The Sun.
London, England, 1867-10-14 00:00:00

CAPTURE OF FENIANS IN LIVERPOOL.

LIVERPOOL, Saturday.—lmmediately after the
affair at Manchester information reached the Liver-
pool police which induced a belief that some of the
persons who had been engaged in the attack were
at that time in Liverpool. In consequence of this
belief the haunts of the Fenians in this town were
visited almost nig itly by strong parties of the de-
tective police, and the whole of the persons suspected
to be Fenians frequenting those places became fami-
liar to the officers. After the committal of the men
for the Manchester attack it was thought desirable
that some of the officers of the Manchester police
and others (witnesses) should come over to Liver-
pool, and, in company with the Liverpool detective
oilcers, visit those haunts in order to see if they
could identify any of the parties who were strongly
suspected by the Liverpool police as having been
engaged in the affair at Manchester. On Thursday
last some officers and witnesses came over from
Manchester, and several places were visited by them
in company with the Liverpool police, but none of
the persons found answered the description of the
men whom they sought. Last evening the visits
were repeated, and at a house in Adlington-street,
long known to the police as a Fenian rendezvous,
six men were found leaving the house hurriedly.
They were at once arrested by the officers, and
brought to the Central Police-office. On being
seen by the Manchester officers and witnesses, one
of them was as once identified as a man who had
taken a very active part in the attack upon the van.
He was spoken to by three persons. His name is
James Chambers, and he is the head centre of Liver-
pool for the Fenian body. The witnesses, in de-
scribing the part this mau took in the attack, state
that when first seen he had two revolvers, one in
each hand. Whether he had discharged the contents
of these and put them aside or not is not stated,
but he was afterwards seen actively engaged in
throwing stones at the van. Another of these men,
named Brophy—a most formidable-looking fellow,
broad-shouldered and deep-chested--is also believed
to have been in Manchester on the same occasion,
and to have joined in the attack. Two others,
M'Donough and O'Brien, were strongly suspected
of being concerned also in the outrage. These four
men were taken to the main bridewell, and kept
there until they could be conveyed to Manchester.
They were taken to the railway station in two cars
(which were well guarded inside and outside by
officers), and despatched to Manchester by the 10
p.m. train. A telegram had been previously sent to
the chief of the police at Manchester, who was
awaiting the arrival of the prisoners with the whole
of his staff ofdetective officers and others. In fact,
every precaution appears to have been taken to pre-
vent the success of any attempt at rescue. Six men
were captured altogether, but in the case of two
suspicion against them was of so slight a character
that they were at once discharged, their presence in
the house being more accidental than otherwise.
The duty of this capture was entrusted to Inspec-
tors Horne and Carlisle, and a laige staff of de
tective officers. They were all armed with revolvers,
and this fact being made known to the parties may
to some extent account for the quiet and effective
way in which the arrest was made. The street in
which the house (a beer-house) is situated is in the
centre of what may be called the Irish quarter of
the town. It is a densely-populated neighbour-
hood ; and it is not too much to say that the
great bulk at least of the lower order of the Irish
population who crowd there, if not actually
Fenians themselves, are sympathisers with them.
It was, therefore, more necessary that this arrest
should be effected as quietly and quickly as pos-
sible. Lest there should have been any serious at-
tempt at resistance to the detective force, Mr. Chief-
Superintendent Ride had arranged to have a reserve
of the ordinary police near at hand, so that they
might at once, if necessary, proceed to the spot.
Such arrests as these would, to ordinary agitators,
appear very d;scouraging; whether it may turn out
to be so in this instance remains to be seen ; but
there can be little doubt that the authorities of this
town, at least, are well posted up in all the move-
ments of the body, and can at any time lay hands
on those whom it may be desirable to arrest. Tho
head constable, Major Greig, is constantly on the
alert, and has his force under such control that almost
any emergency can be dealt with. The house
where Chambers lives has been examined. It is a
wretched place, but no documents of importance
have been discovered, nor were any found upon the
prisoners arrested last night.
A brother of Chambers is now sustaining penal
servitude for life for taking part in Fenian outrages
in Ireland.