The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-04 00:00:00

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IRELAND.

DUBLIN, May:3.
The trial of Captain M'Afferty, which had com-
menced on Wednesday while the jury were consi-
dering the case of Burke and Doran, was resumed
yesterday morning. The prisoner is a young man of
middle stature and stout build, about 30 years of
age. He has dark hair and beard, smooth cheeks,
and healthy bronze complexion. He is good-look-
ing, although the shade cast over his eyes by pro-
minent brows sometimes gives rather a scowling
expres,ion to his otherwise pleasing features. His
dress is a black velvet coat an I dark trowsers. He
looked k teuly at the jurors when they were sworn,
as i' trying to detect the ver Het in etch man's pity-
siogn-nny. lie also scrutinised Cie features of the
vritue-ses, but, like the two prisoners who have been
convicted, his demeanour in the dock was very quiet.
Indeed, nothing can exceed the decorum and
solemnity with which the whole of these trials have
been hitherto conducted ; and it is due to the Lord
Chief Justice to say that no provocation is ever per-
mitted to disturb the serenity of manner and judi-
cial dignity which become the President of such a
court, and which have long distinguished his col-
leagues, Mr. Justice Fitzgerald and Baron Deasy.
This is the more satisfactory, as many persons
feared that Mr. Wbiteside's well-known peculiarities
as an advocate might sometimes break out on the
bench. Levity, irritability, and partisanship,
though they seemed to be part and parcel of his
temperament, have completely disappeared wider
the responsibility of his exalted position.
The Attorney-General, resuming his address tp
the jury, which had been interrupted by the ver-
dict on the previous evening, stated that tkie pri-
soner was an alien, a native of Ohio, in tlwthsited
States. lie had been tried and acquitted in. Cork
on a point of law made in his favour by his coun-
sel, Mr. M. J. Barry. Having dwelt upon the law
of treason as affecting aliens as well as others, the
Attorney-General proceeded to state that the priso-
ner was actively engaged in the late insurrectionary
movement. He next called the attention of the
jury to the contemplated attack on Chester Castle,
which, he stated, was organized and arranged by
the prisoner M'Afferty, but which was fortunately
arrested by the timely information given by
Corydon to the Government on the Sunday preced-
ing the Monday on which the attack was to have
been made. The plan was that the Castle should
be attacked and ransacked of the arms and ammu-
nition therein stored ; the raiders were then to tear
up the railway line, cut the telegraph wires, and
proceed to Holyhead, where one of the mail steamers
was to have been forcibly taken possession of, the
arms and ammunition stored in her, and the insur-
' gents to sail for Ireland. On M'Afferty and Flood
discovering that their plans had been frustrated,
they proceeded in one of the Manx steamers to
Whitehaven. On the following day they asked to
be brought across in a collier to Ireland. It was
perfectly plain what their object was; they knew
that every steamer had been well watched, and that
no matter how they were disguised they would be
detected ; therefore, they adopted the plan of get-
ting to Ireland in the New Draper, which was com-
manded by a Capt. Smith. They took ship on the
20th of that month, and arrived in Dublin on the
23d. Fortunately, the authorities in Dublin had
been apprised beforehand that two persons with a
suspicious appearance had taken ship in the New
Draper, and as the vessel approached Dublin a watch
was kept for her in every direction, and police were
waiting to arrest the parties who were in her. As
soon as she was seen coming up the river, two police-
men put out in a ferry-boat to intercept her. As
they approached they saw two men coining along-
side in an oyster-boat, rowed by two men. Into
that oyster-boatM'Afferty and Flood dropped. They
pulled up in the direction of Carlisle-bridge, and the
men gave chase in the ferry-boat. The parties got
alongside a canal barge, and did actually succeed in
getting into a collier, when the police arrested
them. They gave their names as William Jack-
son (that was M•Afferty) and John Phillips,
(that was Flood). When they got towards Dublin
they became excited, and were anxious to get ashore
before they came up the river. They were afterwards
identified when tbey were brought to the prison. It
had not been known.at the time who these men were,
but when brought to prison they were at once re-
cognised. On the prisoner M'Afferty being searched
there had been found on him a glcive, and between
the glove and the lining a large gold ring, that had
been found by the warder of Mountjoy Prison. On
the inside it contained a photograph of John M'Af-
ferty, and the words, " Erin, I love thee, and thy
patriots. Presented to John M'Afferty, 1.R.8., by
the Detroit circle of the Fenian Brothers, as a token
of esteem. Detroit, April 20, 1866." The jury would
at once see that the object of the prisoner in coming
over to Ireland was to take part in the unfortunate
affair which broke out on the sth March last. If he
was guilty of what he had told them, the offence for
which he had been indicted was justly laid to his
charge, and if he had aided and promoted the acts
alleged to have been done on that occasion, he was
as guilty as his unfortunate companion Thomas F.
Burke at Ballyhurst, who had fired at the troops in
the lamentable outbreak.
The following evidence was then produced by the
Crown :
d
dyeera
com-
ing .
isp,nci.cec.to—rlGw.
agG r as vt
ac st
oenxeadm I:174
abeyensMtro.wAnfaicn-
donSougbh-
I
sSaewptt.,helBp6r
s.
on ierraetmtehme bbearr Soeupbot. al-8 i
rdtilhethtaent
from the American steamer. He was searched
in the usual way. He had only a small black bag
with him. His person and the bag were searched.
Some documents were found in the bag. (Witness
here identified the documents). I put a mark of my
own on the documents. I am ready to say that these
documents were all found in the prisoner's bag.
After the search 1 had him arrested and conveyed
to the barrack at Queenstown. I saw him alter the
arrest in the barrack.

