64 THE HIGHLAND CLEARANCES. 



Who tore them ? Nicolson did. 



Did you see him ? I will swear that. 



Did you see the destruction of the other summonses ? 



Witness (before interpretation) No. 



Mr. Macdonald This witness had good English a week ago. 

 (Laughter). 



Did you see any person touch Martin ? No, I did not see them. 



Or Beaton ? No, I do not, but they might have killed him for all I 

 know. 



You ran home ? I ran back as fast as I could. 



Did any of them touch you ? I am not aware of any of them touch- 

 ing me. 



EVIDENCE OF NORMAN BEATON. 



Norman Beaton, ground-officer, said I reside at Shullisheddar. I 

 accompanied the sheriff-officer on 1 7th April last. I wnt to point out 

 the places. He had summonses to serve at Penachorrain, Balmeanach, 

 and Gedintailler. On coming near Gedintailler we saw two boys, and 

 they ran away. We afterwards saw a man with a flag waving it. 

 They came and asked where we were going, and Martin said he was 

 going to serve summonses on them. He took the summonses out of 

 his pocket. Alexander Finlayson said he would not allow them to go 

 on. He said lifting his staff, "You won't go any further". He said, 

 "Surely you all know me, I came here by order of the Sheriff". 

 Donald Nicolson took the summonses out of Martin's hands and threw 

 them on the road, but I could not say who tore them. I saw them in 

 bits on the road. The people were gathering. There was about 150 

 altogether men, women, and children and girls. I saw them all in the 

 crowd. Martin I and returned back towards Portree. Robertson turned 

 first, and after he left I saw him knocked down in the road. The 

 crowd followed us when we turned back to Portree, and some of them 

 were throwing stones and clods at us, near Gedintailler on the road. 

 Not many of them struck me. Near Murchison's schoolhouse, about 

 three-quarters of a mile from the place where the summonses were des- 

 troyed, the crowd followed us, and amongst them were James Nicolson, 

 Peter Macdonald, and Malcolm Finlayson. They were very much 

 excited, and using threats. They ran after us, and asked if we had 

 any more summonses. Martin said he had the principal summonses to 

 bring them back to Portree. He took them out of his pocket and 

 showed them, and Malcolm Finlayson snatched them out of his hand 



