A peculiarly abominable attempt to wreck Glenahiry Lodge (co. Waterford),
and to murder its owner, Lord Ashtown, took place in the early hours of Wednesday morning. About 2 o'clock Lord Ashtown was awakened by a loud explosion and the noise of falling timber and breaking glass. Lord Ashtown and his head-gamekeeper, who was sleeping in the house, at once made their way to the drawing-room, which was in flames. They were, however, able to extinguish these within five minutes. An examination of the room showed that the outrage had been deliberately planned, and that the object had been to burn the house and its inmates, who numbered three women and two men. The explosive had been placed on the window-sill in a metal-pot, and there were the remains of quart bottles of paraffin and sacks saturated with oil. Lord Ashtown is, as a rule, very carefully guarded by the police, but since the strike at Belfast a great many of the constables have been withdrawn from the district, with the result that the night patrol was abandoned. We con- gratulate Lord Ashtown on his escape, and we sincerely trust that no effort will be spared to discover and punish the per- petrators of the outrage. Lord Ashtown has shown extra- ordinary courage and persistence in refusing to be intimidated by threats, and we feel sure that he will not be daunted by this ruffianly attack.
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