David Courtney, examined by Mr. Murphy, Q.C.
—4 was serving under Sub-Inspector Graves Sept.
18, 1865. I saw the prisoner on board the tender in
Queenstown. I saw a small bag in his hand, from
which I took some documents and handed them to
Sub-Inspector Graves. (Witness identified the docu-
ments.)
John Joyce, examined by Mr. Macdonogh-1 am
the governor of the county of Cork gaol. I know the
prisoner. He was in the gaol from September, 1865,
to January 2, 1866, when he was set at liberty. I
had at that time an opportunity of seeing documents
with the prisoner. There were letters containing
rules and regulations. I saw him writing names on
the papers. All letters passed through my hands. I
can form an opinion as to his handwriting. After he
left the gaol in Jan., 1866, I received an American
newspaper covered with dark brown paper. That
newspaper has been lost. The superscription direct-
ing the paper to me came through the post, had an
American stamp on it, and was in the hndwritting
of the prisoner. I looked over it. (Witneass was hen
examined with referen en
which he deposed w
oseveral documts handed
in by the Crown, and ere in the
handwriting of the prisoner.)
Qeec.vacam.n—ey
ahnavaePrPers°iZir' inexNaenwlinYedorkbyforMlr9.
3A7le
atj-
rrosph. hnyl ,
bP
t'lhere a ineinba of the Fenian Bro.
thvrhOod. I took the usual pledge that was admi-
nistered to me ; ft was in effect to obey my superior
officer in the organisation, to promote harmony and
goodwill among all classes of Irishmen, and to use
my best efforts to secure the independenceof Ireland.
John O'Mahouy was the head of that society in
America. I heard John O'Mahony state that James
Stephens waa the head of the society in Ireland. Is
know the prisoner at the bar. I first sawh him in
from three
eeAt.itntghaotf
naF eeue
ti
1866. I first saw him at a meeting in
i‘rliaiarcth:alsBa66m.
time I saw the prisoner ; that was 7" the first
the month of
or four different platforms.
Col. Mullin, secretary of military was introduced by
Fe-
nian organisation. lie said that officers for the
lately incarcerated in ' nit M'Affert.y had been
a British d
vo •
tion to Irish liberty. J dungeon for his de-
Killen, S. J. John O'Mahony, B. 11
Meane
was a District CeutreY,ofwere also present ; Meaney
collect the substance of the
State of Ohio. I re-
what the prisoner stated.
He said that there was n
seen James Stephens no person in America that had
as late as he did. He called
Ile was
hs_paotke° n's_wood.