ck or implements were not
removed from the premises, and that Ring, if he exerted himself, could
not be deprived of their use for a _second day_--we must admit it was a
fair remuneration for his trouble. Well--but this Mr Shee, with the
knowledge of his former misconduct, and its punishment before him, again
seizes: and this time he commits a _felony_, as well as an illegal act;
for he carries off the tenant's manure, and appropriates it to his own
use, without going through any legal form whatever. The tenant obtained
justice before; but now (with a still stronger case) he refuses to bring
his action, which, in the quarter-sessions court, would have cost him
2s. 6d. He is quite aware of his rights, for he defended them
successfully before; yet for some reason or another, _studiously
concealed_, he now remains inactive.[40]

* * * * *

Is every person so silly as to believe that this Mr Shee, who was more
than once successfully prosecuted for assaults and illegal acts, would
not again be brought to justice for such a serious breach of the law as
that of forcibly carrying off another man's property. The criminal
prosecution would only have cost one shilling; and can we believe he
would a _third_ time subject himself to an action for illegal distress,
with the rent-days specified in the lease well known to him?

But all the assertions of this paid maligner sink into insignificance
compared with what follows. We know not which to be most amazed at--the
recklessness, or the stupid ignorance of the man.

"It would be too tedious to give a detailed account of every
lawsuit that now followed; but from that time, _the summer of 1842,
up to the summer assizes of 1843_, the landlord proceeded in the
courts for a warrant of ejectment against Ring _nine times_. On the
first eight cases he was defeated; but he succeeded on the ninth.
He had thirteen other lawsuits of various kinds with the same
defendant, during which he sold his furniture five times and his
horse twice. In all, _he had twenty auctions of sale previous to
midsummer of this year_. Part of the furniture was in several of
these instances only bought back by the agent, Mr James Coyne,
handing money privately to Ring to pay for it. This is the agent
formerly spoken of, who at last gave up his situation out of sheer
disgust at the odious work he was called on to perform.