The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-12-08 00:00:00

APPREHENSION Or "SENATOR"
MEANEY.

On Sabin-lay, at half-pe.t one o'clock. Stephen Jame
afeaney. ex-Senator of the Fenian ll,ot..erhood, wags *neaten
In the Stran.i, L ',Ann, not far from the Lyceum Theatre, by
lueptelor WlTamson, of the tlettettve force:—

It appears that Meaney had been residing in a street
off the Strand for come ten days Cr • fortnight, and
that he show.d himself, with an inexplicable olovnn.to,
in various places where he was well known, from hav-
ing frequented them during his notorious London
career of three or four years ago. He did not affect
any disguise. As a matter of course, the police were
soon pit in possession of the fact of his being about
town, and were promptly on his track. He was ap-
parently waited for in the Strand by Williamson and
some others of the force. He was iininted wit to the
Inspector, who waiked up to him evil asked him if his
name Was Stephen James Meaney. h 0 eispected
man tacitly admitted that euch was his name. Ile
made no attempt to deny the fact. A warrant for his
apprehension on the charge of conspiring to averthrow
Her Majesty's Government in Ireland was then shown
to him, and he was declared • prisoner. Ile said that
he was innocent, that he had taken part in no con-
spiracy, and he protested against his being arrested.
He was then taken to Pager-etreet. On the way be
talked on general topics, but studiously avoided speak-
ing upon the question of Feninninm. liv was formally
charged at Bow-street, and Sir Thomas Henry, the
chief magistrate, was communicated with, and, having
consulted the Acts of Parliament bearing on the nub-
jest, arrived at the opinion that there was no necessity
to bring the prisoner before an English magistrate, but
that the Irish officer, armed with the warrant, could
at once convey him to Dublin. In the evening, Head.
constable Meagher removed the prisoner in • cab from
Bow-street to the North Western Station at Easton-
square, en route for Holyhead and Dublin ; and on
Monday he was brought up at the bead police-office
end remanded.

Meaney landed at Liverpool a few days sine", and
his movements have since been closely watched by
detectives. It is not the first time the primoner has
been the subject of the attentions of the melee (says
the Morning Star) During the Exhibition of 11462
his conduct created a great amount of scandal, and his
career was hat snort by a conviction at one of the
courts on a charge of obtaining money upon false pre-
tences from exhibitors and others, and Mit for the
forbearance of the cerurniesioners a !barg. 14 a more
serious nature would have been preferred against
him. After he had completed his term of im-
prisonment he made his way to the nutted States,
anti at length settled down in the fleuriehing
city of Toledo, on the western extremity of
Lake Erie. and clone on the boundary sit the
States of Michigan and Ohio. The civil war
had drained this and the other northern cities of
a large portion of their population, and Meatiey, wie,
in this country and in Ireland bad been more or less
connected with the newspaper press, 'mon found con-
genial occupation in connection with the pm.s at
foledo. lie became proprietor, in whole or in part, of
• daily paper, by the aid of which he attained roseate
"I;ht local position among the citisene. Airinnir those
by whom he was best known was a icily it shim 1.51)0
Fernans whom he had organised in Toledo.. Ills
success in enrolling these dupes gave him importance
in the councils of the Fenian'. fie was one of the
"centres" for the State of ()hie or Michigan. Ream
one of the leading men at the Congress befit at Phil*-
, &lollies at which George Francis Train preeided, and
whr re that gentleman made one of his iutual erratic, but
; more than usually violent eiseehert against Eng
anti where a series of reeolutione, more tor less terrible
and threatening to the old comity, were lia/Sigii
among °there one for the abolition of the Etiglieli
language, and the wihetinition ot an American liati
for it in the American continent. Meauey was also,
we believe, one of the deputation who waited upon
President Johnson to ask the release of John Mitchell,
and at the headquarter. of Feniaitisin in New York
Meattey tisk an active and leaniug pert in the pro.
ceetlimet. raiM being a "centre," Meaney rose to he
a' senator' of the Yemen", and, declining to act with
the section which acknowledged Rol-ormolas the pre-
sident, he threw in his lot wits Stennene, and for wane
time has acted as his secretary. HI, visit to England
is lielieved to h. in reinnection with the mevernent
which Stephens has promised ni make before the close
of the year. Be that as it may, his opportimitiee of
mischief are very effectually cut short uy the arrest
which has taken place.

Hopes. pre entertained of the ',needy amid of Head
Centre S•tiohens himself, who iv imptioned to he at pro•
sent in London. The offer of the large reward of
2,11001. for his apprehension has redouhled the exertions ,
of all the detec, ire force. Indeed so gamier an antici-
pation of his speedy arrest was entertained on Satin.-
day evening, that nim.hers of pigeons called at Row.
street Pohce-otfice to ascertain whether he was already
in cafe custiely—The following in the description of the
Head Centre of all the Femans of Ireland, as posted
up over the United Kingdom ny order of the Metro-
politan pace :-
1 asatit sr revs of am P feat? Inchai high, stoat make,
' hreari 1110 shoulders, very solve sppesieuce, far hair,