The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-21

nmatic education and adopted the protes-
uon OF a civil engineer. AT the ago OF
IA he joined the Young Ireland" party
md aided In establishing "clubs" and fo-
ncnting the rebellion movement. His
xork was done with the utmost secrecy
md caution but the whole enterprise col
apsed after a single attempt at Insured
1on at Ballingarry June 90, 1s4S The
dow was a miserable failure, aud four
eaaers o. Brien, Meagher, McManus and
)'Donahue, were condemned To death.
Stephens, with two others, after long wan
1crinQs, with the police like bloodhounds
N their track, reached France. There
hey remained, quietly plotting by means
f correspondence for five years, when
Stephens drew the lot to proceed once more
% Ireland and organize q "new conspir-
,cy." AS preparation for the work he
made a house TO house canvass of the Emer-
I'D Isle, walking over 3, 500 miles and ap-
,earing i'm cabins and farmhouses various
y disguised, sometimes as a priest, some-
dmes as farm servant, and again as a
ncndicant on crutches. He likewise man
leed TO reconnoiter carefully all the lead
ng strongholds Of Ireland used for the in
mrceration of political prisoners
While Stephens was secretly laboring in
Ireland other agents were plotting in
America, and the result was the extensive
rRanization known as "The Irish Ropub-
lean Brotherhood, I" or .Fenans." More
han a million Irishmen in America en-
oiled themselves and half that number in
.reland OF this vast conspiracy stephens
Vas chief organizer, or head center" and
ais aim was the formation OF an army mt
I'd to cope with the armies Of England.
Tho followers enrolled were TO undergo Sc
}cre military discipline and arm and equip
themselves with the best modern weapons
and munitions Of war "a formidable did
he movement become that at the close OF
he American civil war, when thousands
n sworn Fenians, many of them officers
II rank were discharged from the Union
md Confederate armies, the British gov
,fnmont determined TO stamp out the
)rotherhood in Ireland. The chief news
3apcr organ OF the society, The Irish Peo-
>le, was seized In the summer Of 1865 and
jotcctives put on the track Of the leaders.
Tor years 1t had been a mystery on both
>idcs of the Atlantic as TO who was the SO
nllcd "bead CENTER" the master behind
hat vast machine, the car at whose word
4, 800, 900 armed men would spring into
he field and assail the British power in Ire
and. Through treachery the government
pies had long known of Stephens, but so
npid were his movements and SO clever
lis disgulses that he was able for months
b battle them. Finally toward the close of
he summer of 1885 IL was generally be-
ieved that the "head center" had left Ire
md and sought asylum in Paris or New
York. About that time gentleman
xnown as Herbert established his house
NJ. f..l1
in prominent suburban avenue in Dub
in. Besides Mr. Herbert there were wifo
Ind daughter, and the mansion was reflt
ed and opened on lavish scale Mr. Her
bert seldom ventured beyond the grounds
d the estate, being apparently occupied in
uperintcnding the improvements in and
about the mansion, aud much of the time
actually disguised as gardener. but his
3 wife and daughter frequently visited the
markets and bazaars OF the city, where
heirwell filled purses made them welcome
On their return from one of these shopping
8cursions early in November the unsus-
>ccting pair were attended afar of by a
emaIe detective from Scotland Yard. who
lad identified Mrc. Herbert as the wife OF
lanes Stephens. Fenian "head center
md the man wanted above all Others by
hc British crown. During his Journeys
Is an organizer Stephens had years before
net and won o handsome Tipperary girl
Who had subsequently followed his fortune
md become known 10 the police agents as
he constant companion OF the renowned
fenian leader
Unsuspicious Of danger, the Herbcrts
ived on under the eyes of detectives watch
ng the house. A couple OF days later
Irna nrn,nfnapt Eapiap conenirofnrc xvcrc
'ntertained overnight. and before daylight
IN the morning Of Nov. IL, 80 armed 30
icemen surrounded the premises, and
hree inspectors, with cooked pistols In
heir hands, made their way unchallenged