Mr. J. C. Bloomfield (image 1)
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EXTRAORDINARY SCENE AT BELLEEK. (November 1892)
Abducting a Wife.
Would not go to Mass or Live with her Husband—He says She is Insane; the Magistrates say she is not.
A case of much local interest came before Messrs. Maloney, R.M., Tredennick and D. Johnston, the Magistrates who presided at Belleek Petty Sessions on Tuesday, when Mrs. John M'Goldrick, Ballymagahran (Castlecaldwell) was brought up in custody of the police charged on a warrant sworn by her husband that she, “has been discovered and apprehended at Ballymagahan under circumstances denoting a derangement of mind and a purpose of committing an indictable crime, that is to say—she has repeatedly threatened to take her life by drowning and being violent; she took up a stool in her hands and raised it in a threatening manner as if going to strike informant, John M'Goldrick, with it.”
Mrs. M'Goldrick was a light little woman about 60 years of age, neat and clean in her person, and her husband was about the same age—a small farmer.
M'Goldrick being sworn deposed to the truth of the information.
Mr. J. C. Bloomfield—I appear as the friend of this poor woman, and if the application be granted it would be an outrage against civil and religious liberty. Some weeks since
THE R. C. CURATE OF BELLEEK CAME to see the poor woman at my house, and during the conversation said the woman must be mad when she would not go home and to her religious duty, upon which I wrote to the Canon a letter which is in the hands of my solicitor. Later I was informed by my wife that he had told her the Parish Priest, Canon M'Kenna, insisted on her going to her duty or that she would be sent to the asylum. Later on the Canon himself appeared with another curate and the husband at the door of my house and made a great demonstration, threatening the woman that she should be placed in the asylum if she did not attend her duties and go home. She then declared to him she would not. I endeavoured to make the priest understand this—as I had previously in my first letter, that the Inquisition was not yet established—that it was yet no crime to refuse to go to her duties, nor a fault anything with his confinement in a lunatic asylum. He left in a rage, and I subsequently wrote to him another letter, the copy also now in the hands of my solicitor, who being engaged at Enniskillen Quarter Sessions, cannot be here. About two years since John M'Goldrick came to me and endeavoured to persuade me to be a party to commit his wife as a dangerous lunatic. Upon enquiring I found that this was
A CONSPIRACY TO DEPRIVE THE WOMAN OF HER LIBERTY.
because she would not attend to her religious duties. I also found the whole family were parties to her incarceration. The poor woman from the persecution she underwent had run from her home and for some time was absent, but I found by the police acting as a servant in a farmer's in Co. Tyrone. On or about the 6th November, ’90, she fled into my house for protection and there remained for two years, all but a few days, and acted in the most exemplary way. On Wednesday I was in Enniskillen, and on my return by the late train I found that the poor woman had been abducted by a party of men while my family including Sir Fenton Hart, were at dinner, and I was yesterday informed that the husband had sworn an affidavit and obtained a warrant to bring her before the magistrates as dangerous lunatic. I hereby swear that such an information is absolutely false, and that a more correct, well-behaved woman never lived in our house, and quite ready to receive her back and go bail for her conduct. Should this warrant during abduction and false information succeed in its purpose, the result will be a calamitous exhibition—a state of things utterly unconstitutional and subversive of civil and religious liberty.
Mr. Maloney (to M'Goldrick)—On what grounds do you make your application?
The applicant made a brief statement embodying the facts that his wife left him five years ago, and at length he discovered her whereabouts and brought her home, and she had threatened to destroy herself, and then went away from him.
Mr. Maloney (to Mrs. M'Goldrick)—Are you suffering from any illness?
Mrs. M'Goldrick—No sir; I gave myself up to Mr. Bloomfield, and I will live where I am.
Husband—And not stop with me.
Wife—No, nor I never threatened to drown myself.
Mr. Bloomfield again gave testimony to the woman's exemplary conduct, and stated that when she was abducted Dr. Stephens was sent for and the priest, and he believed they said the woman was mad. He could prove it, and if pressed will prove it a false accusation and
THEY ARE LIABLE TO A TRIAL FOR BIGAMY.
The man in his affidavit says, “For the last three years I have noticed my wife,” whereas the woman has been in my house for the past two.
Husband—You were in Dublin, and I was watching outside.
Mr. Maloney (to Husband)—What do you want to put her in an asylum for?—If we leave the house this woman may drown herself.
Mr. Bloomfield—Then why do you take her from us?—Why did your wife bring her to your house?
Sgt. Greer said he knew the woman for the past six months and did not consider her insane, or that she had anything wrong with her.
Mr. Maloney (to Mrs. M'Goldrick)—Are you willing to go back to Mr. Bloomfield?—Yes, sir, I will go back to-night.
Did your husband ask you to go back and live with him?—Yes, and I would not go.
Mr. M'Hugh, who was in court, here became infuriating and chipping about declaring very Sotto voce that “it was scandalous.”
