The Irish standard., 1888-04-21
literary staff whose marvellous des-
criptiye letters fixed the attention OF

literary staff whose marvellous des-
criptiye letters fixed the attention OF
the kingdom upon the crisis which was
then impending. The incident Of Mr.
Gray's shrieyalty was of greater per
sonal consequence to himself. During
the trial of Francey Hynes the scandal
of jury packing became too glaring and
barefaced to be passed by in silence,
and Mr.. Gray admitted into these
columns comments upon this jury
packing, and upon the misconduct Of
some of the jury in aynes' case the
night before they sent q man to the
scatfod. The late Judge Lawson pre-
sided at the trial, and on the appear
ance OF those comments he summoned
Mr. Gray before him, aud, as chron.
icler Of the time says: although he
was high sheriff for the city, and he
| was known as q man Of moderate views
and careful expression Mr., Gray
| WAS sent to prison for three months and
fined $500. The extreme severity Of
the sentence was d surprise even to
those who anticipated the harshness Of
q partisan judge. AS al expression of
sympathy with the prisoner a public
subscription wa raised 10 pay the fine,
and the sum was realized in few days.
Resolutions condemning jfe harshness
Of the sentence and mpathizing With
MIR. and Mrs. Gray were adopted by
the great majority Of the public bodies
throughout the country, and the free
done Of most OF the Incorporated cities
| and boroughs OF ireland v as presented
to Judge Lawson's prisoner. It was a
curious circumstance, noticed generally
at the time, that Mr. Gray was incarcer-
ated in the same prison--Richnond-
as that in which his father, Sir John
Gray, shared with the Liberator his i'm
prisonment after the state trials III l34E
Mr.. Gray's connection with the corp0rA
ton ceased in 1858, but he continued 10
eylnce the keenest interests in it's
affairs. In 1878, Mr. Gray, On The,
death Of his father, successfully con-
tested the election Of Kilkenny city
with MIR. Whitworth IN 1877, be was
returned for Tipperary, and continued
member of the House Of Commons
until his death. From the very first he
formed one OF the small party which,
with Nj. Parnell at it's head, gave the
House OF Commons so bad {, time Of it
between III and 80. Perhaps the
greatest triumph for home rule at the
general election Of 1880 was that which
Mr.. Gray won in the county Carlow.
He went down to that county, the re-
presentation of which he contested
against that intellectual pillar of land
lordism, Art M.cMurrogh Kavanagh,
and his friend Mr.. Bruen. 1t was regard
ed as a hopeless fight, so strongly rooted
were Kavanagh's associations in the
county, and so powerful was his infiu-
ence fe|t to be. But tho tidal wave OF
national enthusiasm Whicn swept the
country that year carried away even
Mr.. Kavanagh's local influences, and
Mr.. Gray and his home rule colleague,
Mr. McFarlane, headed the poll by
sweeping majorities. Again, in 1885,
after the redistribution act had sub di
videa tha city of Dublin, Mr.. Gray con-
tested the ST. Stephens S Green division
in opposition to Sir Edward Cecil
Guinness. 1t will be in the recollection
of our readers how hard fight that
was regarded, and how the most SAN
gulne Nationalist ventured to antici
pate only d modest majority. But Mr.
Gray topped the poll far ahead Of his
powerful opponent, and in the follow
year, when the seat was ambt,oned by
Sir Edward Sullivan, he again won a
signal victory for the National cause.
Mr.. Gray was returned for Carlow as
we'll as for ST, Stephen 8 Green division
in 1885, but he was elected to sit for the
latter division, inasmuch as Carlow
meant walk over for the Nationalist.
1t is not for us to speak at any length
of Mr.. Gray as journalist, or of his
connection with the Freeman. Only
those who have been his colleagues in
the actual labors of newspaper life can
appreciate the striking mastery lie pos
sessed over all the details OF the profess
sion, and by them only can the full
sense of the loss which his death en- -ails
to journalism be felt. He has been the
guiding and controlling influence of
the Freeman since the death OF Sir
John Gray ia 1875. He was born
daily journalist. Quick to estimate the
significance of events, rapid and singu-
larly accurate in judgment, always in
touch with the popular tone, and just
sufficiently ahead of it to give it united
direction in times of doubt and diff
Guilty, original, intrepid, and full of
enterprise he was essentially the man
to guide the destinies of paper like
the Freeman.
A BIG railroad boom appears to have
started in Manitoba.