The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-12
ROSA AND

EOSSA AND hEAffNEHs
The Former Knows Nothing About the
S~tabbing-The Story Told by the Latter.
New York Special.
ODonovan Rosa arrived at his Office at an
early hour. He passed up the steps Of the build
ing, through a crowd of curious men and boys,
who were looking at the blood stains which
had not yet been effaced from the sidewalk, and
which marked the course of Captain Phelan 20
the spot near the telegraph pole, almost imnedi-
ateiy in front of the doorway. where he fell down
from exhaustion and loss of blood. All the way
up the stairs to Rossa's Office spots Of blood were
seen here and there, making. in fact, a perfect
track of blood from the entrance to the building
to the room in which the deadly encounter oc-
Cured. When Rosa entered the small apart
ment in which Phelan was sitting when Short
first plunged his knife into his body he ex-
claimed: 'This is terrible-terrible." He i'm
mediately set about putting the few articles of
furniture in the room in order, and then retired
to his private sanctum.
How do yon account for this AFFAIR." said a
reporter to Rossa.
Il don't know. I can't account for 1t. I was
not here, and I didn't know even the fact that
Captain Phelan was coming here. It's too bad
that such a thing should happen"
'EWell, what's your opinion of Captain Phelan's
interview-in the Kansas City paper, which ap-
pears TO have caused all the troubleF"
''An / have to say about that is that when I saw
the report of what he said l was SURPRISED, and
wrote to him. asking him to send me back a copy of
the paper, with any incorrect or false statements
that might have been attributed to him marked,
so that | might know exactly what he said to the
reporter. as well as what he didn't say. I wrote
A. Is. Y H. T.ociary ~ UNadoan1nr 50 lo.k
week. and, receiving no reply, | republished in
the United Irishman the interview with him
him that appeared in the Kansas City paper"
'You the interview as extraordinary,
/ presume, coming from such a MANI"
''Yes, / thought it very strange; because.
whether true or false. it would furnish the
British government with that would
afford them a plausible pretext for asking the
American government for Intervention that
might result IN very serious consequences to IN
nocent men. In regard to the truth or falSehood
of what Captain Phelan said in the interview
about the plot to blow up the steamship Queen
have nothing to say, more than to call attention
to the fact that, whether he did so Intentionally
or not. he was playing into the hands Of the
British government. One thing, also, / would
like to have understood, and that is. that he
never received from me any commission to do
anything in Ireland or England in connection
with our organization. When he went to Ire
land in 1883 he vent on his own hook, and his
object in going there then is something that /
know nothing about"
Haven't you learned since last night the con-
%versation that occurred between Short and Phe-
Ian before the shooting occurred?'
mo, l know nothing about the affair at all.
/ don't know even who the man is who stabbed
Phelan. might know him if ] saw him. A
man named Short has come into the Office here
occasionally, and another man named Barker
has also been in the habit of coming here, but
which Of the two Phelan's a~ssailant is l do not
know"
- = l..
find out, as he was not present in the Tombs
Police Court when Short was arraigned. 1t was
generally expected that there would be a big
crowd of Rossas companions in court to see
Short, but few persons were present and these
knew nothing about the actual circumstances of
the ARRAY. Short walked up to the bar from the
prisoners pen unconcernedly. Judge OReilly
9ed Short IfnsentssyS he was placed in the
bar, but the prisoRe+@r responded with
a defiant look, and then glanced
around HIM without changing a muscle of MS
face. He is small in stature, thick-set and mus
cular. Policeman Levy handed Judge O'Reilly
q certificate from the house surgeon Of the
Chambers-stree Hospital, which stated that
Phelan's condition was critical and that it was
impossible to say whether he would recover or
not.
Judge O'Reilly then remanded the accused to
the Tombs Prison. Before he was taken out Of
court Short held a short conversation with Two
respectably-dressed women. one, of whom was
said to be his wife. The dirk knife with which
the stabbing was done was given to the magis-
trate by the policeman.
Short was afterward visited in the Tembs by
several friends, He denied that he committed
the assault on Phelan, and said that he knew
nothing about it. More than this he would not
say, as his counsel had told him to be guarded in
his utterances.
John. +. Kearney, the man who Pheleu men
toned in his interview as having put the dyna-
mite on beard the steamship Queen, and who
was represented as having enticed Phelan to
Rossas office for the purpose assassination, said:
m give you what has not been published-the
correct version of the whole occurrence, as far as
have had anything to do with it. To
with. a prominent Irish Nationalist in Kansas
City sent Rosa a copy of the paper containing
the Phelau interview. The remarkable state
ment was called to my attention, and / wrote q
letter 10 Phelan saying that l considered
it most extraordinary that he should say what
he was represented to have said. l also told him
that the interview caused much discussion in
New York among the Irish NationallstS, and
asking him to make some explanation. / con-
cluded my letter by stating that ! still had
perfect confidence in him and was yet his friend.
it is = faisehood to say that l invited him
70 come to New York. The police, 1t is
said, have my letter: and if they have, it can be
very easily seen whether / asked him to come
here or not. In reply to my letter / received a
telegram from nina stating that he would be
here in New York on Thursday last. and that
ne would then explain the matter. The first j
knew of his arrival was when he came In here
yesterday. He said he had been looking over
the columns of Rossa's paper to see if he said
anything diSparaging about him, as he had
made up his raind to blow Rossa's brains out If
lie did,
Didn't he mako any explanation to you of
the interview
HE said that about six months ago he gave
The facts to q friend of his, whom l think he
@affad IngorV aftaehnA tn thA KanQAa City