The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-02-16

murder of Rea was planned Hester said
there Was no danger OF cur giving each 9TH ,
or awav as we we're nll members of the or y
gauization; if man was arrested for com 8
hitting crimes under orders from body
master. the order wo Id stand by them and
engage lawyers to get them clear; when we
met at Donohue's, if Hester had told us not
To rob and murder Rea we would have left (
him alone one of the signs OF the order
was che passing Of the hand over the brow =
the pcr,un to whom the signal was given
wouId place hi. thumb in lhs arm hOle of
his vest in giving these signs oi the order
the first ia ~ gave the sign with MS rg1t
hand, and the person answering used his lett
hand; We also had qnarrelng word; if
WAS IN a row with II person l would say,
Are you uneasy :" it he was member he
would say, 81 have good reasons.
Cross. examination was member OF
the order in ireland for three months; l
never committed any crime while | was
member of the Molie Magu res in Ireland
| only knew OF one man while was in Scot
land that was ordered by the Body Master
to beat men, and WAS present when he was
ordered TO make the beating man 10y the
name of Thomas McClusky initiated me at
Wilkes Barre in the fall of 1867 Body |
Master only has control over the members OF |
his own division the rule OF the society Is
that we shall obey our Body Masters; ! was
bound to assist brother, no ma ter where
was and that did not belong to his divsion
in the meetings of the divisions have heard
them talk about beating men, and make
their arrangements to have the beating done;
at Big Mine Run it was once arranged to
beat a man five of us went to beat him
Manus Kull was inside of Daniel Kelly;
never heard murder discussed IN a regular
meeting in the different places | have been
in have knswn of men OF high standing
being members of the order; there are bet
ter men than Patrick Hester and myself in
the order if my Body Master would ask me
to commit crime and refused to do so,
would be reported to the society; If be-
longed to division and l was ordered to 90
off to some other place and kill man, why
When came back and entered meeting,
even if knew all about it, they would not
expel me, as was good fellow for doing
clean job
I never was at a meeting of the order with
Hester, Mchugh or Tuly; everybody about
Locust Gap knew that Hester was the Body
Master of the division there Hester told
me that he (Hester) was the Body Master +;
Donohue was made member by Hester IN
7 t,ny Of n hiffl
crime being agreed upon in one of the meet
ings of the order if man who was one OF
the members was arrested we could get plen-
ty Of witnesses to go and swear him out; l
was expelled from the order at Mount Lat
fee; the only reason | knew was that
would n t let some of the members kill q
man when Hester talked with me about
the murder of Rea, | told him | did moi
know about it; said / would go if the res
OF the men would go; he said there Was +
lot of money in it; Tully was present, am
he was a member; if | backed out / was il
danger Of losing my big nose or somethin.
else; Hester told me if | refused to comini
the crimes as arranged by the order that
would be badly beaten McClusky, o
Wilkes. Barre, also told me so; the societ
in Northumberland county was well con
Quoted hut the members did not act yer
good outside; Patrick Lsf ry and Barne
Harvey of l. 'cu.t Gap were among tn
members who did not conduct themSrlvt
properly they with Tully robbed an "fic
at Boston Run them members of the orde
all club together if the members in one couu
ty want some help, they send to the divi'
ions in the adjoining cou"ties; the dtierer
divisions would give money to effect the re
lease of those who were arrested; whe
Hester was at Bloomsburg before, none
was raised to pay the expenses of his tria
gave a dollar myself l went around f
some time with the man " no collected tt
money for Hester; Hester once called q
Dolan at Big Mine Run to send men to L.
Gust Gap and cut Tommy Tobin's ear o.
and he did l was not hired to cut the e.
of, and was in Big Mine Run when it W
done the question of the murder of RI
was rot called up at the regular meeting
the Mollie Maguires; the regular meetn
are held every month, special meetings
often held between times.
Hon. F. W. Hughes then opened the I
direct examination.
O. We're the rules of the order in the ye
1872 the same as they were in 1868
Mr.. Ryan objected to Kelly's answeri
thisquestion.
was often called on by Body Masters
the order to commit crimes Ski 'erton "
Al. l,,,:a I o..
the man l prevented some of them irt
killing was Patrick Burnet's son-in-law
Palo Alto was not injured for refusing
help kill him they wanted to 60 into I
house and kill him, but did not want b
killed the Body Master of Mount LAT
originated the plar to murder him; his ma
was Patrick Moran | used to do the fig
ing for some of the Body Masters Mr..
on never defended me while | was bel
tried upon a charge of assault with int
to kill, made during fight in board
house with some Engishmen; Dolan orde
me to beat men several times, and / went
where they were and beat them according
his orders went to Mill Creek once {
beat the Tax Collector for him; | went alb
beating men in order to keep up the ere
Of the society.
By Mr.. Hughes
Thomas Donohue ordered us to beat 81
uel McGee, the Chief Burgess of Ashlal
Hester was present at the time; Hester ne
kicked me out of his house; | knew
much about him and he knew too m
81 about me for him to try it.
a Kelly then withdrew from the stand.
]. F. Anspach Michael Gillespie, \
81 l. Rlnn.n Lodi