Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-28
CRED JIM II
He Is Living q Life of Elegant Ease with
a French Countess.

a French Countess.
James McDermott, commonly known in
Irish circles in this country as 'Red jim"
McDermott, the informer, who left the
United States during 1883, has.been located
in London, where he now seemsto be living
a life Of luxury and ease. McDermott has
long been known by Irishmen the world
over as "Red JIM" owing to the color OF
his hair, which is distinctly carroty in it's
appearance. Years g he waslooked upon
by his fellow-countrymen as one who would
give ND his life at a moments notice for his
country's cause. In 1882 certain Irish
leaders in the Clan-na.Gael became suspi-
| cious OF him and he WAS watched.
His watchers reported that he certainly
was q traitor, and from that time on he
was Stunned by his old associates.
| Whether those who were deputed to watch
| his movements made unfavorable reports
about him owing to jealousy has never
been clearly explained. On July FL, 1888,
shortly after McDermott returned from
| London, DIR. Gallagher, Deasy, Feather
| stone and Flanagan, Irish revolutionists,
were arrested for conspiring to blo# up
certain sections of the English capital.
| Three+fourths OF the members OF the Irish
| rev o%lutionary societies we're convinced
| that "Red JIM had revealed their plot to
the English detectives. A plot wal set to
| remove him, and when he entered a saloon
on Chambers street that July afternoon q
brawny Irishman stepped up to him and
deliberately pulled the trigger OF a revolver
five times. The weapon only discharged
) once and the bullet struck him in the cheek
inflicting q slight wound.
McDermott fed from the place and has
not been since seen in this country.
| Stories nave been set afloat repeatedly OF
| his appearance in different countries III
| Europe, but nothing has been %authorita-
lively known OF his movements until last
week, when he was interviewed in one of
the parlors OF a London club.
Since he fed this country. according to
his own story, he has suffered many priva-
tions, but was we'll repaid for his several
years of bad luck by meeting a French
rountess Of untold wealth aboard a vessel
of which he was q passenger. Thecountess,
McDermott declares, too an interest in
him from the time she first saw him. He
fell in love with her but did not tell her OF
the fact until lie had actually tramped all
over Europe.
why he stalked about the continent
without means to provide himself with
food and clothing, when 81 that would
| have been necessary for him to do would
have been to explain his circumstances to
the countess and marry the lady, he doe.
not explain. After he had walked through
Denmark and Sweden and acquired the
languages OF both counts les, he Travelled
southwark until he reached France. There,
he solemnly avows, he met the countess,
whose name he r%eligiously witholds for in
explicable reasons, and, after a brief court
ship, he married her. As for romance. Jim
unblushingly declares that his life is chock
full of it. "Just to think" he says, II
live in a chateau SO large that one can
drive a tally-ho coach through the main
corridor"
When q woman in France marries, her
husband by law becomes the possessor of
all property she may possess. So when
McDermott was Joined in the holy bonds OF
matlimony to the countess. he tool charge
of her affairs in a remarkably short time,
and also by virtue OF his alliance
obtained the title OF count. There is a
large number Of tenants on the estate, and
none OF the males can marry unless they
get M. la Comte McDermott's
consent. Jim says that be owns valuable
property in Stockholm and Ceylon. He is
also the possessor OF q yacht worth $780,
900. He concludes his wonderful romance
by stating that he has had enough of
America, and that either France or Eng
land is good enough for him. The Irish ma
tionalists in this city do not believe his
story, and intimate that if ever he comes
to this country he will get a warm recep-
tion.-[New York Press.