The Irish standard., 1888-03-17


the Latter-Day Irish
Patriots.
la VERDICT OF j" GUILTY."
The Sentence of the Court Was That He
be Kept in Penal Servitude for
Twenty Years.
In November. 1868, the I. 4. B.
started the Irish People newspaper in
Dublin, for the double purpose Of pro-
pagatlng their doctrines and increasing
the revenues Of the society. James
Stephens was the author Of this project.
The men whom he selected for working
it out wele Thomas Clarke Luhy,
John O'Leary and Charles Joseph
Kickham. From the date of its estab-
lishment up to the month OF 'Septem-
Der, ls65-a period Of nearly two years
the Irish People occupied Itself in
preaching what its editors regarded as
the cardinal doctrines of the society,
which were: That constitutional agita-
tion for the redress Of Ireland's griey~
ances was worse than useless; that
every man taking part in such aglta-
tion was either fool or a knaye; that
in political affairs clergymen should be
held of no more account than laymen;
and that the only hope for Ireland lay
in an armed uprising of the people.
The Office of the Irish People soon came
to be regarded as, what it really was,
the headquarters of the Fenian organi-
zation in Ireland. To it the choice
spirits of the party resorted for counsel
and direction; thither the provincial
organizers directed their steps whenever
they visited Dublin; into it poured
weekly from all parts of the country an
immense mass Of correspondence. On
the 18th day of September, 1865, there
were no perceptible indications that the
authorities we're any more on the alert
in reference to Fenisn affairs than they
had been during the past twelve months.
1t was Friday; the Irish People had
been printed for the next days sale,
large patches of papers had been sent
off, the editors and publishing clerks
had gone home to rest after their week S
labor--when suddenly, at about half
past 9 o'clock in the evening, a strong
force of police broke into the office,
seized the books, manuscripts, papers
and forms of type, and bore them of to
the castle yard. AT the same time ar
rests of the chief Fenian leaders were
being made in various parts of the city.
The news created intense excitement in
all circles of society, and more especially
among the Fenians themselves, who
had never dreamt Of government coup
so sudden, so lawless and SO effective.
The government had now thrown off
the mask Of apathy and impassiveness
which it had worn SO long, and it COM
menced to lay its strong hand upon it's
foes. Among the men who filed the
prison cell on that miserable autumn
evening were John O'Leary, Thomas
Clarke Luby and Jeremiah O'Donoyan
(Rossa). Before the crown was ready
to proceed with their trial, the third
editor OF the paper, Charles J. Kickham,
was added to their company, having
been arrested with James Stephens,
Edward DUFFY and Hugh Brophy, on
Nov. IL, at Fairfield House, near Dub
lin. On Monday, Nov. 27, 1865, the
state trials commenced before special
commission in the court house, Green
street.-the scene of so many a previous
grapple betw cen British law and the
spirit of Irish patriotism. Mr.. Justice
Keogh and Mr. Justice Fitzgerald were
the presiding judges. There Was long
list of prisoners to be tried. James Ste
phens might have been honored with
the frss place among them, were it not
that two days previously, to the un-
speakable horror and surprise of the
government and all it's friends, he had
effected his escape, or rather, we might
say, obtained, by the aid OF friendly
hands. his release from Richmond
prison. In his absence, the crown com.
menced their proceedings by placing
Thomas Clarke Luby in the dock to
answer to charge of treason felony.
He stood up to the bar, between the
jailers .hat clustered about him, a
quiet-faced, pale and somewhat sad
looking man, apparently of about 40
years OF age. A glance around the
court house showed him but few friendly
faces-for, owing to the terrors felt by
the judges, the crown prosecutors and
other officials OF the law who dreaded
the desperate resolves Of armed con-
spirators, few were admitted into
the building except policemen, detec-
tiyes aud servants of the crown in one
capacity or another. In one of the gal
leries, however, he recognized his wife
daughter Of j. De Jean Fraser, one of
+I,<, % vnofoof nroto of tho $40 r,oriod u.