subs. (obsolete).—1. An Irish secret society (c. 1843) formed to intimidate bailiffs and process-servers.
1868. W. S. TRENCH, Realities of Irish Life, vi. These ‘MOLLY MAGUIRES’ were generally stout active young men, dressed up in women’s clothes, with faces blackened or otherwise disguised; sometimes they wore crape over their countenances, sometimes they smeared themselves in the most fantastic manner with burnt cork about their eyes, mouths, and cheeks. In this state they used suddenly to surprise the unfortunate grippers, keepers, or. process-servers, and either duck them in bog-holes, or beat them in the roost unmerciful manner, so that the ‘MOLLY MAGUIRES’ became the terror of all our officials.
2. (American).—A secret society formed in 1877 in the mining districts of Pennsylvania. The members sought to effect their purpose by intimidation, carried in some cases to murder. Several were brought to justice and executed.
1867. W. H. DIXON, New America, ii. 28. The judge who tried the murderer was elected by the MOLLY MAGUIRES; the jurors who assisted him were themselves MOLLY MAQUIRES. A score of MOLLY MAGUIRES came forward to swear that the assassin was sixty miles from the spot on which he had been seen to fire at William Dunn. … and the jurors returned a verdict of Not Guilty.
