A look back at some local events from 100 years ago in The Impartial Reporter.

 

BORDER CIVILITIES

A witness from the Newtownbutler district, who lives close to the border, gave a very graphic description of a raid on his half-brother's house, when two persons were accused of taking part in the affair, at Fermanagh Assizes on Monday.

He told the court that he was “working hard in his sleep” when he was aroused, and he was later under “guard of the century at the door”.

And the finale was too disquieting, for he complained that the raiders left “without saying good-night or good-morning, for morning it really was”.

 

A CLEAN SWEEP

It is said that Bofin, the elusive Republican leader, made a clean sweep on Enniskillen on Friday night last. Whoever it was, the townspeople were as surprised as the strikers, at the clean appearance of the streets on Saturday morning.

 

VALUE OF MORAL TEACHING

It was a sad sight to see in Enniskillen a 'hero' made of a young man convicted of an indecent assault on a young girl and a hostile demonstration made by Roman Catholics against a Roman Catholic girl who defended her honour, and who, the judge said, established her good character and broke down a “serious attack” made upon her evidence.

The judge commented severely on the evidence for the defence, one witness for the defence admitting that he told what was untrue.

 

JUDGE'S COMPLIMENTS

When several points had been raised by counsel at the Fermanagh Assizes in malicious injury appeals on Tuesday, some of which needed a great stretch of the imagination to grasp, Lord Justice Andrews lay back in his chair and laughed for some time, exclaiming: “You are the most ingenious set of lawyers in Fermanagh I ever came across.”

 

LAID ASIDE

Much regret will be felt at the very serious accident which befell Mrs. George O'Connor, Enniskillen, on Tuesday evening last.

Mrs. O'Connor was Miss Josephine Close, and who had been a prize winner at Sligo Feis a few years ago, not only in vocal but also in instrumental competitions.

All her acquaintances will wish her well, and hope that she will be nothing the worse of what might have been a fatal accident.

 

A BRIGHT CHILD

An Enniskillen mother was reading a story to her little ones, and in the story was the word “amphibious”, a rather big word for little minds to grasp.

The mother explained that amphibious meant living partly on land and water. “Mamma”, exclaimed a little one, “is Mrs. Laverton amphibious?”

No one will enjoy this story better than Mrs. Laverton herself, who lives on a house boat (the Pandora) on Lough Erne.

 

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