Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-05-19
FRANK BYRNE.
Appeal For the Family Recently Issued by
Huah ]. Carroll.

Following is a copy of the appeal for
aid for the family OF the late Frank Byrne
which appeared in a recent issue OF the
Boston Pilot;
Frank Byrne, who died recently in
Rhode Island, and whose remains were
tenderly laid at rest in the old Catholic
cemetery Ia Pawtucket, was a good man.
lie was an ideal patriot. Calm and gen.
tie, unsssuming, but firm as steel, he
evoked the respect and inspired the en-
thusiasm OF US who knew and loved him.
He came among US here unheralded as a
man looking for business. lie never pa
raded his record, and only a few OF us
| IrIshmen learned of his career. He was
as modest as a good young girl, and SO
learned in the history OF lreland's strug-
| giles that few OF us soon found out who
he was and what part he had taken In
the fortunes OF Ireland.
| lie was only seeking a livelihood for
himself and his invalid wife and son and
1 daughter-that was all.
But we found out who and what he was
| lie was a private secretary and emissary OF
| Parnell. He knew all OF the great leaders,
secrets. lie performed his duties to the
letter, and as punctually as clock-work.
| He carried messages to and from Ireland,
and his devoted wife Oft en- took his place
| when Parnell thought that extra caution
was required. Frank Byrne never asked
| any questions. His wife never asked why
she should cross the channel aud deliver
messages.
Byrne went TO France and fought as a
| BOY in the Franco Prussian war, on the
side OF France. His only object and hope
/ was that cowardly ana brutal England
| would become involved. He fought we'll
| up TO he last battle and saw England
carefully retire under the cloak of "diplo-
macy" word which he usually spelled
| "cowardice."
Frank, for so love to call him, first
came To- see me and said that he was going
into business. He did not tell me who he
was OF what he had been, but 1 remem-
bered his name.
When that hydra. headed monster OF
| Dublin Castle, who had hung so many pa
triotic lrishmen, was killed In Phoenix
Park, and Frederick Cavendish met the
same tate for "interfering in what did not
concern him" the English Govern ment
sought to fasten the "No. !" business on
Parnell. This Is the inside history. They
wanted 10 hang Parnell. The only way
they could do 1t was, as they thought, to
imprison Frank Byrne, and search his
house and seize all papers there. MIR.
Parnell, through some secret agency, was
made aware OF this, and on his advice Mr..
Byrne went to Paris. Then the brutal
English officers In their rage determined
to search the house at any cost OF man
hood or womanhood. Mrs. Byrne had
only three days before been delivered of
boy baby. But that did not make any
difference to the Government. Perhaps
she knew something, they reasoned,
which would implicate Parnell. The
beasts took that mother OF three days
and carried her to the jaIl! There she lay
while they searched the house. They
found not hing. II there had been any
thing there the warning OF MIR. Parnell
and the trained minds of Frank Byrne
ana his wife-companion knew what ia
do. But she was thrown into jail like o
dog. She received such shock that she
became aphysical wreck.
Just imegine III A young woman OF
twenty seven, the mother OF one girl, and
only three days delivered OF a boy baby,
with her husband refugee from those
blood-thirsty brutes who wanted to hang
him or Parnell on any kind OF testimony
| IL makes my blood run cold was born
here in rural Rhode Island, but | think
that II | we're in Ireland at the time
would have organized a vigilant tea party
and--well!
When Mrs. Byrne was released aud able
to travel, Parnell furnished the money
Tor her to join her husband, and sent
trusted men to look after her. The poor
woman-God help her!-she faded day by
day IN their tene ment house In Provi-
dence, on knight street. Her husband
had found employment in several places
In several cities, but after while his EN-.
ployers were told by customers that they
would not trade with them IL they kept
him. The greed OF those employers foi
moDev drove Frank from place to place
and the hatred OF the English in America
against him finally drove him to Rhode
Island. He found friends here. and the
best one was Joseph Mullen, OF Pawtu tx
ct, who Is we'll known of all Irish Ma
| tionalists.
But, as | said, they came here and we
recognized their worth. Mrs. Byrne was
bighly-educated and learned woman
and she and her husband have counter
parts i'm their children.
But she faded. All OF the best special.
lists we're sent for and paid by few men
She could not be helped. The strain o,
that brutal governments action was such
shock 10 her system that she became 9
helpless poor creature, who makes the
strongest man cry when he sees her in
bed, unable to raise her hands or TO move
her body. God pity herl
) The wear and tear of the fight on Frank
Byrne worked on hIm so that one night
he was prostreted with heart failure and
carried To the hospital. He received ali
OF the sacramcnts Of the church which he
loved so we'll, and died in peace with his
: God, after an eventtul career, in which
true Irish patriotism was the leading star
and devotion TO his beloved Ireland wa.
) only equailed by his igrest love Tor hi,
wife and children.
Frank died, and his body was broug ut
from the hospital back to the tenement
house on knight street, in Providence
| and only the Great Almighty knows oI