The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-01-15
A Bloody Trags dz.

for decided action by the government of
the United States. Thos. F.APh,alali, ssu-
perintendent of Water Works of Kansas
City, was stabbed twelve times bva man
named Richard Short. Phelan is y dyna-
inter, as is also his assailant. He was in
England about the time Cary was assassi-
mated because he had informed on the
Dublin Park assassins. He was cogni-
zant of the fact that Jas. i. Kearley had
reached England from New York on the
Steamer Queen, and that it was his pur-
pose to blow up the vessel on its arrival in
port, by dynamite, which he concealed in
the boat. The plan, however, miscarried
and the explosive was left in the vessel,
while Kearney went ashore Phelau met
him and being informed Of the failure of
the plot to destroy the vessel, lust to
scare the English he inquired of Kear-
ney as to where he had left the dynamite
and what would be the effect of its re-
naming there. He was told where it was
and that it would rot in two weeks and ex-
plode itself. Phelan determined to pre-
vent this, as within two weeks the vessel
would be on its return trip to America
with many passengers, and the death of
many innocent persons would be caused.
He went to the vessel, informed an officer
of it that he had overheard conyersa-
ton between two suspicious looking per-
sons detailing u plot as above stated to
blow Up the vessely that from the
statements made he thought he could find
the deadly explosive. The officer eyed
him closely and finally asked him to go on
with his discovery. He went to the local
ity where, from the information given
him by Kearney, he thought the stuff was
concealed. 1t was gone. Then it was
the officer Informed him that the dyna-
mite had been discovered, by means of 4
telegraphicn from Newly or1 that
1T was aboard and it's use designed for mis-
chief. Phelan quit the boat, but was shad'
owed all the time he was in England and UNI
til he left and was on the way to the United
States. In an interview with the editor Of
the Kansas City Times. Phelan gave the
particulars of this adventure, the part
kearneY had taken in it, and all about it.
1t was republished in the United Irish
man, New York, edited by ODonovan
Rosa. On its appearance, Kearney, who
was in New Y ork, wrote to Phelan to come
to New York. Phelan telegraphed that he
would be there the Sth of January. He
arrived on that day and called on Kearney,
and with him went to Rosa s office. There
they met several persons, one of whom
knew Phelan. They. spoke. and then one
of the men went out, and in a few mill
utes man appeared with an eight inch
dagger in his hand, and commenced a fu-
rious assault on Phelan. After being
stabbed several times, he started to run
out, the assassin following ana striking
him at every jump, until he finally fell on
the pavement with twelve cuts on his
body, some of them very severe. While
lying there the assassin, who gave his
name as Richard Short, cody walked
through the crowd, when Phean pointed a
policeman to him, with the remark that
he was the man who stabbed him. The
policeman went after and arrested him.
and bringing him before Phelan he was
recognized by the latter as the person who
had made the deadly assault Just at this
time Phelan, although nearly dead from
loss Of blood and his arm nearly severed
from the shoulder, drew a pistol from his
pocket and fired at Short The aim was
good, and the ball passed through q
mass of thick clothing, slightly wounding
Short, but not seriously. PheIan was
taken to the hospital and Short to prison.
6<is believed that there was plot TO kill
PLflan, and for that purpose he was asked
to 4 me to New York. The provocatiom
forShis was that he had revealed secrets OF
the Fenian brotherhood, in the inter-
view in the Kansas City paper as stated
above, and regarding him us d traitor,
they had determined to get rid Of him in
summary way. There is no doubt, from
subsequent developments and expressions
that O'Donovan Rosa knew all about the
plot, but he was not in the room at the
time-having purposely absented himself
to escape responsibility for the murder,
should the assault SO end.
Taking the clue furnished by this occur
renee and the circumstances connected
with it, the government ought to institute
rigid inquiry into the whole matter. fit
is proved that there is q gang Of dynami-
tiers, plotting to destroy life and property,
regardless Of consequences, to ayenge
what they consider II national wrong, it
ought to be broken up and it's members
brought to punishment, and if there is q
league that DEGREES death to every one who
violates any of its obligations and vio-
lently attempts to carry the DEGREES into
effect, the strong arm of the law ought to
be laid upon them. The attempt upon
Phelan S life may lead to important de-
velopments and the exposure ofthe wicked
purposes of class of men, who under the
guise of friendship for Ireland, are doing
all they can to delay the day of her deliy-
erence and invoke the condemnation and
horror Of the civilized world.
[Capt. Phelan is rapidly improving, and
it is thought is entirely out of danger