The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-02-22 00:00:00

THE CLERIENWELL OUTRAGE.

DISCHARGE OF ALLEN.

At the examination of the Clerkenwell prisoners
at Bow-street police-court, in London, on Tuesday,
Allen was discharged on the recommendation a the
counsel for the Crown. It appears that some time
before the explosion Allen had warned the police of
aylot hatching for the release of Casey and Burke.
His information as to the details of the plot was not
correct, but it is supposed he told all he knew. A
tacit understanding between him and the police that
he should watch all the persons who visited the
prisoners, accounted for his presence near the House
of Detention when the barrel was fired. The explosion
is supposed to have taken him by supprise as much 88
it did his victims. It was a little odd, the counsel
said, that Allen should have run away with Anne
Justice instead of trying to detain her; but some
allowance must be made for the want of self-possession
natural to every man at such a moment. The same
excuse must serve for the police, who, though Allen
had been their tool, suffered the coroner's jury to find
a verdict of wilful murder against him. When Allen
stepped out of the dock, Anne Justice' recovering
for a moment from the torpor that generally
seems to take possession of her, cried, with
feverish energy, " All that man says is lies!"
awl sin her removal from the court she was
seized with is violent fit of hysterics—laughing,
crying, and screaming in a manner most distressing to
witness. Redstall, the gaoler, had her at once carried,
tenderly and carefully, to the yard by several con-
stables, considering that it was best she should be in
the open air. He then sent messengers for medical
assistance. Two medical gentlemen attended, and
restoratives having been applied, she recovered just as
the van drove up to the door.

. -
When the fact of Aliens discharge became known in the
neighbourhood, a great crowd, for the most port consisting
of an ill-favoured and ill-conducted rabble, had assembled
in the street. There was, Indeed, no exhibition of feeling,
favourable or unfavourable, to the prisoners, but a good deal
of that confused murmur and unmeaning daughter which is
characteristic of the London mob, and especially of the
Drury-lane and Colent-garden " roughs " when, without
any definite purpose of Indulging in purpose and specific
dkoriler, they arc in the temper to show levity and a
disregard for order. They were, 11l fact, just in the humour
for what in their lara dialt,t is called a'• spree." A
brewer's dray, which was standing before a publichouse
(lie. Smith's, the Alsrquia of Anglesea, corner of Rrsetl-
slrect), afforded the opportunity. At the moment that
the prisoners were being led out from the court to the
van a number of the more active and enterprising black-
guards took possession of the dray, and mounted upon
it to obtain a better standing point from which they hoped
to get a view of the passing Fenian& In an instant the
dray swarmed with struggling rapscallions, some contend-
ing for the still higher vantage of mounting on the barrels
with which it Was partially loaded. 'the draymaii, a
stalwart fellow of the traditionally Herculean proportions,
proceeded to dislodge them, and, indeed, succeeded in dis-
placing as many as he could get hold of. But one man,
though a giant, may be baffled by numbers. As rapidly as
lio sent the invaders tumbling from the dray to the right
and to the left, by threes and more, others swarmed up In
their places. Changing his tactics, he himself descended,
proceeded to his horses' heads, mid led them rapidly asap.
The roughs, unaccustomed to riding on a dray (a most al-
convenient, not to say impracticable mode of locomotlon,,
tumbled off in all directions, and left the drayman in
undisputed possession. This particular incident excited up-
roarious laughter among the crowd, and that laughter riot
in the ears of the lialf-fairitlng woman and her fellovv-prl
moiler, as the door of the prison van Was closed upon them,
and they were driven away with the usual eicort of mounted
police.
At that moment news was received of the fire at the
Charing-cr. Pr Rillway station. 'rice street was cleared with
a rapidity not paralleled on former occasions. The mob,
Instead of remaining, as usual, to loiter about the street ill
larger or smaller groups, and inundate the ban and tap-
rooms of the neighbouring publichouses, pelted off en Intwe
to see the fire.

Allen, though discharged by Sir Thomas henry,
and li'lerated from the custody of the gaoler of the
court, was not suffered to go at large. As he was
leaving he was stopped by Inspector Porter, who took
him into custody on the coroner's warrant, and re-
moved him in a cab to Newgate, tube tried for murder
. . . . .

...... -
on the finding of the coroncr P jury. This circumstance
was doubtless unknown to his fellow prisoners, for the
prisoner O'Keefe, as he was entering the van, turned
towards the crowd and called out, " Good-bye Allen!"
evidently supposing that he would be among the
spectators.