McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1885-02-26
o'DoNovAN ROSA.
Americas Famous Dynamite Uhieftain's Ca

count of the life OF O'Donoyan Rossa
prior to his removal to America. Since
that event Mr.. Rosa has figured
prominently as the head OF what is
known as the skirmishing. fund, and il
has become the fashion, whenever
there have been developments of q
sensational character in connection
with the Irish revolutionary party in
the United Kingdom. to attribute
them to the Vaccinations of Rosa and
his confederates upon this side of the
Atlantic, whether or not with justice
it is hard to tell; but certain it is that
Mr.. Rosa has not sought to evade the
notoriety that this might bring him.
The Gazette article says: cit is just a
quarter of century since O'Donovan
Rosa became public character. He
was then about %. strongly built,
overlooking with life, and Astounding
in frOllc. In those days he kept a
shop in Skibbereen, selling everything
in the way OF food and clothing re-
CURED by his neighbors. His neigh
bors meant every body-peasants and
townspeople-tor miles around, and
Rosa, being universally popular, was
a thriving man. His proper name was
Jeremiah O'Donovan; but, as there
was quite tribe ofO'Donovans in that
quarter, and score at least of ferries,
our shopkeeper got an additional and
distinctive appeilation, taken from his
MISUNDERSTANDING.
''ROssa was an early convert to Fen
ianiSm-Or, as it is called by the initia-
ted this side of the Atlantic, the
I(rish) R Republican, B(rotherhood)-
having been sworn in so far back as1853.
He was already man of mark, not I'M
deservedly; for, beginning life at 16 a
poor, friendless lad, his strong quail
ties and business aptitude had made
him comparatively rich. He was just
the sort of recruit that the shewd
Stephens-who never troubled himself
with the 'tag-rag' of the brotherhood
delighted to make. Having named
Rosa the district c., the captain
went his way, leaving the new officer
to swear in as many of his acquaint-
ances as he could persuade to join.
Putting his heart into the work, Rosa
gathered regiment some Hundreds
strong in and about Skibbereen. This
done, he followed the example of his
fellow-chiefs elsewhere, established
mechanics institute and reading-room-
and became an ardent social reformer
He dubbed his literary association the
Phoenix club, in compliment to O'Ma-
honey, whose branch of the conspiracy,
not then so strong as it afterward be-
nnr In
citation. And under the cover of this
club he carried on the business of the
conspiracy with such skill.
'JameS Stephens usually kept
tight hand over such clubs, and as
suredly would not have permitted
of vagaries in which Rosa
nd the Phoenix men INDUCED in 1858,
mad he been at home. AS it happened,
he spent the earlier half of that year
in America, teaching O'Mahoney, who
was greatly in need of the lesson, how
TO organize. And, in consequence,
the demonstrative and aggressive Rosa,
being left very much to himself, con-
trived to attract the attention of the
government. The whole affair was
very curious, and, on many accounts.
merits calculation. Suffice it to say
now, that Rosa and a number of his
associates were arrested, tried and
But it was the interest of
everybody concered to make as light |
If the affair as possible, so that the
prisoners. after many months of i'm
0risonment, were released in 1859, on
condition. of coming up for judgment
when called upon. They were now all |
marked men; so most of them took
off-some to America, some
20 England, and one or two to Dublin.
Among the last was Rosa, who came |
,ut of prison to. find his business ru-
ned.
His fellow-Phenixm men drifted about |
n the world; he was far too useful a
nan to be allowed to drift. Stephens
ook him as a confidential aid and kept |
him employed-now as an organizer
n one or the other of the Irish prov
noes. now in breaking up the meetings
II such nationalist as refused to con-
pire, and now as one of the series of |
Messengers that were constantly COM
ng and going between the American
md European branches of the con-
piracy. In all these avocations Rosa
distinguished himself by zeal and adj
lress, as well as by turbulence which
vas thoroughly good-humored and
IRISH in those days.
cat length that notorious journal,
The Irish People. was established to-
yard the close of 1868, and Rosa be-
anne the nominal proprietor. He now
ook a wife for the second time, find
NC considerable difficulty in getting a
'riest to perform the ceremony, in
UGH disrepute at the time was the
with the great body of the
IRISH Roman Catholic clergy. Shortly
lfterward Rosa started to America on
tenian business. After short stay
IN the other side of the water he re-
urned to Ireland toward the end of
July, 1865, in company with Messrs.
,. w. Dunn and P. j. Meehan. These
wo gentlemen were deputed by o. Ma
lony to do certain business with
stephens as to the rising, fixed to
axe place on the ensuing anniversary
II Emmet's execution. In stepping
shore Meehan lost some important
papers in way that has never been
ully explained. These papers were
picked up and placed in the hands of
he authorities. The leading conspir-