The Northwestern standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1885-1886, 1886-02-20

A Faithful Estimate of the Great
Leader by q Friend Of Ireland
and an Englishnan.

and an Englishman.
He Relates Visit to Kilmainhan
Jail in 1881 How He was Impressed
with The Pale, Calm Man.
The following interesting estimate o.
Mr.. Parnell is taken from paper con
tributed to the WalIsall Observer, by
Mr.. w. Fl. Duignan, an EngIIshmAn
who has on many occasions proved
himself to be a warm friend Of Ireland
Mr.. ParneIl is staying here MOTIF,
sons Hotel, but I see little of him, and
that little one at night, when he comes
in late and walks upstairs to bed, with
so faded and contemplatiVe an air that
I say nothing to him. In November
1881, I visited him in Hilmainham jail
by leave Of Capt. Barlow, the head o.
the Irish prison board. kilmalnham Is
an old fashioned gloomy pile OF gloomy
walls about two miles from Dublin
sentinel5 were posted all round 1t. Vi
presentation of the order J. WAS con
Quoted to o small waiting room, wei
furnished with stout constables ant
weapons Of war, The suspect" coult
only see one FREUD per day, the Ylsl
was limited to fifteen minutes, must ot
made in the company Of two Wardefs
and politics were prohibited | was
taken to a dark vaulted room, fairly
furnished, with strongly barred WIN
dow looking upon q small damp court
ward. buried in lofty walls.
This was the ''recreation" ground as
signed to Mr. Parnell and bis friends
and where they were allowed TO dispor
themselves for six hours out OF th'
weary twenty-four. I asked one OF th'
warders if the sunshine ever reached Il
| the bottom Of that we'll, meaning tn
| courtyard. He said yes, he thought b.
! had seen it there once or twice. l. sug
gested that might be in June Or July
and he thought it was. Mr.. John Dill
lon, NJ. F., was then brought to me
afterwards Or. Kenny, now NJ. (. 10
| South Cork, and then Mr.. Parnell, sacs
| separately. Our conversation was limit
ed to personal matters, tbs slightes
| reference to public affairs belnt
promptly, butvery politely, resented b,
| the Warders.
I wished Mr.. Parnell to read q latte
| had from an eminent politician. btu
it had first to be submitted to the gov
eruor and initiated by him. Mr.. Far
nell was attired in bright-colored dres
sing gown and smoking cap; he looke'
| pale, bat calm as Daniel in the hon
! den; he complained Of rheumatism
caused by the cold and damp OF To
prison, but said everybody was person
ally kind to him, and he had no grleF
ance-except. he added, the fact OF be
| ing here His cell was Oh the common
kind, about fourteen feet long, eIgh
/ feet wide and twelve feet high, diml
| lighted by a semi-circular heavy irol
window at the top; thera was no tire
place, but it was warmed by iron pipes
which caused a sickly aud oppresslY
atmosphere.
The suspects who could afford it wen
gracefully allowed to feed themselve:
but the drinking permitted was min
tesimal--not exceeding one pint Of beef
or half pint of wine per pay. The
were confined to their cells for eightee
hours daily, and. as the gas was turne
off at 9 D. M, eleven of these WEI
passed in darkness. The cells, durln
daylight, were too gloomy to read II
except on a very bright day, and tn
eyesight OF some Of the suspects BEGAN
seriously affected, A touching regard Il
their mental and social improyementW;
displayed by the government IN the 81
lection Of literature. Books and new
papers mot, in the opinion OF the GO
ernor, OF an Objectionable kind WEI
allowed TO be read. aud letters inspect
ed aud approved by him were permirts
to be written and received. was n
aware, al the time, that all coun
newspapers were regarded by the so
eminent as objectionable, " and Lo
don newspapers only as loyal, : SO
eontidingly sent TO my imprison'
friends yerbus numbers of the Birmin
ham Daily Post and Walsan Observ
which, thought would interest thel
but they were all conhscated.
Underneath Mr.. Parnelrs windo
which looked upon the fosse saronn
ing that side OF the jail, was rude Sc
trybox, in which one man was station
BY dan. and two men by night, and
the effort TO keep themselves warm
], was subsequently told, particularly di
tasteful 10 Mr. Parnell As my ord
:. requested the governor to show I
. every part of the prison, / went all or
it, and was conducted by tfe govern
3 in person. He was courteous gent
man; whether oppressed BY the respo
sihiiues and cares of Office / knew nj
but he had worried and worn expires
ion, The jail was full of suspects.
Guiding Mr.. Sexton, ii. F., Dir. o Rel
M. p, anu several other gentlemen y
: are now III parliament. | DO netsuppe
for moment there was any design
the part of the officials. bat it did a
pear to me that the oldest. darkest Z.
danapesE Of the gloomy kilmainnt
- cells had been assigned 10 ny frlen,