The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-03 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

THE DYNAMITE PLOTS.

At the Liverpool Police-court on Saturday John
Daly was brought up, on remand, charged with being
in possession of infernal machines at Birkenhead on
Good Friday last. On the application of Mr. Pollard,
solicitor for the Home Office, the prisoner was trans-
ferred to the Birkenhead jurisdiction, and was brought
before the Birkenhead Stipendiary, Mr. C. J. Preston.
Mr. Pollard appeared to prosecute, and stated the
clauses of the Act of 1883, under which the prisoner
was charged. He was arrested on Good Friday morn-
ing at the Birkenhead Stage, when about to leave for
Wolverhampton. Upon him were found four parcels,
three of which were found to contain bombs, and the
fourth materials for charging them. They were taken
to Ma,lor Majendie, who in due course would describe
their -character. He had, however, experimented in
exploding one, and was of opinion that the result, if in
any room or confined space, would be very serious.
He si.aply proposed to call witnesses to prove the
arrest, and then ask for a remand to a convenient
date, when Major Majendie and other witnesses
would be called.

Mr. John Humphreys, head constable of the Royal
Irish Constabulary, stated that on the morning of
Good Friday he, with other officers, went to Birken-
head and about 8.35 he saw the prisoner come to the
Woo„side Railway Station, where he took a ticket for
Wolverhampton. Witness then ordered the officers
to arrLst him. They did so, and took him into the
left luggage office, where witness searched him. Ile
found a brown paper parcel in the hip pocket of his
trousers, which was very heavy; a second one in the
tail pocket of his inner coat; and in the breast pocket
a similar parcel, but lighter. Sergeant Canning took
a fourth heavy parcel from him. The parcels were
sent to the Home Office, and the prisoner was taken
to the Liverpool Bridewell and charged. He gave his
name as John Denman. Witness said, "alias Daly,"
and he did not reply. Witness saw the prisoner about
two months ago in Liverpool, when he was pointed
out to him.
Sergeant Samuel W. Conning, of the Royal Irish
Constabulary, corroborated the last witness as to the
circumstances of the prisoner's arrest, and said he
was asked at the Liverpool Bridewell, by the booking
clerk,ihis trade or calling, and residence, and he said
he had none. There was found the sum of £9 12s. sd.
upon him, and a slip of paper, with the following
address in ink: "Mr. Keatings, the Junction Inn,
top of Carnock-road, Stafford-street,Wolverhampton;"
and in pencil on the other side the name "P. Flynn,
Hugh Bullion, and British Queen."
Mr. Quelch, for the prisoner, did not cross-examine.
The prisoner was then remanded.
The prisoner asked whether it was necessary for
him to be shackled, and the Stipendiary thought that
was a matter for the police.

