The Irish standard., 1898-04-02
THE INFAMY OF THE TRAITOR
Suspected by Samuel Nielsen, the
Presbyterian Patriot.
A D0UBLE-DYED sc0UNDREL
An Instrument in the Hands of
Lord Castlereagh.

II wo may institute comparative de-
grees Of vileness, tho palm for efficiency
in the DEVILS work" may be fairly
divided between Thomas Reynolds, Of
kilkca Castle county Kildare who be-
trayed tho London Directory, and Cap
tain Armstrong who sent John and
Henry Shcaros to the gallows, says
writer in the Dublin Frccman's Journal
of March 10. There is u disgusting SIM
ilarity between tho actions of the in
famous puir. All the world is familiar
with the story of how Armstrong visited
at the house OF tho Cork PATRIOTS sat
at their hospitahlc board; fondled the
young children of Henry Shcarcs. while
his mind was full of the plot against the
llfo of their father II is IL picture too
black for ordinary human nature to
fully realize. We can scarcely apprc-
ciatc in all its horror the CHASTITY depths
of tho ticnd's revolving ini1uity. But it
has a companion picture. After Rcy-
nolds had sold Bond and the other men,
bcrs of tho Directory after he had
committed them to the prison cells from
which many of them never came forth
he called at Bonds house n! Bridge
street. sympnthZcd with the PATRIOTS he
roic wife, and cnrCsscd the infant which
sho carried in her arms Such n man
deserves u place in the annals of infamy
beside Leonard McNally and Warncs-
ford Armstrong.
Tho luto Mr.. i'itZratrick. in his So
cret Service Under Pitt" tells IL remarks
nblo story. II shows that Reynolds; pos
7 scsscd courage of IL certain kind as Wen
as mind capable of planning amy
ntrncity. Several prominent United lr-
islmcn had been arrested under circunl-
stances which left no doubt that tho
secrets Of the society were being sys-
tcmuically bo,ray,M. Suspicion attached
itself to Thomas Reynolds Mnny had
never trusted him: others learned to
distrnsL him. MnrNcvin long years af-
tcrwards, said: "R"ynolds came To my
place Of abode two days before the an
rests in March, and asked for me-. He
| came several times in the cuilrs" of one
| day. and also of the next. at first
Stunned him, but finally determined to
see him and cndcnvor to find ont if my
suspicious wcro we'll founded. When he
called Mt my lodgings at Ormund quay,
Reynolds told mo he had called to know
| wlcro tho Provincial Committee were
next to meet nnd the object of it,
| had folded up Il blank sheet. of paper
| aH letter, addressed IL to Reynolds,
| ana, GLkinE IT. off the mantclpccr,
| said to Reynolds, Hero is all the in
| formation can give You on the subject
| liking my eyes steadily on his face;
but said l. as we hhvo met there is
no occasion for the letter. and threw
! tho seeming letter into the fire Such
disappointment never SAW represented
on tho stage by actor as was depicted
in the physiOSnomy of Reynolds Here
was tho written testimony, he thought,
that would huvu hanged his victim; he
was on the point OF getting hold Of it.
and In n moment 1t was in flames; and
still greater disuppont ment was exhibit
ed when | said, How do you know,
sir, that I should know anything about
the mntter?' Reynolds went away; his
purpose was defeated, and he felt that
he was suspected"
Now to Mr. I'itzpatrick's dramatic
tale Among those who shrcwdly sus-
pccted Reynolds treachcry was the
sturdy fisherman, Samuel Nelson, the
owner of the Belfast Northern Star, and
Society Of United Irishmen in the
northern capital. One dark night, u
hundred years ago this week, Nelson,
while passing through the streets of
| Dublin. met Reynolds Tho Presbyter-
ian patriot was o. bold and resolute man
of powerful physique. Ho seized the
suspect, hurried him into a dark corner
placed a loaded pistol to his head, and
asked tho stern and terribly significant
question-"What should do to the VIII
lain who has sought my confidence to
betray me?" Had the traitor hesitated
or showed a trace of tho fear begotten
of conscious guilt, the pistol would have
spoken death, and the Lcinster Directory
might have been saved. But he moved
not q muscle. with perfect sang
| froid," writes Mr.. Fitzpatrick, "he
replied, You should shoot him through
the hearth" Nelson, struck by the re-
ply, changed his purpose, ard suffered
| Reynolds to go. The result of his
forbcaranco startled the country not
many days later.
Events were nearing their final crisis
when tho delegates slipped quietly into
! Oliver Bonds house on the 18th Of
March, 179S The armed struggle for