Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-07-21
THOMAS CONROY'S VOW,
ais Nsrusau to AooErr A FORTUNE.
RomsutIo story OF au Industrious irish shoe
maktr VINO Refused Bi' Inberitauco
because lie was Msligaed.


maktr VINO Refused Bis inheritance
Because lie was MsIigaed.
Regularly every year Thomas Conroy,
an industrious shoemaker, of Tanners
Falls, Pa, receives official notice from
Dublin, Ireland, that a fortune Of $1,000,
with the accumulatious of 90 years, is In
bank there, awaiting his order, aud regu-
larly every year he sends back word that
he will never touch penny of the money
until ho has had justice done him IN
another way. Thomas Couroy, now 80
years OF age, was boru in the Province OF
Leinster, Ireland, where the firm Of Couroy
Brothers had monopoly of supplying
bread and liquor to 4, coo soldiers in the
barracks near Dublin. Michael Couroy,
one OF the firm, was Thomas Conroy's
father, and the other member of the
tirm was Thomas Couroy, an uncle. When
young Thomas COnroy was 10 his father
died. His mother had been dead some
years His father left a will directing that
when thomas became Of age he should be
paid whatever the amount of the intere 81
Of the deceased man in tho supply bust
| ness was. Young COnroy took up his
residence with his uuco Thomas in Dublin.
The young man was well educated and
high spirited, the Couroy family being of
the higher class. There was another uncle
named Patrick, who had married o
| woman who was beneath him in social
standing, nis wIfo's sister had adaug hter
II years Of age, aud 1t occurred to Patrick
| that he would DO pleased TO have his
| nephew Thomas marry this niece.
When II was proposed to young Couroy be
refused to listen to it, and aroused the
enmity OF his uncle Patrick thereby, and
the latter sought means to revenge himself
on his nephew for thwartinS his plans.
At that time the order Of Mollo
Maguires-whch originated in Ireland
were very strong there. Their awless
acts had stricken terror into the neigh.
borhood where branch of the order was
known to exist. Patrick Conroy deter
mined to use this to retaliats on his
nephew, and one day he called on his
brother Thomas and revealed To him the
pretended fact that young Thomas was not
| only a member Of the Molle Maguires,
but that he was secretary aud bookkeeper
Of the local lodge, and had q list of IL.
members. \ number of Outrages bad
been perpetrated in Dublin about .aat
| time, which had been traced to this very
lodge, and the elder Thomas Conroy's
| anger was unboun1ed when he learned
| that his nephe- was connected with the
criminals. SummOniug the young man
TO MIN he charged him with his
alliance with the hated Mollies. This
aroused the blood of young Conroy,
who was strongly opposed to the
order Of which he was charged with being
a member, and, upon being told that the
charge was made on the word of his uncle
Patrick, the young man denounced him
~ liar and u villain. Thomas Conroy
the elder commanded his nephew 10 i'm
mediately apologize abjectly to Patrick for
his dsrrspectful language or to leave the
house forever. Touug Couroy Indignantly
refused 10 apologize, and repeating his
words declared he would not re.
main another moment among nesh
aud blood that had so beliad him,
ard left tho house. With l3 Cuineas
in his pocket he sailed for America. He
landed in New York in 1853. A former
acquaintance OF his lived in CallioOou, on
the Erie railway, and young ConToy hunted
him up. From there he went on foot to
BinghamtOn, aud from there started %
walk to New Oslsans, whero he had a
friend. In passing through the adjacent
village Of Mount Peasant, he stopped
at the shop door of the village shoemaker,
and while watching him az his work be q
came so Iuter"stcd in it that he asked the
shoemaker III ne dld not want an appren
tlce. the shoemaker did, and young
Conroy went to work then and there.
When CuGroy came of age he received
notice from his uncle that he was entitled
10 -, 600 from their business, and that il
awaited his order. He sent back the word
he has sent every year since that when
they apologies to him and confessed they
had wronged him by tho charges they
made against him in Ireland, he would 90
to Ireland aud claim the money, and never
before. When Conroy learned his trade
he married a Miss Delaney and went to
work for himself at Tanners Falls. He Is
obliged TO work hard aud constantly to
support himself anl family, aud yet be
will not break the vow he took, when he
left his native land. to never visit it again
nor touch one penny of the wealth he was
entitled To until his uncles confessed 10
him that they had wrongcd him.