The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-01-16

and invited me to dinner. Having no
other engagement on hand, dined
with him, and never enjoyed a heartler
meal IN my life.
"This all happened in the Year
1866" Rebel Dan explained. The
Whole story came out in the
Hue and Crv, shortly after the
raid. Captain Barry offered $4,000 re-
ward for the recovery of the two gold
hilted swords. But to the credit of my
countrymen, although more than 100
men knew the secret as we'll as myself.
not man could be tempted by inc gold
en- bait to- turn traitor. Next there was
a government reward OF 10000 offered,
but the secret was kept for two years.
1t leaked out at last in very curious
manner in 1868, after the crops had been
growing for two years over the buried
arms.
The brave Champion Foley was COM
ing home from the fair of KildOrrerv,
in company with a man named Coffey,
an old pensldneer, who was employed
ny Champlon's father-it WAS after two
O'Clock in the morning, and OF their
way home they stopped at several pub
lie houses, SO that they were beginning
60 feel pretty exilnsFated. Ontheir way
they had to pass the fve-acre wheat
field where the weapons lay buried So
when they got close to the field, poor
Champion, in a thoughtless wav, not
dreaming of doing any harm, said to
his companion: Coffey, my boy, there
is $4,000 growing in that field.
OF course, he meant the government
reward, never thinking that Cofey
would suspect the meaniog Of his
words. But Coffey. though full Of
liquor, was wide awake enough to take
the hint and keep it to himself. So he
said nothing about it, for fear OF arous-
ing young FoleY's suspicion, He was
an old soldier, and some of the old SOL
diers are very cute. AT the same time
he resolved in his mind to get hold of
the government reward by hook or by
crook as soon as favorable chance
presented itself. Six DAYS after this
Coffey and old Foley happened to have
q few hot words, The upshot was that
he left Foley's service and went off to
Mi-cheltown, where he had an interview
with the stipendiarv magistrate, Neil
Brown. TO be brief, he oivulged his
suspicion regarding the buried arms.
knowing we'll that many a good man
would sup sorrow through his perfidy.
The day following Coffey's inf0rma
ton, about 700 soldiers and police were
sent from Fermoy and other towns to
search Foley's field. The sapp .rs and
miners, after going to deal Of trouble,
gave up the search as fruitless. After
several hours hard work the grave was
at length discovered by an infantry
man, who happened to lean his breast
on his carbine as he stuck it into the
soil, when to his great joy; he discover
eG that his bayonet had come in con
tact with some strange substance,
which proved afterwards to be the bot
tom OF the pig trough. When the
weapons we're unearthed they were
found to be as bright and clean as ON
the night we buried them; the tow and
fax served to preserve them from rust.
The big reward was supposed to have
been divided between Cofey and the
Infantry man. But Coffey's share of it
didn't prolong his life, for / believe he
met with bad end shortly after in
Liverpool.
It was some time prior to the discov.
ery of the arms that I succeeded in
making my escape from Ireland. Dan
said further, and, as the sequel shows.
[ was very fortunate in so doiog, for,
after the weapons were unearthed,
Captain Barry was heard to rem ark:
That If Rebel Dan O'Geary had been
captured after the discovery, penal ser.
vitude for life would have been his
sentence for the active part he took on
the night of the raid.
The cause of my sudden departure
was this. I was suspected Of having
concealed arms in my cottage. The
suspicion of the authorities was not
without foundation, though who my
betrayer was could never learn. One
night, while entertaining few friends,
I was surprised in the midst Of our fes-
invites to find my dwelling rudely in
vaded BY ~ Of the Royal Irish constab-
ulary, under Sergeant Ahearn's com.
mand. It was not q very agreeable sur.