The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-11-02
THE FENTAN TRIALS IN CANADA.

The intelligence has been transmitted thro'
out the land that RevJ McMahon and
Col. John Boss Lynch, fenian prisoners, cap
tured by tbs Canadian authorities, have been
tried, convicted and sentenced to be hung on
the thirteenth day Of December next.
It seems very strange that these men
should have been convicted upon such evil
dence as was there produced. A fellow by
the name of Riley, who played the part of in
former, turning Queens evidence, seems to
have been the only or the principal witness
against them. And he WAS discreditsd by
his own mother, who on being put upon the
stand testified that the character OF her son
was very bad" and that she would not be-
lieVe him on OATH" and summed up her evil
dence in this terrible judgement for c mother
to give upon her son
consider that he is such bad boy that there is
nothing that he would not be guilty Of unless muir
der for the last eight years he has been verv yie
Gus he Is liar, a drunkard, night walker, and
he was tried before a magistrate at Guelph but let
out on bail; he is up to every kind devilment; I
have never known him for the last eight wears to do
anything good.
II.
testified that he saw Lynch at Fort Erie, but
not as an officer or one engaged in the inva-
sion, but as one taking notep, and that he had
no arms.
Rev. Mr.. Lumsden. al episcopal clergy
man, testified that he saw the prisoner at Fit.
Erie, with book and pencil, taking notes ;
that he had no arms, etc.
Daniel Whaion, "a feniau prisoner, testified
that Lynch was at Fort Erie, and that he un-
derstood that he was reporter for the Lou
with the fenian invasion that he was only q
reporter.
Col. Lynch himself, after he was found
guilty, upon being notified by the court that
IL he had anything to say why sentences
should not be passed upon him, he could
speak, stated in very clear tone, that he
had no connection with the fenian raid. that
he had neither hand, act nor part in the late
invasion, and that he came simply as the cor
of public journal, and was not
aware that there could be any objection to
reporter following the army and chronieling
the incidents.
A dispatch from Louisville states upon the
authority of Col Starr, commanding the fe-
nian expedition, that Lynch was from Louis
allie, hookkeeper there, and was sent by bis
employers with the fenian expedition, and
merely as a reporter for his employers.
The Rev. Father Mcmahon was proved to
have been along with the raid only in his
professional capacity, as priest, minister
ing to the wants of his people,
1t seems difficult in view of evidence of this
sort TO perceive the justice of the verdict of
the jury or of the sentence of the court in
the case OF these men. An execution pnon
such evidence would be a judicial murder
If the record of the trial, applied for by Pres.
ldent johnson, presents no more cogent and
conclusive evidence of felony than that which
has been published in the papers, the country
may be very certain that the Canadian au-
shorities will not be permitted to proceed to
execution without an indignant Remembrance
from our government which the British Cab
met will scarcely take the responsibility of
iisregarding. TIE correspondent of one of
he New York papers gives the following
sketch of Col. Lynoh:
II learned from him portion of his past history
John Bloss Lnych was born in Hardord county, Gal
way, Ireland. lie was employed in the department
II the board OF charitable donations and charitable