the Assizes of 1885, consisting of
two cases of murder, eighteen cases of letters threatening to murder,
thirty-nine cases of cattle, horse, and sheep stealing, eleven cases of
arson, eighteen cases of maiming cattle, fifty-two cases of seizing
arms, seventy-four cases of sending threatening letters, and twenty-four
cases of intimidation.'

You will observe that this is the same picture from two different points
of view.

Almost the worst case in which I was personally interested, was that of
the Cruickshank family.

The father, an industrious, respectable, elderly Scotsman, supported his
family at Inch by the proceeds of a rabbit-warren which he rented. He
had no farm, and therefore might expect to live in peace, even in Kerry,
in those times; but, as he was a Scotch Protestant, and had arms, he was
a marked man.

Having been threatened, he was partially guarded by the police who
patrolled the district. However, in April 1885, when the Prince of Wales
visited Ireland, and the constabulary from country districts were
drafted into the towns through which he had to pass, a number of
disguised Nationalists entered Cruickshank's house at night. They gave
him a frightful beating, even breaking a gun on his head, which was
seriously injured. This was done in the presence of his wife and
daughters, and of a young son who, with one of his sisters, went off in
the night to a police station four miles distant, to obtain assistance
for his father.

Between the fight and the chill received that night, the boy fell into a
decline of which he died in May 1886. One daughter, not strong at the
time of the outrage, became a chronic invalid. The father, as soon as he
was able to move after the perpetration, applied for compensation under
the Crimes Act, but as it was then to expire in about a fortnight, the
Lord-Lieutenant refused to consider the case. The poor fellow continued
to suffer from the wounds on his head, and so affected was he by the
shock of his son's death, that he became insensible and only survived
him a few weeks, leaving his widow and three daughters without any means
of support.

My wife and the former Archdeacon of Ardfert appealed for subscriptions
and obtained L120, which enabled the unfortunate survivors to return to
Scotland.

That was the settlement of the land question that suited the
Nationalists, namely, to cause the death of the head of the family, and
to get the rest out of the country. It did not