September 23, 2010

Date Published: {J}

1910

Athenry arrests

On Thursday, a rather brutal exhibition of police force was witnessed on the streets of Athenry – an exhibition which, I am glad to state, is of rare occurrence owing to the sober and respectful attitude of the inhabitants. As a result of Thursday’s accident, serious injury has been sustained by an unfortunate man who was arrested, and he has been confined to his bed, attended by Doctor Quinlan.

The facts, it would appear, are that a labourer named Pat Collins had some drink in Mr. Corbett’s public house, at Northgate-street, and while in the shop had some difference with Mr. Campbell, the manager.

A number of police were inside in an ante-room, and, hearing the argument in the shop, came to the rescue, with the result that Corbett was arrested. From Northgate-street, to the barrack is a considerable distance, and along the route the unfortunate man Collins received, it is alleged, brutal treatment. Some of the witnesses shouted “Don’t murder the man”, whilst others cried “Shame”.

Collins is a delicate man who has been unable to work for some weeks past. He is 5ft 4in in height and weighs eight stone. Three burly policemen were engaged in the arrest. Either of them could have conveyed him to the barrack without resistance or difficulty.

1935

Air crash

Lieut. Felix Vaitkus, a Lithuanian-American airman, who was on his way from New York to Kovno, landed for petrol at the Green Hill Field, near Ballinrobe, the property of Mr Stanhope Kenny, shortly after ten o’clock on Sunday morning,

having accomplished the North Atlantic flight in 22.5 hours.

Unfortunately, in seeking to “pancake” the heavily loaded plane into the small six-acre field, the airman smashed his right wing and landing gear, and slightly bent his propeller points.

A local farmer who helped him to alight as he was backing his way out of the cabin asked him where he had come from.

“From New York,” the tired airman coolly replied. “Then you are amongst friends,” said the farmer, “for I have relatives in New York.” The plane was seen flying over Headford between nine and ten on Sunday morning, and later it was seen over Clifden.

He felt himself compelled to land because his petrol supply was running low, and he had received bad weather reports from Athlone radio station, which had kept in touch with him throughout the dramatic all-night flight all the way from Nova Scotia.

He was flying a single-engined Lougheed-Vega 620 horsepower plan, which he had christened Lithuania II and his destination was his own country. The flight was financed by leading businessmen in New York and by the Lithuania Aero Club.

Workers’ protest

At a special meeting of the Athenry post office workers the following resolution was passed unanimously: “That we hereby enter a formal protest against the delay on the part of the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs in reaching a decision on the wage claim put forward by the Executive of our Union in September 1934, and we regret that we are compelled to take this action by the low level of economic subsistence which our members have to endure.

“Four of our members, who are married men with families, are subsisting on weekly wages ranging from 12s. to 25s. per week. The remainder, although established officers, feel the strain of the present high cost of living.

“We earnestly urge that the tradition of poverty which had been associated with the post office since it was first instituted may now be set aside once and for all, and that the new foundation will be laid on which an indispensable body of State servants will find themselves treated as befits responsible citizens.”

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.