McManus Brothers in Court

London, Greater London, England · Monday, April 13, 1891

The adjourned prosecutions of Patrick McManus and Cornelius McManus , and John McManus (of Drumshanbo), Robert Cryan, and James McDermott, for riot and assault at the Nationalist meeting on Sunday, Feb. 22, were disposed of yesterday at Carrick-on-Shannon, by Mr. Paul, R.M., and Capt. Preston, R.M.

The three clergymen and four laymen who were arrested on Friday for declining to appear as witnesses were present in custody. At the sitting of the Court Mr. Bergin, on behalf of Cornelius and Patrick McManus, pleaded guilty, as his clients did not wish to have the priests in gaol. They did not admit their guilt, but out only wished to set the priests free. Mr. Morphy, for the Crown, said that as Patrick McManus and Cornelius McManus pleaded guilty to creating the disturbance he asked that substantial punishment should be meted to there and that the cases should be dismissed without prejudice. Patrick McManus and Cornelius McManus were bound over to keep the peace for twelve months. The other defendants were discharged; and the priests were liberated.

• A meeting was subsequently held at the Presbytery, where Canon Hoare charged the police with scandalous violation of their duty on the day of the disturbance, and declared that he and his colleagues declined to give evidence, in a Coercion Court, on points of which the constabulary were competent to speak. They had only been called upon in the hope that the appearance in court as informers might cause disunion among their people. It was pointed out that the police force in the court was greater than that at the meeting.