Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-02-16

organization. lie and his associates were
gwen the alternative of leaving the country
or Of suffering the penalty of their crimes
| They were glad to leave Ireland, under the
circumstances, and fed to this country.
From that period dates the rise of the or
ganization of Molly Maguirel in the coal
regions of Pennsylvania.
In 1916, the Ancient Order OF liber-
mans was chartered by the Legislature oi
Pennsylvania, and subsequently by that OF
New York. Its constitution set forth that
this order is to promote friendship. unity
and true Christian charity, and for tie
raising of funds for maintaining aged, sick
and intirm members and for none Others. y
Its motto was " Friendship, Unity, and True
Christian Charity" No man could become
q member, who was not an lrishman ind
the son of an Irishman. 1t increased till
there were branches of the order In each
county in the coal regions, under State Or
carnations which centered in national Or
ganization meeting in New York City,
ari the National organization was connected
with the Central organizations Of England
Ireland and Scotland The members were
known by signs and pass words which were
changed every three months by the Central
organization, and brought from England by
steward on board one Of the lnman Line of
steamers. The signs and pass words were
called the goods, and in them there was
no allusion to anything but Home Rule,
Tenants Rights, and Daniel o 'Connell. This
order has been proved to be identical with
the organization Of Molly Maguires. p"
Its instruments became known in Pennsyl-
vania, as they had been in Ireland,
by the name of Molly Maguires. 1t made
itself felt in the coal regions in organizing
strikes and in other ways, maintaining its
authority and striking terror into all OPP
posers ly means Of assassinations. 1t has
been estimated that in the county Of Schuyl
kill alone within the last twenty years there
have been at least one hundred murders thus
committed, and in no case have the murder
erS been brought to justice. A remarkable
feature of these murders was that in each
the victim was unknown to the Molly Ma
guires by whom the crime was committed.
Whenever murder was decided on, the ar
rangements were all made at meeting Of
men called "body masters. " who then brought
men from distant counties to commit the
crime. The organization acquired great po-
litical power, and became 50 powerful that
in the Spring of 1876 its members declared
t hat the Government could not convict any
one of them. They spoke Of the murders as
''elean iobs,' and talked OF nothing but
putting out of the way all who became OBJ
noxious to them. In 1873, Mr.. Franklin
MeGowan, President of the Reading Rail
road Company, determined to take some ac-
tive steps to break up the organization.
He consulted Archbishop Ward, of
the Roman Catholic Diocese of Philadelphia,
and receiving assurance of his active CO.
operation, he next secured the services Of
Allan Pinkerton, the detective officer. The
first step was to send some one into Penn
sylvania to join the Molly Maguires and
obtain possession of their secrets Young
Irishman. named Mcfarland, undertook the
task, STIMULATING that be should receive
weekly salary of twelve dollars and bis
expenses. lie entered on the work early
in 1873, and continued a. it till March,
1876, under the assumed name of james
McKenna. During the FIRST three months
he satisfied himself that such an organiza-
lion as the Molly Maguircs existed, for
purposes Of crime. under the name of the
Ancient Order Of llibernians lie secured Il
position in the Order, by stating
hst he had been member Of this Or Ter in |
Buffalo, but had been obliged to leave that |
,ity on account of shooting man. lie WAS
hus enabled to furnish information TO his |
Employers By means Of which many crimes
we're prevented, and the names of the men by |
whom many Of the murders had been COM
nltted were ascertained. A number of tie
men, together with three of the body mas
ers, were arrested. and when in the Spring
# 1876 they were placed on trial, the
that Mcfarland would appear
Is witness fell On the Mollies like an
81 efectually was the work
lone that in Schuylkill county alone there are
low twelve men under sentence of death for
murder in the first degree, and four more
re awaiting speedy trial.
The placing Of the ban Of the Roman
Jatholic Church upon the Order, by the ex-
Of all members Of it, will
doubtless put final quietus upon the or
animation. Ia fact it had already been 50
thoroughly broken, that it had ceased to be
n object Of terror in the coal regions and
II believed that life Will henceiorth be as
$50 - 's-'N - N GULL |
nunities in any part Of the country. We
Ave derived the Above facts mainly from u
eport, in the brooklyn Eagle. Of lecture
eliverei in that city, last week. Ly Il. ID.
'enediat, Esq. Tie report closes as lol-
Iws:
In concluding. Mr.. Benedict briefly refer
I'd to the danger Of encouraging secret -o-
Ieties in country governed ~ this j., and
st any person should go away with the I'M
resslon that what he had said was intended
D prejudice them against Irshmcn and
oman Catholics he wished them to bear in
ind that the only confdant Mr. McGowun
ud during the three years in breaking W.
ne organization, was Archbishop Ward,
I'd that the man who risked hls Inf. to |
ain the information by which the organ
alton was broken up was not only an
-lshman, but Roman Catholic.
JUICE BACK has discovered that Mr.. !
ii len has no more blood in him than a
lrnio: and il credited with tins why of