Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-12-16
DYING SPEECH.

Four Fcnians were hanged upon tue
p.llows in England, in November,
charged with and convicted OF murder,
ing Sergeant Brett, " government
officer. A correspondent Of the New
York Times, who was in tho court room
when sentence was passed, gives the
following thrilling account of the scene.
Ono of the condemned, it will DO OBJ
served. was almost q second Shamus
o,Brien in his department in court
The correspondent says:
a., bo1r and twenty minutes. The
n%r;.oners camo up from below and took
tbs;r places, Tho names OF the live
=nri.oners were called over, and the
usual question put to the foreman, ana
Eve times no pronounced tue terrioie
word. "GuRty," AL guilty OF construc-
tive murder. A man was killed by
somebody, and they, with some scores
Of others, ruled by tho Court to be
equally guilty, were present aiding and
THE PRISONERS SPEECHES.
And now commenced the most extra
ordinary scene l ever witnessed IN a
Court of Justice. When asked what
tbev had to say why sentence OF death
sbould not now be passed upon them
n miserable and useless %formality, since
whatever they had to say should have
- sa;5 % tho ;ury before the verdict
each of tho Eve prisoners addressed
the Court, and each in ms way was
eloquent, and four were bold and de-
iant. The fifth, poor Mcguire, n soldier
thirteen years in the Queens service,
declared, what l truly believe, that he
never was q Fenian, had been in
| any way concerned in the rescue, and
was quietly ut home in his sisters
house, rs was sworn by FIVE unimpeach-
cd witnesses, added to n policeman who
testified to his quiet habits. That a
Jury could condemn q man to death, on
such a charge, with such a probability
of mistaken identity, can only be &C
counted for by the TACT that they were
acting under o strong excitement.
Tho speeches Of the four Feuian pris-
oners | can give verbatim, so far rs their
words are concerned but no words can
convey an idea of the courage, the hero
ism, the devotion with which these men
met their fate. Aliens looks deceived
nc. For q boy Of nineteeu-and he
does not look older-and one of ordi.
nary opportunities, he showed m extra
ordinary spirit. There was not q tremol
in his voice, which rang full and clear
through the Court room. need mol
give all that was said, but in condensine
tho speeches I will give only the word:
and phrases of the speakers. have
only omitted portions relating to testi
mony, or otherwise Unnecessary. Aller
said:
UMy LORDS AND GENTLEMEN: You
question is one that can be easily asked
but other and moro eloquent men thar
am could not answer it. Where arr
the men, Burke, Emmett and others
who have stood in the dock like me il
defense of their country? No man ii
this Court regrets the death of Sergean
Brett moro than l do, and | positivel!
say, in the presence Of the Almight,
and everything God, that %aminnocen
AYE, as innocent as any man in Thu
Court room. don't say this for thu
sake of mercy l want no mercy-ll
have no mercy. ri die rs many thou
sands have died, for the sake of theil
beloved land, and in defense Of it.
will die proudly and triumphantly II
defense Of republican principles and tn
liberty of an oppressed and enslavet
people. Is it possible we are asket
why sentence should not be passed upol
us, on the evidence of prostitutes Of tn
streets Of Manchester, fellows out o
work, convicted felons-aye, m Irish
!, man sentenced to DO hanged when a
English dog would have got off? say
positively and de6antly, justice has no
been done me since | was arrested.
Justice had been done me, would no
!, have been handcuffed at the preliminar.
investigation in Bridge street; and i
this Court justice has not been done m
in any shape or FORM"
: After commenting upon tho i~njustic
: perpetrated against himself and tn
|, others in the modes of Identification
which seem to have been strangely il
, regular and panic-stricken, he said
"As for myself, I feel the righteous
ness of my every act with regard to wha
/ have done in defence Of my country
. I fear not. / am fearlcss-fenrlcss @
the punishment that can be inflicted o.
: me; and with that, my Lords, hav
. done. (After a moments pause.) 1 be,
+. to be excused. One remark more.
, return Mr.. Seymour and Mr.. Jones IN,
sincere and heartfelt thanks for thei
able e~loquence and advocacy of my par
of this affray. wish also to return t
Mr.. Roberts the very same. My name
Sir, might be wished to be known. /
is not William O'Meara Allen. Ny nam
/, is William Philip Allen. was borl
| and reared in Bandon, in the County o
Cork, and from that place take. m.
name and I am proud Of my country
and proud Of my ~parentage. My Lords
have done.n