The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-19

Birkenhead, and had the case transferred to
Warwick A mass Of letters and documents
were dug up in the garden OF Egans house,
showing DAILY to be an officer in the Irish Repub-
lcau brotherhood. All these documents bore
the dates of 1865 and 1869, and had no conuec-
ton with the conviction of the prisoners, Crown
Solicitor Poland admitting that their ancient dates
precluded their being of Importance to the pros
ecution. Not one of the letters found indicated
any dynamite plot being hatched for any purpose
whatever On May 3, 1884, Daily, Egan and
Mcdonnell were arraigned at Birmingham on
the charge of treason-felony. Their trial began
at the Warwick Assizes on July 80, 1884 DAILY
and Egan pleaded innocence. Mcdonnell pleaded
guilty to the charge OF treason-f felony, and was
used By the government rs witness Many
farcical episodes occurred during the trial.
Sergeant Ore. of the Birmingham police related
how Egan had clasped Days hand at meeting,
and exclaimed 1--WE will make you the next
leader of Irelands party, and that the dynamiters
proposed to have Egsn contest the borough of
Birmingham against Lord Randolph Churchill
The evidence showed that the police had exam
ined and cross examined the three prisoners pri-
vatey and offered every inducement to have
one of them turn crown witness. as it was clear
the prisoners could not be convicted unless this
was done. Finally, Mcdonnell became fright
ened at the prospect of spending years in prison.
and consented to repeat certain evidence
and ne was coached repeatedly before the
trial. so that he could give something like
straight testimony. Mcdonnell was released
two days after he pleaded Guilty, to 60 at large
until he was called upon by the government
On Aug. ], 1884 Egan was sentenced to penal
servitude for twenty years and DAILY for lfe
The police officials, after the conviction OF the
unfortunate men, admitted that they were
arrested on information obtained from James
McDermott, formerly of Brooklyn, N. Y, the
notorious nformer, and the facts of that date
point clearly to DAILY and Egan, both being Nc
Dermott's victims.
The Times, on April IL 1884. printed dis
patch from its Paris correspondent, stating that
the Clan Gael Society had received letter,
bearing Russian postmark, frsm McDermott,
in which he pleaded his innocence Of the charge
of being an informer, and begged for mercy.
The next day several London papers pub
lished the fact that @gim McDermott was
hanging around the east end of London,
with his hair dyed, andsehat he was recognized
at the American Exchange eagerly perusing
New York papers. Almost daily, from the
time Egan and DAILY were arrested until their
conviction the papers published items stating
that invincibles were preparing to rescue the
prisoners. These reports, it was afterwards
learned, were started by the police to make it
appear that DAILY was an important person The
police tried in vain to connect the prisoner with
the plot to blow up the Victoria railway station.
Daily, during the time OF Butt, was a Fenan
leader, and he was afterwards an inmate of the
Burgess Hill Retreat Lunatic Asylum.
He resided several years in the United States.
and was well known III America, especially in
New York and Brooklyn. DAILY, in speech at his
trial, characterized tho evidence which secured
his conviction as tissue of falsehood and per-
jury from beginning to end. Both DAILY and
Egan denied nil knowledge of the letters and
documents found in Egans garden, and claimed
they were put there by enemies. dis
crepancy in the crown testimony. in which the
police at Birkenhead testified that five Internal
machines were found on Days person when
arrested, and the testimony at trial at Warwick,
of Colonel Majendie, inspector of explosives,
that six bottles of sulphuric acid, and four
dynamite bombs, were found in Days pockets at
the time of his arrest, severely criticised at
the time by several London and provincial papers,
but has not to this day been explained by the
government. Now that the Salisbury govern
ment is again in power, many Irishmen expect
that James McDermotJ will again loom up and
that more of these trials and convictions will be
the result of his temperance.