THE FEELING IN LUCAN.

[ Piece of Stove Found at the Donnelly Homestead, Many objects have been unearthed at the site of the Donnelly homestead.  Some of the items may have belonged to the original Donnelly family. Copyright Great Unsolved Canadian Mysteries Project, Jennifer Pettit,   ]Lucan, Ont., March 4. — A very distinct growl is heard on the streets from men of every denomination at the very severe strictures hurled at Father Connolly through the columns of the Globe, under the guise of interviews with several parties here. Those who know best the line of conduct pursued by his reverence from the beginning to end of this unfortunate occurrence hesitate not to state in the most unmeasured terms that such remarks were entirely undeserved and uncalled for, and it is looked upon as taking an unfair advantage of a gentleman whose sacred calling denies him the privilege of reply or of entering into a newspaper wrangle for any such purpose. The Globe may say they are only giving the opinions and statements of others, for which they are not responsible. We can assure you that the Globe has lost more friends throughout the North Riding of Middlesex by these uncalled for attacks on the character and standing of his reverence than they little dream of, and on the other hand it has raised up a host of sympathizing friends for the last named gentleman. Men who have hitherto known his reverence on a passing acquaintance, are now numbered among his warmest firneds.

The relatives and friends of the men now under accusation hesitate not to declare that they have not received that treatment due them from the authorities who now have them in charge. It is stated the prisoners have hitherto been always respectable members of the community. That, ignoring this fact, the Chief and his staff forced the men to leave the city for this village without giving them refreshments of any kind; that during a delay of an hour at St. John's, on this road out, they were refused the privilege of procuring refreshments on their own account. A friend of one of the prisoners states that he procured a buffalo robe and shawl and pillow, and carried them to the lock-up for the acommondation of his friend and such of those who might share them with him as far as they went, but upon application to have the articles passed into the lock-up, he was gruffly refused and told that the accommodation they had was good enough for them. Again, when morning came they were ushered out into a London conveyance upon empty stomachs, in order to give them a chance to appease their appetities on skilly-gillee when they were handed over to the tender mercies of Mr. Lamb. This kind treatment , as before stated, is loudly declaimed against on every street corner. [...]

Source: Unknown, "The Feeling in Lucan," London Free Press, March 3, 1880.

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