Evening star., 1897-05-31
A Worker for COlumb hin,


America received and welcomed him, but
in exchange she procured an able worker
in Columbia's ranks, one who never finch
ed, whichever way the path of duty ran,
and who was ever foremost in promoting
the principles on which the Constitution of
the United States is founded, the land for
which predecessors of his race such as Sui
ivan. Starke. Wayne. Lewis. Moylan.
Campbell. and others. exhausted their en-
the revolution.
1t is such men as Reilly. Meagher. % Ma
hany, Corcoran. and thousands of other ex-
lied sons OF Erin who have helped to make
praiseworthy in one American to espous =
the cause of gallant Cuba, wherein is the
odium If an Irishman cherishes the fond
nope that the land of his, or his fathers
birth will some day be able to strike
another blow at the foot which has for
centuries been held upon her necke
Wherever Reilly roamed Ireland. His
dark Rosaleen. was ever uppermost in his
mind and dearest to his heart. He was
surrounded with great men, in the glor-
fous cause in which he was enlisted His
associates in the movement of lS4S were
some or the bravest as well as the bright
est intellectual spirits of the age Among
them were William Smith O'Brieu. the
!ineal descendant of Brian Boru: honest
John Martin. the erudite and cultured:
Charies Gavin Duffy. the poetic Thomas
minded John h. Dillon, the vehement. fear
less and undaunted Mitchell, the courageous
soldier and peerless orator. Gen. Thos
francis Meagher-all men of the highest
attainments. mental and physical, and
Kelly. though a mere boy compared to
most or them. by his zeal, impetuosity, in
detatigable energy and ceaseless activity
was considered one Of the foremost in that
galaxy OF talent. nerve and BRAIN
Il know Of no words that more beautI-
fully portray his calm but still tragic
death than those of Mitchell.
Pledged His Last Toast.
For year Reilly had resided in Wash
ington. and had become the principal
writer on the Union. the organ of the ad-
minfstratfon; but he knew that his death
was near-a death strange as his life had
been. When a boy of fifteen, in Dublin. he
had been attacked by a fit of some kind re-
sembling apoplexy. His physician then in
formed him that a similar stroke would,
fall upon him when double that age-name-
ly. about his thirtieth birthday, and that II
would probably be fatal. While he was
busiiy engaged on the Washington Union
and fast rising in the estimation OF the
public as political writer Just beginning
to surmOunt his difficulties of a pecuniary
kind. surrounded by friends, his dear wife
always at his side: and his little daughter
every morning and evening playing at his
knee the month Of March. 1854 came upon
him. His thirtieth birthday was to fall IN
tnat month. ana he knew his fate was
come. To his powerful imagination every
thing was an omen of his doom: and at
night he heard the banshee of his clan
w;iiiing along the shores of the Potomac
On the fifth night of the month he called
his household around him. filled a bumper.
and there, standing on his own floor. look.
ing calmly into his early grave. with a bold
and sunny smile upon his lips and tears
streaming down his rough face, he pledged
his last toast-'Old Ireland
The tale is told. After that touching
good night to old Ireland he retired TO
rest In hts usual health. Some time in the
night he rose. fell down on the floor of his
chamber. and In the morning he was a
corpse"
Remarks were also made by Mr. M. E.
Smith.
Besides those named the graves of the
following were strewn with flowers: Ste
phen McGraw. James Ryan, Thomas Bou-
cher, p. b. Connell, John Scanlan jr.. John
Seaman. ST., John Fleming. John Brennan.
d. Brosnan. James Bellew, Patrick Mcfcl.
ligott. Maurice Hartnett and John
O'Malley.
Had His Trip for Nothing.
Detective Weldon, who went to Mounds
Vile. w. Va. to bring back j. H. Stros-