The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-06-29
McPARLAN,S JOB.
The Work of a Fearless Detective Among
the M lily Maguires-Bi inging Murderers
to Justice.

Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron
Company, whose President, Franklin b.
Gowen-also the President of the Read
ing railroad-had formerly been Dis
trict Attorney Of Schuyllkill county, be-
came fully convinced that these
frequently recurring outrages were the
reaching arms and adequately equipped
with every possible means OF screening
the instruments of its nefarious deeds.
They determined that the reign of terror
must cease. Mr.. Gowen had seen its
work even while prosecuting officer OF
the county, and he knew that it could
only be done by secret detectives, and
that the detective who operated for re-
wards, who was only paid upon the con-
viction of the offender, was not the man
they needed. He had had experience
before, and he applied to the National
Detective Agency. Allan Pinkerton, an
intelligent and broad-minded Scotchman,
replied II will secure an agent or an
officer to ferret out the existence of this
society. Whoever l get is to be paid so
much week, no matter if he finds out
nothing. He is bound to me never I'M
der any circumstances, to take a reward
for his services from anybody, and if he
spends five years and obtains nothing in
the way of information he must have
every month or every week exactly the
same compensation as if every week he
had traced a new mur,ler, and every
month had discovered a new conspiracy.
He is never to gain pecuniarily by the
success of his undertaking; but, as a
man who goes into this organization as
detective takes his life in his own
hands, will send no man on this mis-
sion of yours, Mr.. Gowen, unless it be
agreed beforehand, and 1 can tell him
SO, that he never is to be known in con-
nection with the enterprise" On these
terms was James McParlan engaged.
For a better understanding of the
work that this intrepid man undertook,
with his life in his hand, L will antici-
pate a little, in order to explain the
working of this order The Mollies date
back to 1S42-more than a generation.
French's Realities of Irish Life !"
speaks of them when they were known
as the Ribbonmen of ireland. This or
der sprang up at time when there was
an organized resistance in Ireland to the
| puJ LlcuJ VI IcubS. Lie nulCOuOtnto
became known as Ribbonmen, and they
generally made their attacks upon the
agents of the nonresident landowners,
or upon the constables or bailiffs who
attempted to collect the rents. Their
object was to intimidate and hold in ter
ror all those to whom they owed money,
or who were employed in its collection.
AS branch of this society, and growing
out of it, sprang the men known as Mol
lie Maguires, and the name of their So
ciety simply arose from this circum-
stance, that in the preparation of their
offenses they dressed as women, and
generally ducked or beat their victims,
or inflicted some such punishment as
Infatuated women would be likely to adj
minister. Hence originated the name OF
the Mollie Maguires.
One of the first executions of members
of this order was brought about in the
same way as the executions of to-day
by the "squealing" of some of the ac-
complices-and, as the law was then In
Ireland, the punishment of death was In
hicted Just as much for conspiracy to
murder as for the actual preparation OF
the offense.
The order was first known in the coal
regions as the Buckshots, and in 1868
the courts of Carbon county became
powerless to execute their processes III
certain cases, and to punish criminals
who belonged to the Buckshots. This
was during the war, and the military
had to be called in aid of the civil au.
thorities, and military court was organ
lied, called military commission, which
tried some of the offenders known as
Buckshots.
There is no way of ascertaining wheI
the Mollies succeeded in getting contro
of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, but
McParlan discovered that this organiza
ton in four counties had no other pur
pose than revenge and murder, and i
was pretty well shown that the ordel
never had any other object in the Goa
regions.
Arriving in the county in October
1873, he first stopped at the lower end
at Port Clinton, and then went all owe
the county, stopping from week to {
day in place. Returning to Philadel
phia for a fortnight at the end of Novem
Der, he came back to Pottsville in De
cember, and remained around abou
there until February, when he settled il
Shenandoah. All this time he was for
warding daily report to Supt. Ben
Franklin at Philadelphia. He joined tn,
order in Shenandoah on Tuesday, Apr
IA, 1874. The members meant business
and they did not have the order for show
, They did not bother themselves abou
regalia, and such articles in the constitu
ton or such bylaws as they had no us
for they paid no attention to whatever
They paid their dues to the State orde
regularly, but they never paraded, neve
attended church, and never paid a cen
for the furtherance of the ostensible oh
, jects of the society.
McParlan was finally discovered, an
so all motive for keeping him off tn
, witness. stand disappeared. He frs
took the stand i'll the trial of the Yos
murderers in May, 1876. Presiden
, Gowen, in his opening address to tn
,, Jury in that trial, thus graphically de
. . scribed the result of MacParlan's test
mony
Then we knew we were free men. Then W
cared no longer for the Mollie Maguires. The
we could go to Patsy Collins, the COMMISSIONS
5 of this county, and say to him "Build We
] the walls OF the new addition Of the prison di
IL