The Irish standard., 1897-11-27
EXECUTION 0FTHREE lRlsHMEN
The Atrocious Hanging of Allen,
Larkin and O'Brien.
THE MANCHESTER MARTYRS
Thirtieth Anniversary of Their
lgn0minious Fate.

Thirty years have passed away since.
on the morning of Nov %, 1861 in the
city OF Manchester, England, three Irish
mcn-William Philip Allen, Michael Lar
kin and Michael ODrlcn-puid with
'hc1r lives the penalty of IL deed of des-
perato daring In the cause of Ireland.
Tor Which there are but few parallels in
the records of Irish hcrosm.
II was i'll the hope of freeing ireland
that those three men riskrd and socri-
tlccd their lives. The Fcuan movement
was but u revival, or. rather, a contin
llatlon. OF the Old struggle of tho Irish
people for the recovery of their right to
rule their own land. That struggle had
ana has endured in one form or AM
other since the day, seven centuries nro.
"hrh England first began to intcrmc.u.e
IN the affairs of Ireland Before that
unhappy day Ireland for many hnudrcds
or years enjoyed peace ami prosperity
under native rule nnd native laws. II
WAS the golden ago of her history. IT.
"'''' WV 'lilt WITCH 'IcuIlU WAS fN0
school of Europe, when students from
all the nations nockcd to Ireland for
learning, and when Irish saints and
scholars went abroad to all the lands Of
the then known world carving with
them and dispensing wherever they went
the knowledge of the Christian faith
and of the arts of Christian civilization.
In 1863 and for some years after the
British Empire found itself face to face
| with another development of Irish de-
/. termination to overthrow their cursed
rule in ireland. This movement became
n powerful one, aided, as II WAS, by Il
| numerous section of the Irish race in
America. thousands of whom had I'm Inc
| civil wltr become skilled soldiers, and
longcd for the opportunity of striking u
blow for their native land. Among the
Irish Americans who went to Ireland in
1867 to take part in the "rislng," winch
had brcu planned and confidently ex-
pcrteh to como Off in the spring of that
year were Col. Thomas J. Kelly and
| Capt. Densy. Tho rising was attempted
|
had in Ireland IN armed force of over
| 10000, and against such Il force with tho
might Of an empire behind 1t, success
for the brave lrishmcn was impossible,
oven though they had been far more
| numerous and much better equipped
than they were. The immediate result
WIS that there were scores Of arrests by
| tho police in Ireland and England. Kelly
and Deilsy were arrested in Manchester
| and on Sept Is. 1867 they were placed
IN the dock und charged with the crime
of high treason" They were, OF course,
rcmnnded for trial. and it was during
the conveyance of the prisoners from the
police court to the Jail that the daring
rescue took place, for their part in
which Allen, Lilrliin and OI5rien wero
executed on Nov. %.
between the police court and the Jail
the distance WINS about two miles. When
the van containing the prisoners with
It's guard of twelve policemen all armed
to the teeth, got about half way and
had just crossed under railway arch,
at which point there was but few houses,
the driver was suddenly startled by the
apparitiOn of man on the road In
front with "A pistol aimed at his head
and calling upon him in u loud voice TO
pull up" Immediately after couple
of dozen men, a few of them carrying
revolvers, swarmed over the fence at
the side of the road and surrounded the
van The driver attempted to drive
through the crowd, but u shot in the
air persuaded him that 1t was safer to
| yield, which he ut once did, and with
all his comrades, except one, took to
flight leaving the van in possession Of
the rescuers. The only policeman who
remained was Sergt. Brett, who sat
within the van, the keys of which had
been handed to him through the grating
after the doors had been locked at the
police court before starting. What next
happened is thus told by the late A. N.
Sullivan: "Pickaxes and crowhars
were produced and the van was be-
sioged by stout men, under the blows
Of which it's sides groaned. Seeing the
Fenians, as they at once considered
them, thus busily engaged, the police
men, who had in the first instance res
treated to safe distance, wee .ein-
forced by large mob. While the at
tempt to smash through the van was
continued without pause, ring was
formed around the men thus engaged, by
their confederates, who warned them to
keep off. Gaining courage from their
rapidly swelling numbers, the mob, -.ow-
ever, continued to close In round the