River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-11-19
A SENSATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Informer Jones Tells secrets In a London
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Informer Jones Tells Secrets In a London
Court.
London. Nov. l4.-The final examina-
tion of Edward j. Ivory Bell, alias Ed
ward Bell, the saloon keeper of New
York and alleged dynamiter, at Bow
street police court Friday. developed
into sensation and caused as much
excitement as did the revelations of the
spy LeCaron some years ago. The
weekly examinations of Ivory have
been going on at Bow street each Fri
day ever since he was brought TO Lon
don after his arrest at Glasgow, some
two months ago, on the charge of be-
ing concerned with p. j. lyman, Kear-
ney, Haines and others in a conspiracy
TO blow up public and other buildings
with the use of dynamite. Hitherto the
testimony has been of the usual mo-
notonous police court description. but
Friday the crown. represented by c. 4.
Gill, sprung q sensation in the shape of
the testimony of a government spy.
known only as "Jones," a native of Ar
magh, Ireland. who seems to have sue
ceeded in becoming member Of secret
Irish organizations In New York. 'un-
der instructions" and to have possessed
himself of secrets of the Gamma Gael
association.
When Jones first appeared on the Wilt
ness stand Mr.. Gill asked the presiding
magistrate to stop all sketching in
court, exclaiming that 1t was of the ut
most importance that nothing should
be allowed TO transpire to identify the
witness in the future. But Jones"
caused more exciteme emit during the pro-
ceedings by suddenly addressing Mag
istrate Vaughan, saying: "a reporter
is taking a sketch of me. l fear for my
safety"
When Ivory's counsel asked Jones 10
give the initials OF his name the wit
hess refused, but the counsel insisted
and also demanded to know the adj
dress of Jones in New York, whereupon
| the witness replied: II fear for my
safety and decline to give the particu-
lar location" The magistrate upheld
Jones in his refusal. and then followed
dramatic incident.
Counsel for the prisoner solemnly
asked: did YOU take the oath OF the
Gamma Gael?"
Jones turned lividly pale. hesi.ated
for moment and then feebly an
swered: Yes"
Ivory's counsel thereupon said
"You were intending at the time not to
observe it?"
To this Jones replied: "Yes, I did
not intend to observe it,"
"Have you any respect for the oath
you have given here to-day?"
"ies," replied Jones, in weak voice
This incident caused the deepest i'm
PRESTON upon all present in the court
room.
Replying to questions upon the part
of Mr.. Gill, who prosecuted for the
treasury department, Jones said he was
native of Armagh, that he was en-
! ployed by the British government to
make inquiries at Manchester in 1890,
and that in 1891 he was sent to Amer
lea, where he resumed his inquiries.
Jones, il appears, remained in New
York until September of the present
year, all the time apparently making
inquiries" for the British government.
"On instructions" he joined the Irish
National alliance early in 1892 and was
initiated into a camp known as the
Shamrock club" among those present
at his initiation being Lyman, Boland,
Gallagher, Kearney and lyman. lie
also helped to form a new camp. which
was called the ''Nally club" the mem
bership of which included Mearns and
Nolan, who had been connected with
an explosion in Dublin.
Its meetings were of the most secret
description, the district orders" being
burned after read. After the Initiation
the members of this club were known
by number. Part of the subscriptions,
the witness also testified. were con-
tributed to revolutionary fund and
calls were made for money 20 pay for
celebrations of the Manchester mar
tyrs' and to aid the convicted dyna-
mitcrs.
Answering further questions, Jones
said that while on mis- way to the Chi
caro- convention of 1898 kearney intro
duced the prisoner, Ivory, to the wit
ness as a brother" p. J. lyman and
O'Donovan Rosa, according to Jones,
were present and lyman said that Ivory
belonged to his camp" and had been
known to him in Dublin previous to
1899.
Jones then produced document pur-
porting to give the constitutions of the
society up to 1898, and also typewriter
copies of the constitution and ritual of
the Clan-na Gael. Jones said that any
one convicted of "a dynamite outrage
was described in the proceedings of the
organization as "a soldier of Ireland"
The witness afterward produced
mass OF documents giving "camp" in
structions. pass words. signs, etc, and
ii copy of the report of the secret con-
vention at Chicago in 1898, in which an
item of the expenditure was $500 for
merchandise" which Jones explained
meant dynamite
The cross-eXamination of Jones did
not shake his evidence. but counsel for
Ivory submitted that it was not case
to go to trial. The magistrate, how
ever, emphatically declared there were
"ample grounds" to send the case to
trial, and Ivory was formally COM
mitted.