M'Goldrick said the woman had run away from Mr. Bloomfield, who had to get men and dogs out to hunt the deserter for her.
Mr. Bloomfield—This is false. But is it not to be wondered at, that a woman would threaten to drown herself because of your bad treatment of her for refusing to go to her duties.
Dr. Stephens here volunteered evidence and asked to be sworn, he declared the woman was insane and should be sent to an asylum.
In reply to Mr. Bloomfield witness admitted it was four years since he examined her, and two years of the time since she had been in Mr. Bloomfield's. He only saw her once since.
MR. M'HUGH IN EVIDENCE.
Mr. M'Hugh again exhibited alarming symptoms of excitement. He picked up a law book, and placing a new pair of pince nez on his nose tried to read, but the being up to those fashionable contrivances, the glasses came off; then when he held them his hand shook so much he laid down the book and declared “it was poisonous.” Mr. Tredennick accused Mr. M'Hugh's interference, ordered him to keep quiet, and District Inspector Toppers gave him a caution. Mr. Maloney at length attended by the scene, asked him what he wanted.
Mr. M'Hugh declared it was insane if Mr. Bloomfield should be permitted to take away this man's wife.
Mr. Bloomfield—I never did—never interfered.
Mr. M'Hugh again pranced about, and Mr. Toppers again had to snub him.
Mr. Tredennick—Why is Mr. M'Hugh speaking or interfering? Is he a witness?
Mr. Maloney—My curiosity was aroused by conduct and I asked the question.
Mr. M'Hugh said he was not anxious to be examined, but immediately proceeded to make a long statement. He was however stopped and swore, and he then said he met Canon M'Kenna at Castlecaldwell, and from his conversation with him sent an order to Dr. Stephens to come out and examine her, as it was commonly reported the woman was a dangerous lunatic. The man and husband also said she was dangerous—and I may tell you that I would not allow any man in Ireland to interfere with my wife. The fact of the woman leaving her husband was proof enough that
THERE WAS SOMETHING RADICALLY WRONG.
Mr. Bloomfield—During the two years she has been in Blen-na-lung do you know anything about her?—No.
If the man was anxious to have his wife living at home with him why did he swear an affidavit to put her in an asylum?
Mr. M'Hugh would not answer this question but poured forth a torrent of words in which could only be distinguished something about “because she stopped in a certain place,” “she would not stop with her husband,” “if Mr. Bloomfield dared to keep my wife,” &c. During the time this jargon was uttered Mr. Maloney looked on smilingly, whilst Mr. Tredennick, who had evidently less time to spare, was annoyed. At length he finished and Mr. Bloomfield remarked—“A magnificent specimen of declamation.”
NEW WITNESS.
Mr. Tredennick asked had Dr. Stephens sworn an information. Dr. Stephens said not, but he was prepared to do so, and state the grounds for his declaring the woman insane. He saw her on Sunday for the first time in the past two years.
Upon your single visit you find she is a dangerous lunatic?—And knowing her previous history, but I did not take into consideration the time she was in your house.
Mr. Tredennick—Would it not be possible that a person would be insane and recover since?—They might be insane for only a day and recover.
Mr. Bloomfield—Not one woman in a hundred would have experienced the treatment she did, and not go insane.
Mr. Maloney then examined the woman and she said she would not go back to her husband. Asked why she would not go back, she said she knew herself, and she would not listen to his wrong talk. She gave herself up to Mr. Bloomfield as she wanted to get peace, and her husband was trying to make her out of her mind. Why could not he leave her alone and give her liberty to earn her living as she had done and was able to do, and she did not want a half-penny from him.
HUSBAND WANTS HER TO GO BACK.
Have you got children, and why will you not go back to them?—They gave me bad usage and I will take an oath I will not stand on his floor again. I have two hands and I will earn my living if they leave me alone.
Asked further questions about the children, the woman answered all well and intelligently.
In reply to Mr. Maloney Mr. Bloomfield repeated his statement, that during the past two years the woman had always been quiet save when she dwelt upon the way she had been treated by her husband and family.
Mr. M'Hugh here called M'Goldrick aside and told him quietly (so that the bench would not hear) to dare the magistrates to send her home with Mr. Bloomfield, and M'Goldrick at once called this out, that the woman was his wife.
Mr. Bloomfield asked for the protection of the court, he had not interfered with the pair; the woman came to him, and he was in the midst of the greatest nest of ruffians.
The magistrates unanimously made the following order—‘Defendant to be discharged from custody, being satisfied she is not insane.’
Mr. Bloomfield asked for protection for the woman. The country was a free one, and she should be able to go where she liked.
Mrs. M'Goldrick—I will give myself up to Mr. Bloomfield.
Mr. Bloomfield said that if she was interfered with he would take the case up in another way.
Mr. M'Hugh attempted to make some remarks but was not attended to, and finally silenced, and the woman was taken down to Johnston's hotel.
