His wife had an infant at
her breast. His son, who was fifteen years of age, was put in his place
upon the works. The infant at the mother's breast," said the rev.
gentleman, amid the sensation of the meeting, "_had to be removed_, in
order that this boy might receive sustenance from his mother, to enable
him to remain at work." Another poor woman, the mother of eight
children, when dying of want, was attended by the Rev. Mr. O'Connor. She
made her last request to him in these words: "O Father O'Connor, won't
you interfere to have my husband get work, before the children die."
"In December, 1846, matters seemed to have come to a climax, and on the
evening of the 24th [Christmas Eve] I witnessed a scene which scarcely
admits of description. On that day a board was held at the Workhouse,
for the admittance of paupers. The claims of the applicants were, in
many cases, inquired into, but after some time the applicants became so
numerous, that any attempt to investigate the different cases was quite
useless, and an order was then given by the members of the Board
present, to admit all paupers, and at least to give them shelter, as but
little food was to be had.
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