The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-18
The Surprises and Episodes
of the Trials.
keripan, the lnfomer, and McParlan,
the Detective.
CONVICTION OF FIFTEEN MURDERERS.

being TOO weak deal with the disease Wnen herri-
gan, Kelly and Doyle were captured In the ousn az
Tamaqua the news OF their arrest spread ike wdhro
Throughout the neighborhood. mob soon Collected
apparently with tho purpose OF ynchng the prisoners
Ii was as much as the police could do to prevent such
result and long after these men were IN prison al
Mauch Chunk awaiting their trial the excited state OF
feeling continued. There was doubt in the minds
OF the community that these men were guilty OF the
murder OF Jones, and not only was their conviction
public necessity, but their escape could not iaii 10
prove general calamity. Such was the alarm inspired
by the dreaded sMoy Mcguire" organization that the
old maxms Of law lost their force in the coal regions,
and It was felt a matter OF public safety
that il would better that three innocent men should
be punished even than that one guilty man should
escape hated and hateful society was TO be rooted
out and believed that the conviction oil kcrrl-
gan Kelly and Doyle would accomplish this result 1t
wonder the trials looked forward TO with so
much interest, or that such strenuous efforts were
made both attack and defence. II was the death
struggle law and ordor on the one hand and
the Molly Mcguire organization on tie other and Its
Termination could iai be lasting IN It's results
THE TRIAL
The case OF Michael j. Doyle was the 1rst one tried
Eminent counsel had been engaged on both sides, and
the magnitude Of tho case, combined with this bril-
liant array OF legal talent tended TO intensity an ex-
element which had long before reached fever heat.
The old court house at Maucn Chunk had revor pre-
scented such a scene before. Surrounding tie prem
isss was strong guard OF the coal and iron police
Thronging the room, the corridors and streets
was frowsy crowd OF .'Molly Maguires,"
arrogant in their hate and outspoken In their
,ympathy. Both sides were confident, and
The legal sparrng began at the very beginning
FIRST there was a motion for change Of
venue This was denied. Dilatory motions iol-
lowed but each dismissed in turn. Then came
the arraignment of the prisoners solemn proceeding
in the old law courts at all times and doubly
80 because OF the circumstances surrounding these
and the intensity Of the interest in the result
The prisoners put in the plea OF ''not guilty. and
elected be tried separately. The Commonweathide-
termned proceed with the trial OF Dove, and jury
was empanelled. District Attorney Siewers opened
the Tor the people. General Albright examined
the witnesses una Lin Bartholomew, OF Pottsyile,
cross-examined them. Mr.. +. W. Hughes argued the
law points behalf OF the prosecution and Mr. John
w. Ryon tor the defence The testimony was
wonderfully conclusive. So wonderful WIS It
cedng the murder the Whereabouts of the prisoners
were shown by hour. IL was found that Doyle
Kelly fired tho fatal shots aud that Kerrigan had
brought them 10 their victim and stood by aiding ana
RbetIng The murder 1t began TO be plain that there
would be no ioophole OF escape. and when the Com
monwealth rested their all hope OF acqutta had
passed away The carefully prepared abb was USELESS
and from that time to the end OF the trial the contest
struggle against tate. On tho LIST OF February
1885, the jury convicted Michael j. Doyle Of 'murdcr
in the iirst degree"
An EPISODE or THE rRIAL-KERRfGAN ISFoRxER
During progress OF the trial incident occurred
tul OF import TO the Molly Mcguire organization.
Deputy Sheriff Brcnheser WAS on the witness stand
iestifying conversation he had overheard in the
fam between Korrigan Doyle in relation 10 the
proposed aliDl Kerrigan beard this testimony with
alnazement, and II excited him beyond contro. 'rnat
lie /" he exclaimed, sprnging TO his feet. "By God
have stomach Tor this; won't have my lie sworn
away In this way" Before him were tho gallows
staring m the face, but confronting him also was
the lot OF an outcast aud traitor contcndng with the
love offe. The love of life irumphed, kerrgan CON
fcsscd the Of the Order laid bare. This
incident was the turning point IN the fortunes
OF the Molly MaguireR Not even kcKenna, had
their movements, would have excited The deiestaton
that followed this event howl OF indignation was
heard throughout the coal regions. Que wretch mas
been found base enough 10 plot murder and then be-
tray the participants In his crimes. II Is no wonder
that this event excited deestaon and horror There
nothing base the eyes OF those who proht
by II, as the treachery which follows crime Even the
wife who had condoned his other offences turned away
from him IN disgust !: was not That he had confessed
his own or that all this indig nation aroused.
