The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-11-05
EGAN.
sketch OF tho Caroor of Our Rep
roGontativo IN Chic.
MS PART IN The LAND LEAGUE,
Tho Ell.ht 70 Paris and tho Charges
Made Against Him, FROM Which he
w,, Finally vlndicntcd---llis Com.
iprto America and his Appointment
Dy tho Administration.


Patrick Esan, United States Envoy
vgtrlorlinary and Minister rlenipo.
.cn,iary to Chile, was born in Bally.
mlhon, County OF Longiord, Ireland, in
fslI, OF his anccstor1 nothing of i'm.
,or.auco il recorded, for he should not
ic r~onfoundcd with the famous family
Of which Dalton, in his "King James
irish Army Lists" says: THE Esans
vcm always noted for their learning
and hospitality" Early in life Patrick
showed an extraordinary aptness for
baincss, and was yet u young mar
when he passed from the position OF
Lookkccpcr TO thatof managingdircctor
nj the National Milling Company, an
extensive nourishing establishment OF
pgblin. In 1868 he embarked in bust
ness under his own name, and soon be-
cac the leading baker OF the Irish
gpi,al. He continued in this business
ualil 1883, and 80 long as he gave his
~yrrsuual attention to it thrived. In
lSGO he Joined st. PItrick's Brother
hood, and WAS IN active member whGu,
in 1851, the yain2attcmpt ut insurrec.
ton WIS made. from 1868 to 1877 he
was identified with the work OF tho Am.
rcsty Association, but did not gain
much prominence in it.
The most interesting portion OF Mr..
Egln's public career began when lie
and his associates organized the Home
Enlc League, which in 1852 WIS merged
into the Land League. In 1878 he Ia.
bored with good effect TO elect Dir. Par
mel! 20 his first seat in Parliament, and
five Years later he assisted Mcssrs. Par
nell, Kettle, Davitt, Brennan and 9TH
,rs in organizing the Land League.
Brip.ly stated, the object OF the league
was 10 bria. about 4 reduction OF rack
rgaG and 10 facilitate the obtaining Of
the ownership OF the soil by the occu-
piers, aud this was 10 he accomplished
Lr promoting organization among ten
aa,.iarmcrs, By defending those threat
cucI with eviction, by facilitating tho
working OF the Bright clause Of the
I.nd act and by obtaining better laws
Tor those farmers. The league was or
gHi1cd in October, 1879, and "Alr. J. G..
ES;lr, NJ. p, Mr.. W. II. O'Sullivan, NJ.
J., and Nh. Patricl, ESan" were elected
trcasurcrs. Il was not long before Mr..
Ean became the first OF the three OF
which he began as the last.
FLED TO PARIS.
In 1881, when n crisis in Land League
Affairs was procipitated by the coercion
act, Mr.. Egan fed to Paris with the
iands OF the league. Why he went has
been the subject OF discussion which is
not yet regarded Us closed. lie and his
friends claimed that no was prompted
ty lear that the government would
seize the funds. Others alleged that it
WIS rather 4 fear that tho government
would seize him on the charge OF COM
plicity in the Phoenix Park assassina-
tons. and still others openly declared
that it WIS Il convenient way icr Mr..
Egan to escape the consequences of
scrutiny OF his books and accounts,
which, ot course, he took with him.
Nr. JcnkinsOn, the Chief OF the Crimi-
nal Service OF Dublin, in giving
cut the information that Mr..
EsaR had "nvsteriously disap-
pcared," assumed that he had
been frightened away by the prospect
Of Shcridan's e%Xtradition, whereby i'm
portant evidence was, he thought, like
y 10 iall into the hands OF the authori-
l:e5-eyiience OF Mr.. Egan's completely
IN the as~sassinations. And Sir Henry
James, III his speech Tor the London
Times before the Parnell Commission on
November 20, 1889, referred to Mr..
hsan,s flight as proof OF criminal con.
duct" and declared that there was
,othor proof OF his association with the
PAGniE Park murders" This was the
most direct and official uttcrance OF the
charge tina: ever was made. Sir Henry
James was 4 Privy Counsellor OF the
queen, Il member oil Parliament on the
government side and the recognized
leader OF the English bar.
Touching the charge OF misapplica-
ton OF funds, which was made bv no
less = friend OF the Land League pur-
poscs than Lady Florence Dixie, who
was so explicit rs to rume the amount
o. the discrepancy as Gl20, O%0O--touch-
III" this charge Mr. Egan's friends an
S"er that when he resigned and turned
over the accounts they were carefully
examined by m auditing committee
consisting OF John Dillon, Justin Nc.
Sarthy, the Rev. Eugene Shcchv and
Matthew Harris, and that they found
ihat ar. Egan, in the three years which
ne acted rs treasurer, had received
S=fi,S2O, oil which "cvcry penny was
honestly accounted for and the cash
Balance handed over to his successor,
Alfred Webb, OF Dublin"
Ar. Egan established headquarters of
lie league III Paris and from there con-
EHctci most OF its business, while
.IcssIs' Parnell, Dillon, llealy and the
fsst were in Kilmainham. Ills business
VI nome suffered seriously in tho mean
;iMe, and his wife and children, whom
nc Nad lett IN Dublin, were in constant
error. These were the rcasons MIR.
L?an %ayc in q letter to Mr.. ParneIl, in
WEieA he begged TO be relieved OF tho
4Sailes which kept him in Paris. Others
GavG saiTthat the real reason OF his de-
sire TO leave Paris was n fear that he
WIS hos safe from the hand OF English
Ha'Aor:tles, but vas likely to be extra
.,lIG; However that may be, it is said
Una: Mr.. EGan did not 20 back TO his
BUSINESS and his family in Dublin, but
remained in Paris until he came Amer.
lta, though, on the contrary, it has been
%pGcr.yphally reported that he did 90 to
DO''ll IN the meantime under cover.
IN AMERICA.
IN March, 1855, Mr.. Egan landed in
america. Almost Immediately he pro-
ceeaed to Lincoln, Ncb., whore he en-
gagged in q grain business which Il !,