearless, and vigorous land agent, the best type of a much abused class
of men who have endured contumely and faced dangers, by day and night,
in order to protect the rights of property intrusted to them.

'It appears that, owing to the disturbed state of the locality, he
intended to leave it for the winter; and this probably being known to
his enemies, they made an effort to destroy him before he got beyond
their reach. He, at all events, seems to have been under the spell of no
pleasing illusion as to the supposed tranquillity and the reign of
order. On the contrary, he is alleged to have stated that more outrages
than ever are committed, and that but for the deterrent force employed
by the Government, there would be no living in the country, ... This is
the opinion of the majority of Englishmen. They are not all satisfied
that the spirit of lawlessness and disorder is rooted out; and they will
find only too strong confirmation of their doubts in the reckless
violence of the National Press, and in the attempt--marked by novel
features of atrocity--to destroy Mr. Hussey's household.'

As for the National Press, it indulged in an ecstasy of enthusiasm over
the perpetration, combined with intense disgust "at the miscarriage of
justice" of my having escaped without hurt or more than very temporary
inconvenience. On my departure, one eloquent writer compared me to
'Macduff taking his babes and bandboxes to England,' a choice simile I
have always appreciated.

The _United Ireland_ of December 6, 1884, in a characteristic
leaderette, headed 'A very suspicious affair,' observes:--

'We should like to know by what right the newspapers speak of the affair
as "a dynamite outrage"? A very curious surmise has been put forward
locally, namely, that the house had been stricken by lightning. The
shattering of a building by lightning is by no means phenomenal, and the
absence of all trace of any terrestrial explosive agency, gives colour
to the hypothesis that the destruction was due to meteorological
cause