Stevens County tribune., 1878-10-10
OUT OF PRISON.
CONDON And MELODY, RELEASED
FENIANS, IN NEW York CITX.
The Killing of Sergeant Brett-Their Trial
and Conviction Condor Reprieved on the
Day Before That Fixed as His Last ON
Earth.
New York Sun. Sent. 8O.l

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 had once |
been heavier, dark eyes, and rough, furrowed
face, on which the stubble of two days.
beard showed itself. His countenance was
frank, open, and marked by a Cheerful
earnestness of the sort which make
friends at sight. His companion was
slightly taller, with gray hair whitened al
most to snow, and a reddish-gray moustache.
Both men wore black diagonal coats of the
Prince Albert cut, 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 a cigar abaft the gangway
as the ship passed Bay Ridge, feasting his
eyes on the surrounding scenery.
"You had a narrow escape, Mr.. Condon?'
.sYou may well say that, sir" the exile
said, toying with his cigar. $50 near that
my coffin was made and ready for me. re-
member the old governor of Manchester
prison telling me that night when man
got so near death as that, he never escaped.
It was only few hours before Allen and the
others were executed that a respite was
brought from London for me by queens
messenger. I was told afterward that the
cabinet had debated my case the night be-
fore, and that they stood six for 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 state
room on the port side, where his companion
| Joined him. On the unmade bed was a 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
!
in the top of it. In the melee
pistol shot was fred 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 I was
taken. I hammered with brick that had
picked up, and afterward with stone, but
couldn't get them off. and at last the Phil
listines came up and captured me. / was
taken, with a lot of others concerned in the
attempt. before a whole bench of magis-
trates, fifteen or twenty of them, and COM
mitted for trial under the name of Shore.
It wasn't safe to give your own name unless
you knew who you were telling it to-"
''In the first trial we were hancuffed two and
two. was very sick, and my lawyer, Ernest
Jones, refused to plead while I was mana
cled in that condition. There was strong
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 a special
commission to try US, consisting of two OF
its picked justices, Justice Blackburn pre-
siding. That man was sent down to hang
us, and I since understand they have made
him lord for it. Then they had any num-
ber of thieves and disreputable persons who
were tempted to swear against US. Twenty
even of us were tried for murder, and
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. Ah! that Judge
u LII 6o ;1 4
be called Blackburn. He was black by
name and black by nature. Well, they sen,
fenced five of us to de- and you know the
rest. McGurd got off, and through the eff.
forts of the American representatives and
others 1 was reprieved. At first it was al
most as bad as death-the uncertainty as tc
whether would be allowed to live after al
or not. When they finally concluded tc
commute my sentence / was taken to Mill
bank prison, as they do with all of them
Then it was ten years at Portland-years
enough to break down good many men
know it would have broken down me if
had not a powerful constitution. AS fol
Melody, you have only to look at his hair t.
see what it has done for him.
During the early part of Condon's in
prisonment, he says, an attempt was mad
by the home Secretary, Claiborne Hardy (nov
Lord Cranbrook), to induce him TO assum,
an humble and submissive attitude, to ad
NIT that he had committed a great crime
and to beg for mercy at the hands of tn,
government. He was told that the home
secretary was willing to take an interest il
his case if he would manifest proper spirit
These oyertures were steadily and firmly re
pulsed. Condor, believing that he had don,
nothing wrong in trying to rescue his ole
companion-in- arms, because it had resulted
in the killing of an innocent man by one ol
the rescuers. He replied to the home secre
tary's offer that he saw nothing to regret il
what he done, even though it had entailel
apparently lifelong imprisonment on him
After that he kept the prison officials at
distance.
Melody was in London shortly after the
killing of Brett, and was arrested in con
sequence of some incautious remarks he LEI
f Ill concerning the affair. He says that hi
greatest regret is that he never had anything
to do with the rescue. He was convicted OF
the testimony of five witnesses, who, it il
said the government knew to be periu ers
They we're forced to convict Melody, how
ever, because the testimony of the five haC
been used to hang the other three, and
refusal to employ it would have been euuiva
lent to confessing that the latter had beer
judicially murdered. Melody's sentence o
death was commuted Immediately, the gov
ernment never having intended to hang hin
Te
The following note was actually re
ceived, few days ago, by lady from
neighbor. The Jacob incidentally re
ferred to was the husband of the writer
"Mts. B., will you please to lend me
| black hnnnnfsanA a bluck hat onl O hlo,l
walls and shawl or sack and pair O,