, 1881-07-16


M'Kevitt threw it over q wall into an
adjoining coal.yard. Casey secured his
prisoner and took him back towards Leeds
street, where he again met Police.consta-
BILE SS4, who took MKevitt into custody
ard brought him to the central police
station. Having delivered himself of this
portion of his duty, Casey resumed the pur-
suit Of the other man. After securing the
revolver M'Kevitt threw away, he looked
over the farther wall of o coal yard and
found the second cuiprit hiding 10 an
empty coal barge. This man, who gives
the name OF Barton. ia the haste and terror
of his fight had jumped into the canal,
and then crept into the barge. In getting
over the wall, he tore open one leg of his
trousers, and otherwise damaged his cloth
ing. He was lying down when the
constable approached. Casey presented
at Barton the revolver be had recovered
from M'Kevitt, saying at the time. ''Have
you got q revolver p Barton, who made
no attempt at resistance, replied, ~ have
got one ; take it out of my pocket" The
constable found the weapon to be o small
si%x.chamber one, fully loaded. He then
took Barton into custody, and brought him
to the police station.
Police-constable Creighton, when first
alarmed, ran across the Exchange flags,
and whistled tor assistance. The noise of
his whistle Immediately brought to the spot
Police constabIes 500 George MBurney)
aud 924 [Oouald Sinclair] Reade's first
movement on seeing smoke issuing from
the mouth of the bag was to lay hold Of
the package and draw it off the steps
down to the footwalk. He tried to lift the
bag, but found 1t was too heavy.
M'Burney then further dragged the pack
age into the middle of the street, and was
about to take his knife and cut the string,
which tied the mouth, when his brother
officers, alarmed by the fixing of the fuse,
told him to come away as 1t might be
dangerous. All three men retreated from
the bag, and had not gone beyond tour or
five yards, when an explosion occurred.
The result was a great destruction OF glass
in the Town.hall and neighbouring windows
while stonework at o considerable height
was damaged by fragments OF the internal
machine" which had been concealed In
the bag. If the bag had been lett against
the Town-hall door the damage would
most likely have been very much greater.
With regard to the antecedents OF the
two men taken into custody, it seems that
James M'Kevitt is 80 years of age, and o
native OF W%arrenpoint, county Down. de
says be is unmarried. and sill lately has
been residing with his brother in Naylor-
street, Vauxhall- bridge-road. London.
He has been employed Os a dock labourer
in Liverpool since the winter Of 1870
Robert William Barton, the other prisoner,
is about 81 years OF age. He stated that
he was born 10 Glasgow, of Irish parents
He lived for some time in Dundee, and has
been employed as steward on board vessels
plying between Scotland aud London.
This was some time ago. After leaving
that occupation he lived for a considerable
time in New Orleans, and some few
months ago he came over from New York
to Liverpool. Although he has had no
employment in Liverpool the sum OF 93
was found upon him when he was arrested.
The other man does not appear to have
had aoy money in his possession. They
have lived together in the same house 10 a
street in Kensiugton for the last ten days,
and there, it appears the plot was Matched.
They appear to have picked up a large
portion of a water or gas main left in the
streets during the renewals OF the pipes
that have lately taken place in the neigh
I--.k> L. 1@..- a~~