Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-09-10
"Wil0 Hanged Emmet ?'3
A MYSTERY REVEALED.

This has been a mystery for Irish his
torical students for three quarters of
century. The hangman was quite un-
known TO all the spectators Of the deatI
scene OF the young patriot. His arriva
and departure were so well screened by
mymidons of the terrible SIR, the town
major OF Dublin, that all the skill of En-
NETS sympathizers failed TO penetrate
bis secret. Since that time no one has
claimed the infamous distinction, anC
when, thirty years ago, DR. r. r. Mad
den was engaged on the History of the
lrishmen" all his efforts were unable tC
lift the evil. 1t had been dismissed as
one of the inscrutable problems of histo
ry, like the identity of the Man in the
Iron Mask, and it is safe to say that even
curious inquirers had forgotten that
there was q mystery about the hangnlan
OF Emmet. But the mystery that had SC
long lain hidden has been suddenly
cleared up.
Last Monday, August 5, an extremely
old man died in the Workhouse at Bal
lima, Mayo county, and two days latel
was consigned toa paUper's grave. His
name was Barney Moran. He was Z
native of Dublin, and SO long as he was
able to tramp about he made livelihood
as a professional itinerant ballad singer.
He believed himself at the time of his
death to be about 80 years of age. On
his death-be he made a singular revela-
| ton to the doctor, master and chaplain
of the wOrkhouse. He told them that
he was one Ofthe band ofsoldiers who, on
the night of May IS, 1913, accompanied
Majors SIR and Swami to the house of
Mr.. Nicholas Murphy, the feather mer-
chant 1SQ TThO,>ooc cf~
Lord Edward Fitzgerald was concealed,
and effected the capture of the rebel
chieftain. Barney Moran avowed that
in that terrible business he faithfully dis
charged his duty as q loyal soldier to the
British Crown.
But his most startling revelation was
to come. This was that he also was the
eXecutioner OF Robert EmmGt. This
confession has been corroborated since
M0ran'S death by q most respectable
gentleman Of Ballina, who states that
tor many years he was aware OF the un-
pleasant secret, but was pledged not to
divulge it till Moran was beyond the
reach OF ob!oquy sure to fall upon him.
Moran's statement was to the effect that
he was On duty at POrtobello barracks
on the evening Of September 10, 1903,
when an emissary from Major SIR came
and offered him considerable sum if
next morning he would ofiiciate as hang
man for Emmett. Barney Moran was
quite willing on this occasion also to
prove his ''ioyalty" by work strangely
out OF keeping with soldiers true voca-
ton. But the history OF that awful time
attests that British soldiers in too many
cases lost all sense of honor and took a
fendish delight in the performance of
any bloody deed, the victim of which
would be an Irish rebel or suspected
person.
And SO on the morning Of September
20, 1868, Barney Moran (having been
conveyed thither in civilians clothes
stood on the platform in Thomas street,
directly opposite st. GATHERINGS church,
with Emmet beside hiIn. pinioned and
standing beneath the gal.ows. The story
runs that Emmet eXpec. ed . rescue and
gazed about him long and wistfully rs if
trying TO read hope IN the upturned faces
OIL tue crowd. lie pI0tracted his arrange
ments rs long as possible. Even with
the haltar around his neck, in answer to
the eXecutioner's question whether he
was ready, he several times exclaimed,
"Not yet, not yet" At length the ex-
ecuiioner, weary OF waiting, turned hina
of, with the words mot yet'' coming
from his lips. Moran admits that he
was the man who did this deed, and af
ter the hanging severed the head from
the body and held it up to the gaze of
the spectators with the stereotyped
formula, "This is The head Of "a !Taitor.n
After the execution Moran was convey
ed by some of Major Sirr's underlings TO
the castle, and then sent back to his
military duty. lie kept the secret, for
we'll he knew the tempest OF hatred and
abhOrence which would gather around
his head were it known what he had
done. His Ill got gains did not prosper.
He quilted the army, and after q wan-
dering life Of hardship and privation for
half century, exactly seventy=i:ve
years after EmEnet's death, his eXecu-
toner has found p&uper's death ana &
nameless grave. And thus there is Ole
enigma The less for the historical student.
-N'ceC York E6TOI1.