The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-24 00:00:00

The Fenians at Manchester.

MANCHESTER, Monday Afternoon.

The murdered policeman, Sergeant Chas. Brett,
was followed to the grave yesterday afternoon by
the Mayor and members of the city council, a
large number of corporation officials, numerous
representatives of each division of the local police,
including the firemen, and a long train of vehicles
occupied by private persons, who took the oppor-
tunity to show their respect for a man who had
died at the post of duty. It seems to be beyond
doubt that when Brett was summoned by the mob
to give up the keys of the police van he declared
he would not do so " under any circumstances,"
and was then killed. The deceased bore a very
high character, as is evidenced by the letter of the
clergyman, Mr. Richardson. Another clergyman,
the Rev. Stanford Harris, incumbent of St. Bar-
nabus, writes to say of Brett :
"lie and his family of wife and daughters have
been known by me in connection with my church
and schools for all the 15 years that I have been
their clergyman, and everything that I have known
has been to their credit and honour. The con-
stancy of the man is quite consistent with the
little but pleasing circumstance of his having, when
he beard at church last Sunday of intended collec-
tions on the following Sunday, expressed to his
family much sorrow that an official duty would
oblige him to be at the Cathedral instead of in his
accustomed place, and with them taking some
trouble that some friend should represent him
there."

Brett's relatives yesterday were almost over-
whelmed by the magnitude of the popular demon-
stration in his honour. Considered as a public
funeral, the multitudes who attended it rendered it
one of the most imposing ever witnessed. The
pavement on each side of the streets leading from
Brett's house to the Harpurhey Cemetery, a dis-
tance of two miles, was entirely filled with well-
dressed people walking from six to eight abreast,
the middle of the road being thronged beyond the
possibility of moving except en masse. The blinds
of the houses were drawn, and hats were taken off
as the funeral procession—a third of a mile in
length—passed by. The funeral office was cele-
brated by the Rev. S. Harris. The total strength
of the police force present was about 400 men ; and
some burglars took advantage of the occasion to
ransack a large warehouse belonging to Mr. Collinge,
in the heart of the city. The contents of almost
every room in the place were found last night to
have -been turned topsy-turvy, and several small
safes were broken open. The amount of property
that may have been stolen has hardly been ascer-
tained, but it included a case of hock, with which
the thieves regaled themselves before quitting the
premises.

A number of further arrests has been made since
yesterday for complicity in the rescue from the
prison van. It was hoped that among this large
number of fresh arrests would have been included
one of rather special importance, but it is to be re-
gretted that the constables and other witnesses of
the rescue stationed in the identification office have
not seen this man among the captives. He is a
man stoutly built, over the middle height, who took
the leading part in attacking the rear of the van
while others were assaulting it in front. Some by-
standers saw him present a revolver at Police-
constable Knox and Constable Corrall, those being
the two policemen stationed on the footboard behind
the van. He was also heard to say, " Turn up the
keys and let the prisoners out !" The constables
making no answer to this demand, he and another
fired at them, but neither of the shots took effect.
Some more shots followed, and eventually the
policemen were hustled away amid a crowd of the
attacking Fenians, who by this time had entirely
surrounded the van. We learn that these same
constables will be able to give such evidence as will
clear away any doubts still existing as to the cir-
cumstances attending Sergeant Brett's death. When
the van was about to leave the police-court, en route
for the city gaol, there were among the prisoners two
young lads whom Constable Knox had in charge,
and was instructed to leave on his return at the
Industrial School, Ardwick-green. It was for this
purpose that Knox accompanied the van, and not
with any idea of adding to its safe escort. Before
leaving the police-court Sergeant Brett, seeing
there were more officers than usual, said to Knox,
" I will go inside Knox, and you give me the keys
through,the ventilator." There were three keys on
Brett's ring--two of which were required for the
locks on the outer door, while the third was neces-
sary to enter the interior compartments. The upper
lock in the outer door is only a catch lock, such as
is seen in railway carriages, and the lower one,
below the ventilator, is like the lock on an ordinary
door. Knox handed the keys through the ventilator,
as Brett had desired him, and there is now no doubt
that Brett kept hold of them till he was shot, through
the ventilator, and that then they were handed out
by a number of women who had not been put in
separate compartments, but were along with Brett
in the central corridor, and that this was done under
threats by Allen and others of being fired upon un-
less the keys were passed through. It was possibly
at this crisis that a witness, to whom we are indebted
for much of this information, heard a woman's voice
scream out, inside the van, " He is killed !"
It will probably be a matter for inquiry yet as to
how much blame is due to the Manchester authori-
ties for this rescue, and how much to the Home
Office. Blame is laid on the former that they did
not send an armed guard. It appears that the
warning telegram from Dublin would have been in
time if it had been delivered at once, but it did not
reach the mayor until hours after it came to hand.
This will have to be inquired into. But if the
Manchester police had been ordered to arm and
accompany the van it is very doubtful whether their
armoury would have furnished any but a few old
and efficient weapons, with which they would have
been a doubtful match for men armed with six and
eight chambered revolvers. The Manchester people
are generally a law respecting people, and probably
it has never been contemplated that such formidable
arms would be required. Nor is it certain, if the
van by means of a detour had escaped the ambush
laid for it on the way, that the prisoners would have
been much safer in the city gaol. The gaol is a new
edifice, presenting to the eye on every side very
formidable masonry, but it has in front of it the
two handsome houses of the governor and chaplain,
which open directly into the prison, having glass
doors, with stanchions outside, but of a character
which would not have rendered the passage invul-
nerable in case of surprise by resolute men. The
situation of the gaol itself renders it almost as re-
mote from public observation as was the scene of
the actual contest.

At 2.10 this morning a man named Peter Lynn,
born in Ireland, and living in Dale-street, Huline,
was taken to the Albert-street station. The priso-
ner has been identified by a young lad named
Thomas Patterson, who was watching the attack
from over a wall near the arch. This witness says
he saw the prisoner among those who ran away
in the direction of where the platelayers were at
work. The prisoner is a tall, powerful man Eft. lin.
in height. Some years ago he was in the Irish
contabulary. Michael Brian is also among those
last arrested. He is a short thickset man, who says
lie is a labourer, though his hands do not appear to
support that statement. He was arrested at 42,
I:Aga-street, Huhim A man named Kelly, oft. 10in.
in height, who did not I.now his own age, or what
trade lie belonged to, is among th 2 prisoners brought
in from the outlying towns. Ile was arrested in
Ashton. On being charged with riot and murder,
he made a statement which, if true, would show he
was elsewhere at the time of the attack. A man
named John Martin, who, in answer to Capt. Palin,
chief constable, said he was a pensioner in the Ist
Dragoons, has also been arrested. He said he had
served 12 years and 68 days. Capt. Palin said this
part of the prisoner's statement seemed likely to be
true. The proceedings of identification are neatly
complete, and so many:of the prisoners as have been
" spoken to" have been conveyed to the city police
court, where, as in the other cases, Superintendent
Gee will ask for a remand.

The Manchester Examiner and Times publishes
the following :—.

" The following communication has been for-