New-York tribune., 1868-05-04
THE CLERKENwELL TRIALS.

LONDON, April 90 1863.
The Old Bailey is narrow street running
north and south from Newgato-st to Ludgate Hill the
cast side of it is occupied almost entirely by the great
city prison, sometimes called Newgate, aud at others
"The Old Bailey" Attached to it, and within Its mas
sive walls, several courts for the administration OF
Justice criminals and these called untedy 1.-THE
Central Criminal Court In these courts for some centu
ries as the Newgate calendar will show, have from
term to term stood upon trial for their lives Scarcely
century ago the prisoners condemned at Newgae were
drawn through London In open cart TO be executed on
"Tyburn Tree the spot occupied by the Marble
Arch Oh the Oxordst side OF Hyde Park More recently
the hangngs, well the trials, have taken place al
Gn fhe dsacreeable morning Of the 2Oth Of April set
ont m see he Cerkenwell trials In this historic place
Fcetst which takes it name from another prison & or
mcry used for debtors was more than usually ehokcd
with traffic and foot passengers had the best OF II as to
time passed little brOugha1n containing the wen,
known features Of the Lord CheJustce OF England ana
heard afterwards that he had been % minutes in raver
ing the one.third of mile which lies between M Ienple p
Bar and the prison Old Bailey-st was pretty wen neu
"move on Of the metropolitan police, and at every door
pgr wg aTd All Kinds of persnason 70 the blue coats
them in" They were. however, deaf to all entreaes
passes barristers could get admitance unless we'll
known attred in their robes The press had been ur
nished with blue tickets by the shers OF London ana
few white tickets had been issued for the day 10 hose
having sufficient interest to obtain them. -.
BEFORE the Judges entered the Court every avalaDle
spot Of course filed but there was no crowd. @ Inc
& OF S Sx court soy %sff after e ARD almost
taneOusy, the prisoners appeared at the par ana INC
Judges on the Bench the Judges were slr Alexander
Cockburn Lord ChiefJustice, and Mr., Baron Bramwe;
they were accompanied by the Deputy Lord Mayor SIR
tending the Prince Of Wales and by several others O he
City Aldermen The Deputy Lord Mayor took the seat
form only His civic lordship has share in the trial
On his right the two Judges OF Assze ana on MS
of the Court and under the strangers gallery Is rooy
one and the prisoners had plenty Of space to sit IN
fp1,n ANN
married and ~ years OF ageP ats at the extreme INC
end Of e dCcs Behind her hs s cnSor 0ns % maS 5aS
have made sad havoc with Anne Justice but instead OF
q she looks AZ at least and her Sn nns
10 Anne Justice Eat tho only other Of the prisoners VINO
looks as II he deserved special notice IhtS lne M
Barrett alias Jackson a. no occupation barrett Is te
man who is charged with having lighted the barrel which
did tue mischief aud II he would not be lmmediateiy @
pcked out by stranger the most desperate man OF
the party he certainly would be selected as the
est and The most intelligent He is spee Ss
ever been America so, he Is inc onIy oG VI so I
party who has think but he has hs nS Seen oS
Grated Each Of the prisoners provided WIN pen anu
paper Barrett uses hrs eonnay "a as desscTbed a.
shoemaker Timothy Desmond 49, tailor; Nlehoas al li
glsh 49, tailor John OKeefe. 25 bootmaker-are oiui
nary specimens OF the intelligent class OF Irish me
chancs, and evidently poor but repeeape lnel O
being called upon 10 plead they all said hey werg no'
guilty Anne Justice adding al know nothing OF It,"
This brings us TO the counsel employed in the case and
shs hi JS ycSnS e% GS wys who appeared of
Iusfice and also for OKeofe He urged postponement
Jasee quickly set ali donSt at rest By stating that
prisoners had had ample time 70 prepare for their la
ignoring the that they had had neither counsel nor
money The rest Of the counsel Tor the prisoners were
Warner Sleigh The astnamed gentleman Is certainly
the youngestOOkng man saw III court; but after Mf
Montague Williams lie is the most experienced OF the
counsel for the prisoners The fact Is that the prisoners
have money with which to employ eminent counsel
and think 1t probable that the briefs OF Mr.. williams
and Mr. Warner Sleigh the only ones endorsed with
fee For the Crown there was strong array Of legal
talent The Attorney Sir John Karslake, GER
aiuly most disnR Rushed locking man In court the
SOcitOrGenera, Sir BaliO Bret. who Is not at all good
looking; Mr.. Gifard O. C., round and goodnatured and
pansaking Mr.. Poland, with Mr. Archibald in the
Jury having been sworn without any difficulty in the
way OF challenges the Attorney General proceeded TO
stale ihe case for the Crown The male prisoners
nsnbers of the absurd conspiracy known the Fenian
and all known to each other, their
pectiye residences being IN the vicinity OF Golden
square After detailing the facts relating TO the In
carceration OF Burke IN the House OF Detention
conveyed in the prison he referred 70 the arrival
in London at the time IN question OF the prisoner
Barret or Jackson, ana man knowh as Cap.
that those two men were In communication with
Mulany English. and the two Desnonds III w0nld be
shown that the idea OF rescning te iSon van
was abandoned at Burkes own suggestion and that the
arranCement for blowing up the prison was In reality
schene which was laid by him. and one In which all the
prisoners with the exception a 9 anu William Desmand
Captain Murphy, and others 10 piOeaie 70
blow up the prison and reerred to the meeting al VIII
liam DesmOnd's house. at which arrangements were
mnde for blowing up the prison on the ollo~lhg day,
Burke was aware of what was gong Oh, anu was ar
ranged that ball should be thrown into tne exercise
yard OF the prison as signal 10 o,W, Hn snoa,i5
before the explosion. English, O'keefe. and
the two Desmonds III the immediate Ncpl or
the 18th OF December anu on tne
az tbe time met named Vaughan, VINO whs more or
less connected With the censpTators and told hm 'ha'