THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.
MONDAY, " DECEMBER 20, 1937.
MOB FORCE GIRL TO HER KNEES BEFORE PRIEST
Made To Give A Vow: Awarded
Slander Damages Against A Ringleader
In the lonely country of Co. Mayo, in the extreme west of Ireland, a pretty girl of twenty-five was dragged by a mob through a mile and a half of bog road, and forced on her knees before a priest to vow that she would stop see- ing a married man.
The girl was in the man's car when the attack was made. No attempt to interfere was made by the authori- ties. At Ballina. the girl-Miss Mary Stokes-was awarded £75 slander damages and costs against one of the ringleaders of the mob.
The story, one of the strangest that have yet come out of the Irish Free State, was tole in the court of Judge Wyse Power,
The kidnapping was not denied. No attempt was made to justify it.
Mise Stokes claluted domages from 42-year-old farmer, Peter Me Donagh,
Geesalagh,
He said that if she did "the Lord would coffin her."
Then she had to make the vow.
Mr. Connolly, for the defence, said that the kidnapping of the girl, and bringing her before the priest. Indi- rated a rather unusund state of affairs that might not be found except in the more remote parts of the west of Ire- land,
But he defended the case; entirely McDonagh the submission that
Her case was that in Geesalagh dis- pensary McDonagh alleged that Miss Stokes lived immorally in Loudon
did not use the words alleged. and come home to do the same thing.
GIRL STRUCK MAN Counsel for Miss Stokes said that
McDonagh, in evidence, agreed that! Geesalagh while she was going to with her sister she met a married mine was one of the kidnappers.
He said that he had been asked by Father Farrell, the Roman Catholic curate in Geesalagh bring the girl to Belmullet.
named Heneghan in a molør-car.
A crowd surrounded the car and pulled Heneghan out.
DRAGGED A MILE
Miss Stokes escaped, but she was pursued by the mob, armed with sticks, und dragged about a mile and a half along a bog rond.
In the course of this she tumted. She was then thrown across a blegete, and carried in that way back to the motor-car. Then, with Heneghan. she was taken to Belmillet,
tis
To
sze Bibury, Gloucestershire haunt of artists and beauty levers, is live in the inevitably to "want to country." A prietorial study from the Homeland,
He denied that he was suggesting that the girl was living an immoral fe, hut i was in the minds of the
"It is plain," the judge said, "that public that she was keeping company | serie allegation Brad been makle with a married man.
and apparently against the girl, without any Irial, or cholce, or an opportunity, for the girl to defend across the country, put into a motor- Cherself, she was forcibly dragged ear against her will, and brought be fore a priest in Belinullet, and there freed on her, knees,
McDonagh said that it was only in Miss the eyes of the public that Stokes was doing wrong.
This, said counsel, was in admitted fact. He added: "I cannot refer to the lack of subsequent criminal pro- ceedings without stating that it is one of the greatest outrages that ever ac- curred in this circuli, having regard, her coffin,
It was Heneghans they took to the priest and the girl come along with him. Father Farrell was the ring There they were brought before leader who organised the kidnapping Roman Catholic curate, who made
He agreed that he told another man Miss Stokes go down on her knees and ¦ to follow the girl, as the priest want- prumise never again to go with Henes for
to the Belmullet brought ghan.
¡curate.
When being kidnapped the girl truck her kidnappers across the face. He denied that he was flung across a bicycle after she fainted or that Munnelly told her she would be in
to the fact that it was suggested that. The judge, referring to the kidnap-. Miss Stokes should be medically 'pun, mid that counsel for the de- examined.
fence had frankly sad he would not -ASKED TO KIDNAP HER attempt to justify what had happen. ed. Miss Stokes, in evidence, said that
"FORCIBLY DRAGGED" McDonagh was the lender of the mob.
When she was brought before the It was an unpleasant part of the prest Father Munnelly put her downs that McDonagh had said that on her knees and made her promise he was only carrying out the outrage slie would never go into Heneghan's on the Instructions of the local Ramin
Catholle curate for Farrell.
car again.
"That was sworn in open court to have happened in this country in the year 1937,
|
Heston Airport Sold To Government
TESTON Airport was sold recently to the Govern-
ment.
At the request of the Air Ministry the management of the airport will remain in the hands of Airwork, Ltd., the former owners, for some time to come..
Mr. Nigel Norman and Mr. Alan Muntz (who married Lady Margaret Stewart, daughter of Lord Londonderry, in 1934) were among the founders of Airwork, Ltd., which has owned Heston Airport since 1929.
It rapidly developed into the largest privately owned airport in the world and second only to Croydon in this country.
"If an individual clergyman thought At to urge physical violence, and deliberate breaking of the civil law. how could he expret his flock to obey the civil law on other occasions?"
Another thing that emerged was that the venue was changed from Geesalagh to Beimullet, so that the curate in Geesatagh, who instigateding
kidnapping, would not be forced to the conclusion of the matter in Belmullet.
The judge said that McDonagh struck him as an entirely unreliable witness. He was satisfied that the words were spoken.
the
By 1934 over 3,000 planes a month were taking off and land- there.
In 1936 the Air Ministry purchased land adjoining the present flying field to save it from the builder.
Plans for a G.W.R. station and a service to Paddington of Diesel-engined rail-cars, which would bring Heaton within 15 minutes of London, were projected.
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