Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-06-12
HOW THE FENIANs ARE BETRAYED
GENERAL GLEESON."

A Dublin correspondent of the Gazette, a
weekly newspaper recently started in
Charleston, South Carolina, in the Fenian
interest, thus describes how the Fenians in
Ireland are betrayed. He says
For obvious reasons / withhold nv
name but il may serve the purpose to
speak of nay imprisoned friend ae Mr.. A.,
and TO state that he lived in a Western
town, where he was in high command
among the Fenians Shortly before the
rising, stranger, Of the regular Irish
American cast Of face and style of dress,
made his appearance in the town, and, after
lounging about for few days, managed to
make the acquaintance Of young Mr.. A.,
with whom he soon became on terms Of in
innate friendship. The two were soon in
close consultation on the prospect of the
Fenian mOvement-the stranger declaring
himself to be no less a person than General
Gleeson, whose stature he nearly APP
preached. He said that he was on tour
through the country, inspecting the in
surgent forces preparatory to giving the
signal for a general outbreak. He talked
in a cheerful strain on the state Of the
organization in other parts Of the coun-
try, but seemed 10 think the aspect Of af-
fairs in the locality he then stood TO be
any thing but promising. The West is
asleep the General sadly remarked and
it is only in Munster that the materials Of
a good army could be found for the pur-
pose Of the movement Poor A. fell into
the trap readily. He Indignantly denied
that there was any lack of patriotic ardor
or preparations in MS district, and, as a
proof Of his representations, arranged to
Introduce General Gleason to the Centres
Of the various circles in the town and
neighborhood. The General approved of
the idea, but was particularly careful that
none bat Centres we're to be present at the
interview. He wonld see none but princi-
pals at that stage; the utmost caution was
necessary, 80 that the work should not be
marred at that hour by negligence or i'm
prudence.
His dupe acquiesced, and next evening
meeting was held, at which the General
presided, and which was attended by over
thirty Fenian Centres. The General
opened the meeting witha glowing address,
in which he spoke enthusiastically of the
coming struggle. Then he began to ques-
ton each Of the men as TO the amount OF
preparation they had made, coolly took
down their names in his pocket book,
inspected their revolvers, and wound up
declaring that as far as they we're con-
cerned, he was perfectly satisfied with what
he had seen but he required ocular dem
onstration-his responsibility would allow
him TO accept no other test ofthe numerical |
strength of his followers. Men on paper |
were all very we'll but his duty was to see
that all men were actually at hand in the |
flesh Could it be arranged Nothing |
was easier. They would bring out their |
men 10 drill on the following night in the |
adjacent domain. Next night the assembly |
took place as appointed. There were one |
hundred men armed with rifles and fowl |
ing-pieces, about one hundred men with |
pixies and revolvers, and four hundred |
Others armed with pixies alone. The Gen
eraP was present, and so were others, Of /
whose presence the Fenians had little sus-
picion. Behind the hedge close by stood /
Colonel Browrigg c. b., Inspector General
Of the Constabulary force of ireland, who
had been telegraphed for by the clever de-
tective who was doing General Gleeson,' /
and fifty policemen armed TO the teeth. The
intention first was TO arrest the consplrators /
asthey arrived butthe Fenians came in large /
bodies to The rendezvous, and thus rem
dered the design unsafe, If not lmpracti- |
cable. The General put the army through |
their drill, and then dismissed them, APP |
pointing the meeting with the Centres for
the next day TO give them some parting |
instructions, and apprise them of the date
on which they were to take the field. /
What happened next day was this: the |
thirty Centres were arrested before they |
had left their beds a flying column OF sol
diers arrived in the town about noon, and /
the men in the outlying police stations
we're called in, and concentrated in the /
town. The conspirators were thunder /
struck at the swoop which removed all their
leaders No rising took place in the coun-
ty, and General Gleeson, | need hardly |
add, might have been seen any day for
week following, sauntering about the lower
leyard.
II can answer for the truth of this mar
ratiye and ~ il viii give an idea Of the |
manner in which scores of men have been |
shared in this country within the past few |
months, have thought it worth repeating |
at length FOR your readers