Another very bad agrarian murder has occurred in Ireland, —indeed,
in some respects the worst yet chronicled, since, with the landlord shot, a soldier told off for his protection was deliberately shot also; so that the assassins did not even scruple to take another life, simply in order that they might take the life of the man whom they had determined to kill a little sooner. Mr. Bourke, of Rahassan Park, County Galway, was the prin- cipal victim, and he was shot on Thursday, in broad daylight, with his escort, while riding from Gort to Athenry. The Land League Press had ridiculed his precaution in asking for an escort, and had declared his life to be perfectly safe. Mr. Bourke was a barrister, of about forty-six years of age. He had prac- tised some time in India, and on his return had bought Rahas- san Park, where he resided at the time of his death. He contested Mayo with Mr. O'Connor Power at the last election but one. He made great exertions for the relief of the people at the time of the partial famine in 1879-1880, and was then very popular; but since the return of prosperity had insisted on his rents, which led to his murder. The assassination of the soldier who was with him will create a very unpleasant feeling in the Army, which will not be inclined to admit that soldiers should be killed in cold-blood simply because they are told off to protect the lives of persons whom the Irish hate.
