y a catholic movement. Officers were ordered to enforce
disarmament by summary methods; martial law was established, and they
were enjoined to distribute their troops at free quarters where arms
were supposed to be concealed. Scenes of cruelty sickening to
contemplate followed. As soon as a district was proclaimed, troops took
up free quarters in it, burned every house where a weapon was
discovered, shot men without trial of any kind, put many to cruel
torture either on suspicion of concealing arms or to extort evidence,
and excited the bitterest feelings of revenge by outrages on women,
cutting the petticoats from the backs of girls who showed any sign of
sympathy with rebellion, such as wearing, it might be accidentally, a
green ribbon. Men were commonly tortured by floggings of fearful
severity, or by half-hanging. In imitation of the French republicans,
the rebel party cut their hair short, and it was a pastime with the
soldiers to torture "croppies" by fixing a covering lined with hot
pitch, a "pitch-cap," on their heads, which could not be removed without
tearing the scalp. More than one man died under the lash, and one from
fear of the torture. No name is more closely associated with these
horrors than that of Thomas Judkin Fitzgerald, high-sheriff of
Tipperary. Resolute, courageous, and energetic, he united with some fine
qualities a violent temper and an insensibility to human suffering.
Conspiracy was rife in Tipperary, and he was determined to stamp it out.
One instance of his cruelties will suffice. A teacher of French named
Wright was suspected of treason, and a note of a harmless kind, written
in French, was found on him. Fitzgerald, who could not read it, brutally
assaulted him, declared that he would have him first flogged and then
shot; and failing to obtain a confession from him, caused him to receive
150 severe lashes and had him put in prison, where he lay for some days
with his wounds uncared for. After the rebellion Wright sued him, and
obtained L500 damages. Fitzgerald's severity and the courage with which
he acted were effectual; Tipperary remained quiet. The government paid
Wright's damages, and Fitzgerald's services were rewarded with a
baronetcy.

The conspirators intended to wait for a French invasion. Their
organisation was deranged by the arrests of March 12. A plan was made
for seizing the castle and occupying Dublin. The city was proclaimed and
violent measures of repression were adopted.