Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-08-02
Hew the Informsr Figured In By
gone Days.
REGARDED BY EARLY ASSOCIATES
In Life as a "Duffer"-How He was Ac-
cused of Misappropriating Funds
That Were Entrusted
in His Care.

the principal actor in what is called the
phoenix Park tragedy" the final act Of
which may be said to have closed with his
violent death. Save the admissions made
by Carey himself, in cross.examination
during the recent murder trials in Dublin.
but little has been ascertained Of his earlier
history.
The boyhood and youth of James Carey
present no special features of interest. He
received the limited education impaired in
Irish National schools forty or fifty years
ago, and at fourteen years OF age was sp,
prenticed to a bricklayer. He displayed
no extraordinary genius at his handicraft,
and when be reached the coveted position
Of full-blown Journeyman, he was gen.
orally considered by his brothers of the
trowel to be "duffer." For some years
after he emerged from the chrysalis state
Of an apprentice into the butterfly exist.
ence of a tradesman, his life was uneyent-
full enough.
Carey ~ q Fenian.
The Fenian movement, however, was
destined 10 develop his peculiar talents,
and TO secure for him notoriety, which
even il doomed to be evanescent, has been
universal while il lasted. In lS65, Carey
wa" an active, energetic, and trusted II"
or lieutenant. in the Fenian Brotherhood,
then under the control of James Stephens.
Tie seizure of the Irish People, the arrest
OF the leading spirits of the conspiracy
the revelation of Nagie, the first Fenian
traitor, and the consequent flight of many
who were implicated in his evidence, lett
vacant the Centreship of the bricklayers
and stOuemasOns circle, TO which Carey
mas at al ha NJ Va la o.,
and took up the post.
That he labOred strenuously in the
''cause" was subsequently proved IN the
ahCfiiye iiasCO Of lN61, when : Coz or / ODJ
Dublin FrnlaEs turned out, with no ether
wearuns tlan nature had provided them,
to face the British garrison. On that oC.
Casiyu
James Carey's Circle
furnished the largest contingent to the
Rising Of any circle in Dublin. Carey
headed his men in person, and when the
enemy was encountered and Ommenced
peppering his unarmed squad, he ran away,
or to quote his own words "retreated'
along with them. The result of this at
tempt at rebellion was fresh crop of ar.
rests penal sentences and flights. Carey,
however seems to have been singularly
fortunate in escaping the network spread
Ey English spies and Irish informers to
capture the conspirators. Although these
auxiliaries OF Brs,ish government in Ire.
land were counted in b.ttaliOns, none Of
them seem to have known Carey, and lie
was neither imprisoned nor compelled to
seek safety i'll exile.
He Becomes n Treasurer,
For some months after the failure OF
this attempt TO strike a blow at Fenianism
was dormant in Ireland the rank and lille
d;sheartensd al ard Id. di;S9Tgan1izsd and the the
che OF Colonel Kelly and Captain Deasy
from an English police force in tue heart
of an English city Manchester by hand
full OF Fenians, the subsequent conviction
and the execution of the three Of them,
Alien, Larkin and O. Brlen, galvanized the
revolutionary movement into new llle and
when the work Of reOrganiZing the dis.
rupted circles and reforming the broken
ranks, commenced in England. spread to
ireland, Carey, who had taken back seat
for some months, again came 10 the 'front.'
and assisted in rebuilding the shattered
Dublin organization so vigorously that in
IN7G when the treasurershlp OF It's d,rtiLJ-
~ became vacant lie was
Unanimously Elected ioif.
When Carey accepted the place OF treasurer
OF the Dublin Directory OF the !. L. H., he
WAS an ordinary bricklsyer, performing
DAYS work for a 4 :y's wages, and apparent
Iy in no Better financial circumstances than
his fellow workmen. Soon afte, ward he
abandoned the dTudgery Of bricks and NOR
rsr. and started IN business as contractor.
He commenced 70 build COtt'g-S tor him
self and i'm wear or so was comfortably. II
not aliiuently situated. Ugly whispers bt
san 10 be heard tnat the treasurer was
mal ipula;iLg the exChClner 10 his own
henrlt. They grew louder and more fire.
ID, g u =
was demanded. The demsnd wss cpured'
ed No law could he found in the items
nf rcr'Ir and expenditure, hut vlGus
f,rl,np rC dIstrust remained even among
me auditors and Mr.. Carey resigned his
e. aye OF the money bIgl.
advocating Home Manufactures.
After this be seems 10 have given up his
revolutionary ideas, and his next role was
that OF a champion OF the Irish working
classes. an advocate for the adoption OF
home manufacture in preference 10 English
imported goods and an allround social re-
former. In this character he earned an un'
pheasant reputation tor himself by accus'
ING Scotch firm, who had received from
The CORPORATION Of Dublin the contract for
psying and sewering that city. OF using IN,
ieri, material and poor workmanship, ana
falling 10 pTnye the truth Of his charges
He had the pavement taken up i'll several
streets and the sewers examined, with the
result that defective masonry aud wretch
ed skill were exposed, bat the cross eHami.
nation OF some Ot the witnesses produced
bv Carey himself left an impression on
the pubiic mind that these witnesses had
been acting in cUllusiOn with Carey,
ard had ''botched'' the work pur-
posely. with the object OF running the
CaIedonian Contractors.
However. the popular voice was with him
and when. a few weeks subsequently, ne
appeared a. an sspirant for municipal hon
ors, backed by the approval OF Pat Esgan;
the Land League treasurer, and supported
By the powerful aid OF VIM. OBrien, ~, r.
the editor OF the Land League organ, | nj.
led Ireland, his victory was assured: He
did not lor z enjoy his seat in the Town
| Council.
II must have been about this time that
ne entered INTO the "Invincible" conspirs'
cy. His history in connection therewith
| has been told so frequently aad 80 recently
! that il needs no recapitula:ion. II Is
enough to say that, IL not the founder ol
\ that body, he was one OF its foremost
| agents. II was he who enrolled the re-
cfuits swore them in, Instructed them 10
| the science Of assassination, arranged the
| nIans for the removal Of obnoxious in
| dividuals, and finally
| Betraye ed His Associates.
| and in his last character, that OF inforner
displayed q cool, calculating, diabe!ici 4
depth Of deprsvity which shocked th'
world and excited the losthing OF the vsry
officials who employed him. That be dl'
| DO, turn upon his comrades until ne foun'
his own neck within measurable distanc
of the hangmsn's halter is the preva'en
impression, but the methodcal manner II
which he noted the incidents OF ever
moment OF the fatal 9Th OF Nay, the delit
crate care he evinced not TO BE on the spc
when the deed took place, his air OF bravsd
| IN the dock, ami a variety OF minute ei
| cumstances. trifling in themselves. bn
significant ss whole, 60 10 show that froI
the first hour OF bis emsar king ia the De
perate designs Of the "Invincibles' be hs
measured his risks, and determined, sho1
the worst befsll. to save himself at the e
pense Of his dupes. That be did not IA
safety is due TO no lack Of precaution on b
own part, but 10 the traditional policy
,la RritiEh 0nYSFlmeu