Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-10-03
OUT OF PRISON.
CONDOR IND MELODY, RELEASED
FENIANS, IN NEW YORK CITI.
The Killing of Sergeant Brett-Their Trial
and OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Reprieyed on the
Day Before That Fixed as His Last ON
Earth.
New York Sun, Sept. so.1

New York Sun, Sept 80.
Two men stood on the deck of the Mosel
as she steamed up the harbor yesterday and
cast curious glances toward the shores. One
was of medium height, spare in flesh, but
with frame that indicated that he ID once
been heavier, dark eyes, and rough, fnrrowed
face, on which the stubble of two days.
frank, open, and marked by cheerful
earnestness of the sort which make
friends at sight. His companion was
slightly taller, with gray hair whitened al
most to snow, and reddish-gray moustache.
Both men wore black diagonal coats of the
Prince Albert cpt, black broadcloth trousers,
green neckties, and stiff hats. The green
ties were conspicuous, and it required no
further information to point them out as the
fenian exiles, Edward O'Meagher Condor
and Patrick Melody, sentenced to death for
the killing of Sergeant Brett at Manchester,
in 1867, and whose release by the British
government has lately been chronicled. Mr..
Condor smoked cigar abaft the gangway
as the ship passed Bay Ridge, feasting his
eyes on the surrounding scenery.
"You had narrow escape, Mr.. Condon?"
'sYou may we'll say that, sir" the exile
said, toying with his cigar. $50 near that
my coffin was made and ready for me. l re-
member the old governor of Manchester
prison telling me that night when man
got SO near death as that, he never escaped.
1t was only few hours before Allen and the
others were executed that a respite was
brought from London for me by queens
r ko1l ock1 hot xlo
cabinet had debated my case the night be-
fore, and that they stood six t. death and
six for reprieve. But come to my state
room and let me present you to Mr..
Melody"
Mr.. Condor led the way to neat stats
room on the port side, where his companion
Joined him. On the unmade bed was long
black valise containing the entire worldly
goods of the suddenly released man. There
he told briefly the story of his captivity.
1--WE never meant to kill poor Sergeant
Brett, that was shown by the evidence of
their own witnesses on the trial. There was
only nine of us, all told, that attacked the
prison van containing Kelly and Deazy,
while there were more than that number of
police and detectives. One squad of them
sat on the roof of the van and one went be-
fore. We fired at them, mostly with blank
cartridges, to scare them away, and they all
ran. We couldn't get the door of the
| van open, and there was hole
in the top of it. In the melee
pistol shot was fired by some one, which
| entered the ventilator over the door and
killed Brett, who happened to be standing
| before it, Then they unlocked the door and
let us get Kelly and Deazy. After the affair
| was all over stayed at the rear to get the
handouts off Deazy, and that was how was
| taken. I hammered with a brick that had
picked up, and afterward with stone, but l
couldn't get them off. and at last the Phil
listines came up and captured me-. l was
taken. with lot of others concerned in the
attempt before whole bench of magls-
trates, fifteen or twenty of them, and COM
nitted for trial under the name of Shore.
| 1t wasn't safe to give your own name unless
| you knew who you were telling 1t to.
Gin the first trial we were hancuffed two and
two. was very sick, and my lawyer, Ernest
Jones, refused to plead while 1 was mana
| force of troops about the town, among 9th
ers the Fifty-seventh regiment, which con-
tanned good many Irish. The authorities
didn't think it safe to trust them, SO they
sent to Aldershot for another regiment OF
two. The government sent down special
commission to try us, consisting of two OF
it's picked justices, Justice Blackburn pre-
siding. That man was sent down to hang
us, and since understand they have made
him lord for it. Then they had any num-
Der of thieves and disreputable persons who
were tempted to swear against us. Twenty.
seven of us were tried for murder, anc
Justice Blackburn ruled that as it was
concerted attempt, every man OF
the whole number was liable to be hanged
for the shooting of Brett. All! that judge
although he is a baron now, well deserves tc
be called Blackburn. He was black by
name and black by nature. Well, they sen
fenced five of us to die, and you know tht
rest. McGurd got off, and through the eff
forts of the American representatives anc
others was reprieved. At first it was al
most as bad as death-the uncertainty as tx
whether / would be allowed to live after al
or not. When they finally concluded t.
commute my sentence l was taken to Mill
bank prison, as they do with all of them
Then it was ten years at Portland-year
enough to break down good many men
know it would have broken down me if
had not powerful constitution. AS TO
Melody, you have only to look at his hair t
see what it has done for him.
During the early part of Condon's i'm
prisonment, he says, an attempt was mad
by the home secretary, Claiborne Hardy (no,
Lord Cranbrook), to induce him to assum
} an humble and submissive attitude, to &C
NIT that he had committed great crime
,, and to beg for mercy at the hands of til
government. He was told that the hon
secretary was willing to take an interest i
his case if he would manifest proper spiri
These overtures were steadily and firmly n
pulsed. Condor, believing that he had dor
nothing wrong In trying to rescue his Of
companion-in- arms, because it had resulte
4 in the killing of an innocent man by one
l the rescuers. He replied to the home seer
: tary's offer that he saw nothing to regret
what he done, even though it had entailt
y apparently lifelong imprisonment on hin
|, After that he kept the prison officials at
G distance.
= Melody was in London shortly after Il
killing of Brett, and was arrested in Co
sequence of some incautious remarks he
II concerning the affair. He says that b
greatest regret is that he never had anythil
to do with the rescue. He was convicted (
the testimony of five witnesses, who, it
said, the government knew to be perjurel
They we're forced to convict Melody, ho
a ever, because tue testimony OF the nVe ii
been used to hang the other three, and
refusal to employ it would have been equiv
lent to confessing that the latter had be
l. judicially murdered. Melody's sentence
death was COMMITTED Immediately, the 60
Sc ernment never having intended to hang hi
20 --
Wdshburn's Responsibility.
Sherburne County Star.
ID # murder was committed up at Nj
ar neapolis. We suppose the st. Paul GLo