The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-13 00:00:00

The Fenian Trials at Manchester.

MANCHESTER, Nov. 12.
At the sitting of the Court this morning the re-
maining prisoners, seven in number, were put for-
ward. Their names are—John Brannen, Timothy
Featherstone, "William Martin, John Francis Nu-
gent, Michael Coffey, John Bacon, and William
Brophy.

The first six prisoners are those who, it will be
remembered, were tried and acquitted on the charge
of " wilful murder."

Mr. Justice Blackburn asked the counsel for the
pros,..‘cution whether they intended to proceed against
all the prisoners ?

Mr. Pickering, QC., replied that he only intended
to proceed against two of the seven prisoners then
in the dock, namely, John Brannen and Timothy
Featherstone. In the case of the other five men,
he should enter a nolle prose qui.
_ _

Mr. Justice Blackburn—You will enter the nolle
prosequi now, and there will then be no occasion to
detain these men any longer.
A nolle prosequi was accordingly entered in the
case of Nugent, Coffey, Bacon, Martin, and Brophy,
and they were immediately discharged.
The two men, John Brannen and Timothy
Featherstone, were then arraigned upon an indict-
ment charging them with assaulting and beating
the police in the execution of their duty, and pre-
venting the lawful detention of two persons, named
Kelly and Deasy.
Both prisoners pleaded not guilty.
_ _ _ _ _ _

Mr. Pickering, Q.C., Mr. Sowles, Q.C., and
Mr. Higgin represented the Crown ; the prisoner
Brannen was defended by Mr. Ernest Jones, and
Featherstone by Mr. Cottingham.
A jury having been empannelled, the other jurors
in waiting were informed by the judge that their
attendance would no longer be required, and they
withdrew.

Mr. Pickering, Q.C., opened the case for the
prosecution.

Police-constables Yarwood and Seth Bromley,
Thomas Patterson, and Emma Halliday were called,
and their evidence, as given in the previous trials,
read over to them by his lordship from his notes.

Police-constable 'Taylor deposed to being struck
with a brick on the left side.

William Trueman, police-constable, deposed to
being struck with a pistol shot in the shoulder.
Mrs. Pennington, whose husband keeps the Half-
way House, which is under the railway arch, deposed
that she believed the prisoner Featherstone was
amongst the men who were in her house on Sept.
18, and who left shortly before the van came up.
He was then wearing a moustache and long beard.
Timothy Macnamara, shoemaker, said that the
prisoner Featherstone bad lodged with him for five
months previous to the 18th September. First saw
him on the day about half-past 11 o'clock. He went
out about 12 o'clock, and returned home between 4
and 5 o'clock. When witness saw him on the even-
ing of Sept. 18 he wore a longer beard than at pre-
sent, and also a moustache. Witness went to the
play that evening, and next morning, at 8 o'clock,
when he saw Featherstone, his beard had been a
great deal shortened. His moustache was on at the
time, but soon afterwards he cut it off.

John Hayes, a brick-burner, identified the pri-
soner Featherstone as amongst the men whom he
saw at the archway keeping the police and crowd
at bay with stones. He had at that time more hair
on his face.

Thomas Healy, inspector of gas meters, also iden-
tified Featherstone as one whom he saw throw large
stones at the back of the van. At that time he no-
ticed thatFeatherstone had more hair about his face.

Frances Armstrong, who was a prisoner in the
van on the 18th Sept., deposed that after the van
had been broken into and she had got out, she saw
the prisoner. Brannen among the crowd under the
archway, hut did not see him do anything.
Thos. Hind, a lad 12 years of age, deposed that
when the van got to the arch he saw the prisoner
Brannen step out into the roadway, and presenting
a revolver, cry out, " Stop, or I'll blow your brains
out."

The boy Mulholland likewise deposed to seeing
the prisoner Brannen throwing stones.
Mr. Ernest Jones then addressed the jury on be-
half of the prisoner Brannen, and called the follow-
ing witnesses in support of an alibi.

