The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-07 00:00:00

THE OLERKENWELL OUTRAGE.

EXAMINATION OF THE FENIAN CON-
S I'IRAT ORS.
[Continued from our First Edition of yesterday.]

James Stratton—l am a carman, and. carry on
business at Plummer's-place, Corporation-lane. The
day before the explosion I recollect standing near
my stable. . I saw two men there, and also two men
coming with a truck from the direction of St. John-
street-road. The meu driving the truck pasSed me
and made a slip, as if they were drunk, and shook
the cask, which looked like a paraffin-cask. One of the
men had a sack thrown across his shoulder. I after-
wards saw the cask put against the wall. The cask
had a painted head—a darkish blue or green. Th's
was the day previous to the explosion. The barrel
seemed to me to be put exactly opposite tke house
No. 3, Corporation-lane.

Mr. Giffard—Do you see any of the men yo❑
speak of ?

- Witness—Well, I don't think I shall be far out
of my reckoning if I say that dark man (Timothy
Desmond) was one of the men drawing the truck.
He was on the near side as he passed me. I saw
English in and out of the Bell beer-shop that day.
Mr. Giffard—Had you seen any of them bef3re
that d ?
Witness—No, never.

Mr. Giffard—How long did the barrel remain
there that day ?

Witness—Not long. It could not have been
there more than a minute or two, as when I came
out of the beershop it was gone. They never came
back the same way they arrived. This would bring
the time to about twenty minutes or a quarter to
four.

Cross-examined—l thought when I saw the men
drawing the truck that they were drunk. The rea-
son I noticed the men I have pointed out more than
other people I saw that day arises from the circum-
stance that one of them came in and out of the Bell
beershop. I did not pay particular attention to
the fact that one of the men drawing the truck was
lame. lam quite positive English is one of the
men who drew the truck.

English—l'm not one of the men. That fellow
will swear anything.

Mrs. Sarah Smithers—My husband keeps the Bell
beershop at the corner of Plummer's-place. I re-
collect the day before the explosion. Four men,
neither of whom I had seen before, entered the
house, and my husband drew them a pot of stout.
One asked for some bread and cheese, but as we do
not keep it in the house I offered to send for it. I
sent a little girl for it, and the men waited whilst it
was fetched.

Mr. Poland—Look at the prisoners well and say
whether you know either of them ?
Witness—English, I feel sure, is one of the four
men I speak of.

Examination continued—Two of the men left our
house for a-minute or two and then returned, when
all four finished up the bread and cheese, and left
the place. It would be about a quarter to three on
the Thursday. The four men I speak of all formed
one party. They drank the same beer one with
the other.

Mr. Isaac Allurn—l am a wheelwright, and work
at Bucklebury, near Reading. On Friday the 13th
ult., -I came to see the cattle show. I went to see
it, and left the Agricultural Hall about 3 o'clock
in the afternoon. In coming away I walked through
Corporation -lane, and whilst I was there I saw a
person coming towards' me drawing a truck, upon
which I saw a barrel. As soon as I saw it the
man turned the truck round to the left and shot
the barrel on to the pavement near the prison wall.
As the man rose the han lie of the truck, another
man came across the road and assisted him with the
barrel. He threw a cloth over it and then
went away. He came from out a small court
near to where the barrel was lying. After the
barrel was placed the man recrossed and came near
me.

Mr. Giffard—Can you identify eit her of these
men ?

Witness—Yes. The man Allen is one, and the
man with the red whiskers (William a!smoncl) is
another. The other two I cannot recollect.
Crsks-examined by Mr. Harper—l am,quite cer-
tain about the time I left the, Cattle Show.. I was
at the end of Bowling-green-lane when the explo-
sion took place. I did not go.back, to sec the cause
of the noise I heard.

Mr. Giffard—That is all the evidence I. have to
offer in the present case. I have some further evi-
dence to produce in the treason-felony case.
S'ir T. henry—Then I shall again remand th 3
prisoners.
Mr. Harper wished to be clearly understood that
there was no relationship between the two DJs-
monds.

Timothy Desmond, William Desmond, Jeremiah
Allen, John O'Keefe, and John Mallady were then
placed at the bar on a charge of treason felony.

William Gilbert—l am a grocer and draper,
living at Enfield. I was formerly employed at the
Enfield small arms factory up to the 22d of April.
I had been engaged there 10 years as a gun
finisher. On the 11th of December I was in my
shop, at Enfield, about 8 o'clock, when a person
came in (Mullady) and asked for some biscuits. I
served him, and he then inquired the way to the
small arms factory. I had a breech-loading gun
of my own invention doing something to in my
hands, when he put some questions to me about the
weapon. I explained the points to him, and then
he asked me if there were military kept at the
small arms factory. I told him there was a rifle
force kept there, and he then asked how
many police were kept there, and if they were
armed. I told him I could not sly how many, but
that they were armed. He also inquired what sort
of gnus were made there, and I told him military
ones. He then asked if the guns were kept in store
at the factory, and how they were conveyed to
London. I told him I didn't know as they had
altered their previous arrangements. I knew how
the arms were conveyed, but I did not think it
judicious to inform a stranger how it was done.
He then asked if there 'were any. houses to let in
the neighbourhood. I told him I didn't know, and
then . again ho referred to the factory, and
asked if there was a road to it from Wal-
tham. I told him there was, and he then
asked if there was a communication between
Epping Forest and the factory. I said I was not
aware that there was, as I had never been there.
He asked if ammunition was manufactured at
Enfield, to which I replied that I had never seen
any made there. lie next asked if ammunition was
kept in store at the factory, and I told him 1 did
not know, but that there might be a little kept for
the Rifle Corps. He asked me if we were not
afraid of the Fenians popping down upon us, and
how we were prepared to receive them. I told
him we were well prepared for them, and that they
would meet with a warm reception, as there were
1.000 men nearly ready to take arms, and fight for
the source of their living ; also a Rifle Corps besides.
I inquired if he was going
businessfactory t
there,hat night,
as it appeared to me that
he said he did not think he should get what he
iatlie to
had the
wanted done that night, so lie should not go.
thed expressed an opinion that the Fenians were
acting a very foolish part to attempt to redress
their supposed wrongs by force of arms, for I said
he might depend upon it they would never attain
their object in that way. He (Uullady) said, in
reply, I might rest satisfied they would not attain
it in any other way, obierving that Feniauism was
not near so much crushed out as was generally
thought ; and then concluded by saying, " Mark
my words, you'll hear of something before long."
He then left my shop, and went in the direction of
Waltham Abbey.
Cross-examined-1 will swear positively that the
prisoner Mullady is the person with whom I had
the conversation I have detailed, and that it oc-
curred about a quarter past eight on the evening in
question. Our conversation lasted over twenty
minutes, and it would be about half-past eight
when he quitted my shop.'
Mr. Giffard—That is all the evidence I propose
to offer to-day.
Sir T.- Henry then remanded the prisoners for a
week,