The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-10 00:00:00

THE TUBBERCITRRY CONSPIRACY.

On Monday the Tubbercurry murder conspirators
were charged before Mr. Moloney, R.M., and Mr.
Henry Turner, J.P., in Sligo Court-house. The
prisoners, who are eleven in number, are chiefly of
the artisan and small farming class, with the excep-
tion of Fitzgerald, who was arrested in London, and
who seems to be a shrewd, intelligent man, of rather
good connexion. The names of the prisoners are
Jeremiah Lowry, James Connolly, Luke Armstrong,
Patrick Donohoe, Patrick Durkan, Michael Durkan,
Patrick Gannon, William Murphy, Owen Gannon,
Thady Higgins, and Patrick N. Fitzgerald.
The Crown was represented by Mr. F. Le Poer
Trench, instructed by Messrs. Murphy and Peyton,
Crown solicitors. Mr. Taylor appeared for the pri-
soners.

Mr. Trench having stated the nature of the
charges, which are, briefly, treason-felony and con-
spiracy to murder, an informer, named John Moran,
was called and examined. He stated that he was
asked to join the Fenian organisation twice about
seven or eight years ago, and on the second occasion
he consented. At the request of the prisoner Patrick
Durkan, he went to the house of a man named Cos-
grave, in Tubbercurry, and he was there sworn. in.
The oath was, as well as he could remember, that he
was to be loyal to the Republican Brotherhood, to
obey his superior officers, and to take up arms when
called on. He afterwards became acquainted with
members of the society, including Donohoe, Arm-
strong, Lowry, Owen Gannon, Patrick Gannon,
Thady Higgins, and James Connolly, all of whom
he identified. He also identified Fitzgerald, and
stated that he had seen him at meetings of the
society. The subscription was is. quarterly, and it
was paid to the "B." for the purchase of arms. At
that time a man named Sweeney was "B." But wit-
ness was afterwards elected a " B " himself at a meet-
ing at which P. J. Sheridan was present. That was
about a year after he joined the society. Patrick
Durkan informed him of this election. He received
subscriptions and attended meetings afterwards, and
was appointed over the Piperhill Division. The other
" B's " were Patrick Reynolds, who had fled the
country, Jeremiah Lowry, Michael Gaffney, and
"Tichael Durkan.- At the meetings of the " B's " he
used to pay over the money to Sheridan who was a
county centre. The meetings were held every three
months. Witness recollected attending a meeting
held at night in a field at the Rock, near Tubbercurry,
at which Fitzgerald, Sheridan, Patrick Durkan, James
Connolly, Matthew Sheilds, Thomas Gallagher, Jere-
miah Lowry, and others were present. Fitzgerald
addressed them and asked whether they were satis-
fied with the Enghsh Government, saying that if
they were they might go home, and if they
were not they might remain. They replied that
they were not satisfied. He then told them to
organize, to form divisions and circles, and to sub-
scribe for arms. On the night of Mr. Sexton's return
for Sligo a meeting of the "B's" was held in a field,
and before that witness went by direction to Mr.
Michael Anderson and received a box containing ten
rifles and bayonets and over 200 rounds of ammu-
nition. Patrick Durkan, who was Mr. Anderson's
servant, told him about them, and he was accom-
panied by James Lyons, who had absconded, Thady
Higgins, and John Case. They concealed the box in
a field near the workhouse for a few days, and then
brought it to Bartley's blacksmith's forge, where a
place was prepared for them, and where they left
them. All the prisoners except Murphy were pre-
sent at the meeting. The arms in the forge were
afterwards discovered by the police and removed.
Witness was present at a meeting of the county lcubs
in Sheridan's house, which lasted two or three hours.
Several of the prisoners were there. Lyons afterwards
told him that Sheridan had formed an inner circle
called "the Invincibles," that the inner circle was
formed for the purpose of shooting people, and that they
would get any amount of money for any man they
shot. He asked witness to join, and he consented.
They were in Jerry Lowry's hotel at the time. Lyons
produced an open penknife and a paper. He handed
the knife to witness and told him to raise his arm.
'He then read what was on the paper, and directed
witness to repeat it after him, and he did so. He
could not remember all the paper, but the substance
of the latter end of it was that if he disobeyed orders
or divulged secrets it would be death. After this he
told witness to stick the knife through the paper
which he laid on the table for the purpose, and
witness did so. The witness then described drill
meetings which he attended, and a night raid on the
house of a farmer in search of arms. Luke Arm-
strong succeeded Sheridan, as County Centre. Sub-
sequently Lyons told him there was a move on the
books—that they were going to shoot Donohoe, the
clerk of the union, who was suspected of getting
some men arrested. Armstrong was present, and
said there would be £lO each for doing it, and if it
was ever found out they would get plenty of money
to leave the country. Armstrong then handed Lyons
a revolver and a box of cartridges. They went in
the direction of the workhouse, and met Patrick
Reynolds, who was an assistant to Mr. Donohoe, and
Thady Higgins. Having obtained information from
Reynolds about Mr. Donohoe, arranged to meet next
night at Patrick Burke's store, in Tubbercurry. They
met next night. John Brett was also there, and he
said he would go with them. After getting some
r-"-- rsr trwether towards the workhouse.
They were all armed with revolve..
who had a double-barrelled pistol. Witness was
stationed at the gate with directions to fire on any
one who might enter. Higgins, Brett, and Lyons
went to the window of the Board room in which
there was a light, and in which they saw Mr.
Donohoe the night before, and Lyons was raised up
to the window on the shoulders of the others. A
shot was fired, though witness could not say
which of them fired it. They all ran away,
and as witness was passing the window he
heard a voice inside exclaim, "I am shot." They
went back to the town and got some drink, and then
returned in the direction of the workhouse, after the
police had gone there, and remained about for a while.
Some days afterwards witness noticed that Lyons's
wrist was bound up, and he said the pistol had kicked
and cut his hand. On another occasion Lyons told
witness they were going to shoot a process-server
named Brett, who had served ejectments on Major
Knox's Carrowreagh property. They went down to
the house for the purpose, and witness described how
it failed through the Tubbercurry men failing to meet
them. After Sub-Inspector Doherty was fired at
Patrick Gannon asked witness why they did not shoot
Lewis Golden, the bailiff and summons server, and
said there would be £6O for doing it. Subsequently
Lyons went to Golden's house with a double-barrelled
gun, but did not do anything. Next day he told wit-
ness that he nearly shot Nealon in mistake for
Golden, when the former ran out before him on the
road.

At this stage the further hearing of the ease was
adjourned for a week.