John Francis Egan, 35, the alleged " Dynamitard,"
and conspirator with Daly, in custody at Liverpool,
was brought before the Birmingham magistrates on
Saturday. The Court was crowded, and great interest
taken in the proceedings. The prisoner was very pale
and extremely nervous. Mr. Poland, Q.C. prosecuted
on behalf of the Treasury, whilst Mr. d'Connor ap-
peared for the defence.
Mr. Poland, in opening the ease, said he appeared
to-day, instructed by the Solicitor to the Treasury, to
prosecute the prisoner for treason-felony. Having
explained the nature of the Act which renders the
prisoner upon conviction liable to transportation for
life, the learned counsel said on a future occasion he
should have the prisoner Daly in Birmingham
together with Egan upon a charge of conspiracy.
The prisoner had lived at Lake House since Septem-
ber, 1880, where he was joined in July, 1883, by Daly,
alias O'Donnell, alias Denman. He had previously
lived at Birkenhead, under the name of Denman, and
had been on most intimate terms with Egan before
he came to Birmingham. Before Daly came to
Birmingham ho had lived as an attendant at a
lunatic asylum retreat in Sussex, and in July, 1882,
came to live with John Egan. In Daly's letters to
Egan he always addressed him as "Dear Jim," and
signed himself sometimes J. Daly, sometimes Jeff, and
sometimes Denman. This showed that the prisoner
knew Denman's name, although he informed the
police when arrested that he did not know him by the
name of Denman. Mr. Poland then reviewed the cir-
cumstances under which Daly was arrested at
Birkenhead, and said that from facts which had come
to the knowledge of the authorities, he should be able
to prove that the prisoner was a direct confederate
with Daly, upon whom were found three large shells,
which, from their construction, left no doubt that
they were intended for the destruction of human life.
They were charged with.nitro-glycerine and sulphuric
acid, a fact which clearly showed their character.
On the 15th inst. the police, in the course of their
searches in the prisoner's garden, found a tin
containing several documents of an incriminatory
character. One of these related to the Irish
Republic, and this provided for the establishment, of
a supreme council, electoral districts and district
and county centres. The proceedings of the constitu-
tion were to be secret, by order of the supreme coun-
cil. This Irish Republic or Fenian Brotherhood, Mr.
Poland said, was an organisation which had been in
existence for years, and still existed. In the can was
found another printed document, calling on the
organisation to free the country, England was at
war, and stating they had the confidence of their
Transatlantic brethren. The police also found three
copies of a code of rules for the government of the
Irish Republic and Brotherhood in the South of
England Division. In that pamphlet was included a
preamble giving power for the executives of each
division to make their own arrangements, and a clause
binding each member to secrecy. Another document,
addressed to the prisoner and dated Nov. 12, 1873,
was found, signed "J. 8.," and said: "My dear
James,—ln answer to your enquiry about young
Ridings, I enclose you the reply I received." The
letter referred to some person who was known by the
initials "P. M.," and also alluded to the purchase of
small goods (meaning revolvers), and the fact that
the writer had heard nothing from the Bradford man.
One letter in the tin, dated April 16, 1874, signed
"P. Moran," requested Egan to see him respecting
the general meeting of the officers of the constitution;
and another document referred to five pairs of " long-
elothers," supposed to mean rifles, and some " small-
clothers," supposed to mean revolvers. A letter dated
June 19, 1874, was signed James Macdonald, D.C.,
meaning "district centre." After referring to other
letters of a similar kind, Mr. Poland said nine car-
tridges were also in the tin case, seven for rifles and
two for revolvers. In a bedroom of Egan'a house was
a document setting forth that there had been received
from 1879 to 1881—rifles 284, revolvers 702; and
that the number previously in hand was—rifles 1194,
guns 1656, revolvers 1878. There was also found
in the pocket of a pair of trousers in Daly's bedroom,
a letter showing that a large number of firearms had
been purchased, and another giving the names of
persons resident in England and America. In addi-
tion were found a number of 1 ers addressed to the
prisoner, and obviously c _.„ted with the Irish
Brotherhood, and proving i,Liat the priso had acted
as an important divisional officer in the Irish Brother-
hood organisation. Upon this correspondence Mr.
Poland submitted that it was clear that Egan was a
responsible officer in a treasonable organisation. It.
had been notorious that for years past money and
arms had been collected for the purpose of a rising,
but it was really surprising to find men so foolish as
to believe for a single moment that any attempt,
either in Ireland or England, to enforce the supposed
rights of Irishmen, could possibly be successful. He
(Mr. Poland) thought the Bench would at once say
that the Prisoner had been guilty of an overt act,
with a view of over-awing the Houses of Parliament
and causing serious loss of life and property. He
should only call brief evidence, sufficient to prove
that the prisoner had been acting in direct co-opera-
tion with Daly, and then ask the Bench to say that
The course adopted by the police in not earlier dis-
closing their discoveries, as it was most important
that much reticence should be observed, was very
judicious.
Mr O'Connor, before any evidence was called, said
lie could not resist a remand, and the prisoner was
thereupon remanded.
The prisoner's wife, who was in Court, seemed
bitterly moved at the position of her husband, and
frequently shed tears.