3-052-470 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The State of Ireland: going to business - a sketch at Westport, Mayo, 1880. '[Our] Sketch...shows the disturbed and excited condition of popular feeling, and the sense of insecurity that prevails in some districts, where the peasantry have been led to cherish sentiments of animosity and to threaten dire vengeance against those connected with the landlord interest. The agent of the Marquis of Sligo, who is the gentleman here seen going to his business office in the town of Westport guarded by armed constabulary, has had several narrow escapes of being murdered by a gang of desperate villains sworn to take his life. He has been shot at five times; the last time was about three months ago. Though warned previously not to go without an escort, he went accompanied only by his son, and was attacked by four men with blackened faces. They fired at him but missed him, and his son then shot one of the assailants...A committee has been appointed in Calcutta [in India] to collect funds for the relief of Irish distress. A large sum has been already subscribed. At a meeting at Hyderabad over 50,000 rupees were subscribed, of which the Nizam gave 20,000. About 2000 rupees have been collected at Candahar [in Afghanistan]. From "Illustrated London News", 1880.