Mary Peek deposed that Brannen was in a respect-
able way of business in the clothes line, lie was a
widower with five children. She met Brannen on
the 18th of September at 20 minutes to 4 o'clock,
and again at 10 minutes past four, in Oak-street,
Manchester. On the first occasion he was going to
Manchester, and on the second occasion he was re-
turning towards home.

William Al‘Connell, a chairmaker, deposed that
he knew the prisoner Brannen by sight. Was at
work in Cable-street on the afternoon of the 18th
September, and went to see what time it was by a
clock in a public-house. He there saw Brannen.
It was then a quarter to 4 o'clock. The object of
witness going to see the clock was to ascertain if it
were tea time.

Bridget Manning deposed that she bad known
the prisoner Brannen for six months, and had dur-
ing that time occasionally spoken to him. She saw
him at the corner of Cable-street on the 18th Sep-
tember, at 4 o'clock.
Elizabeth Healey also deposed to seeing Brannen
at the corner of Cable-street, about four o'clock, as
she was on her way going for some milk. She went
with him to the George Inn, and remained with him
there until a quarter to five o'clock.

William Brettle, barman at the George Inn,
Rochdale-road, deposed that Brannen was at the bar
drinking between four o'clock and a quarter past.
This closed the case for the defence of Brannen.

Mr. Rues summed up on behalf of his client.

The learned Judge afterwards summed up.
SENTENCES—EXCITING SCENE IN
COURT.

The jury retired at 25 minutes to eight, and re-
turned in ten minutes, finding both prisoners guilty.
John Carroll, Charles Moorhouse, Daniel Redden,
Thomas Scalley, and William Murphy were brought
up to receive sentence along with them.

While a deep silence prevailed, the Judge said :
Prisoners, you have all under different indictments,
but the same in substance, been convicted of a
variety of offence; none of which exceed a misde-
meanour. The offence to which the heaviest sentence
can bo given is that of assaulting the police and
doing actual bodily harm, for which a maximum
punishment of five years' penal servitude can be
imposed. For the minor offence you can have two
years' hard labour. I have considered the cases of
each of you, and although the Crown decided not
to proceed with the charge of murder which was
preferred against two of you, I cannot doubt that
every one who took part was really guilty of that
degree of violence which, in point of law, would
have made you guilty of the murder of Brett.
Therefore I have come to the conclusion that the
offence is as bad as any ono of this class can be, and
I have decided to give the maximum punishment.
That being so, the sentence upon each of you is that
you be kept in penal servitude for five years. I
trust that this will make every one aware that
violent attacks on the police, even when death does
not ensue, will be severely punished.

As soon as sentence was pronounced there was
great commotion in the dock, and in the court some
howling from females. Murphy, standing forward,
said : " I protest, my lord, in the voice of a liberal
British public, that it is not right. I have been
made guilty on a charge of treason-felony. The
papers handed in (alluding to copies of the Irishman)
are a mere myth ; and it is on those grounds, and
nothing else, that I have been convicted."
The Judge—l cannot attend to that. The ver-
dict of the jury binds me, and I have no power to
alter it. Any applications must be made to the
Secretary of State ; but I am bound to say as re-
gards you, had I been one of the jury, I should have
convicted you.
Murphy, as he was taken from the dock, shouted
loudly, " I hope the press will take notice that the
papers handed in have not been allowed to be read
in public. I hope representatives of the press will
take notice of the remarks I make."
Moorhouse, the ex-letter-carrier, handed in a
testimonial from his late employer.

The Judge : It must be sent to the Home Seere
tary.
Some of the prisoners stood on the benches in the

dock, waved their hands, and called out " Good
bye." Women shrieked and howled, and there WAS
great noise and confusion before all the prisoners
were removed.

The assize then terminated, and the court Was
cleared.

A woman, said to be Featherstone's wife, swooned
outside; and there was considerable excitement
manifested by shouting and screaming, in the vici-
nity of the court, for some time after the proceed-
ings closed.
Out of the 26 prisoners committed for the murder
of Sergeant Brett five have been convicted of that
charge and sentenced to death, seven have been
convicted of riot, and 14 discharged.