He had made statements duplicating many others,
and there was telling where The drag.net OF his
Great on would end and So while be was thoroughly
detested by ALL hundred OF his old associates longed
10 XIII HIM the time That the community re-
lolccd in his revelations.
TRIAL or KrLLY-TuE yosT MuRDEKRRs.
The trial Of Kelly specially followed tnc conviction
OF Doyle but kerrsaD was not called upon TO testify
II simply the story over again ui The previous
trial, anu III spite OF his youth, In spite of sympathy
Tor widowed mother in spite OF appeals Tor cien-
ency mercy, The lad convicted vi the highest
crime known to the law. In the meantime, however,
the muraerefs OF fost and lher accompces had been
arrested The preliminary tactics oil legal lcgerde-
man exerled IN their behalf The intensity OF
feeling created by so many arrests can wen be mag
ined. These accomplished on the Avn OF Fcpru-
airy, 1876 writ oil habcas corpus was sued out on
Tie ON ana made returnable on the l2th. All
this only further intensified feeling, and, besides,
4 cnuu.le emil v n ned hat ut
gan the ..squoalern would take the witncss stand.
There was the utmost curiosity 10 hear bis story The
nature extent OF MS confession and whom " would
impiicate tue theme OF every tongue. The idle
rogue and vagabond Of fanaqua was fast becoming a
hero. Judge Pershng decided. however. tnat tue
bearing should be private, and 80 there was disap-
pointment store Tor the curious was also decided
tnal the proceedings should not be pu5iished and so
not even the press was able 10 crafty widespread
curiosity. The prisoners we're Iecommitacd, and,
knowing what the pubic did not kno~-thc state
inert OF facts which Kerrigan would
testify--at once set about preparing their defence.
IL the theory OF the defcnce that while Kerrgan
Was guilty he alone was guilty. II could be shown
that he had vtndictvc feelings against osL lie was
al best a secouvicted murucref aud II was mol an
tlcpated that there could be any great difficulty IN
impeaching his testimony, especially II satisfactory
nibi coulu be shown IN the Cases oi McGcnan aud
Boyle Ii was to be shown that on July the corner
evening, wne the latter was anonl his ir,cnds very
drunk. These things accomplished Roarny, Carroll
aud Dufiy would be sae, anu IN this coniIdeut spirit
bhc defence entered upon The trial
EPISODE
These confident assurances were disturbed by an
ptner OF the surprises oi the Molly trials hen
Iue trial came District Attorney kaercher (pro-
bounced karaker announced IN his opening speech TO
the Jury that testimony OF James kerrigan would
be offered, and, addition, that oil james McPdrun,
detective, who had lived Tor years among these peo
. and learned the history OF their crimes Az tho
same time Mr.. +. Ii. Gowen, the Presidcnt OF the
Philadelphia Reading Railroad, entered the court
took hts amopR the counsel Tor the Common
wealth. IL WAS a revelation, ant although the story
has been often told II nas never been put IN better
form than by the man whose foresight infused
this romantic element INTO the drana OF blood
10 long enacted IN the coal regions. 1T
VIXEN / was District Attorney OF TINS comfy said
Mr. Gowen 10 OF his speeches, IA young man,
charged with the prosecution oil the pleas OF the Com
mon wealth. that Tor iirst time made up my mind
from wnat had seon Ia innumernDse INSTANCES that
there then existed this county secret organiza-
ton, banded together Tor the COMMISSION oil crime aud
for The purpose securing the escape acquutal OF
any OF It's members charged with tue commission OF
m offence. That conviction forced Itself ihdslpiy
upon my mind ! lett this county with that settled
rnnyclIon and circumstances that occurred time and