The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-09-16
Recalled on the Release of one
OF tho Prisoners.
DEATH OF The CHIEF CeNsPIpAToR
O'Donnell Rid the World Of the
Odious Informer.


carried out its promise of clemency to
the last of the "Phoenix Park" pris-
oners and has released James Fitzhar-
ris, alias "Skin the Goat" who was
serving life sentence as an accomplice
in the assassination OF Lord Frederick
Cavendish, Chief Secretary for Ireland,
and Thomas Henry Burke, Permanent
Under Secretary, in Phoenix Park,
Dublin, in 1882, writes John A. Dillon
in the New York World.
On the evening of Saturday, May 6,
iii that year, just before sunset, Lord
Frederick Cavendish and Thomas Hen
ry Burke, while walking together across
Phoenix Park, in Dublin, were suddenly
set upon and stabbed to death by a
band of unknown men, who as suddenly
disappeared.
The deed was shock to the civilized
world hardly less severe than that Of the
assassination of our own President Gar
held the year previous, And yet public
opinion was divided as to whether il
was political act or mere murder.
ihe British government dealt with it as
murder, but the French republic re-
fused extradition to a refugee charged
with participation in it, and the United
States took the same view in the case OF
several others who escaped to this coun-
try. British justice had its way with
those whom it caught and tried Five
OF them were hanged in the execution
yard OF Kilmainham Jail. Three, who
had recently been released, received
sentences of penal servitude for life:
hve received sentences OF ten years and
one of five years. Three turned in
| formers
All OF those who were punished were
men in humble life, the agents of men
higher up, who planned the deed and
who escaped its consequences. Will,
the remission of the last of the life SEN
tences Great Britain declares that ius-
tlce has been satisfied and that the ac-
count is closed of the Phoenix Park
tragedy Of 1882.
1t was in the days of coercion-and ol
reprisals. Forster, the head and front
OF the coercion policy, had dropped his
office in disgust-and in fear of his life,
His murder had been planned, and the
tradition runs that the train which car
ried him from Dublin was searched in
vain by armed Invincibles anxious to
get shot at him.
"Buckshot" Forster was safely out oil
ireland, and Cancellation, represented
by Lord Frederick Cavendish, had re-
placed him. Against Lord Frederick
there was no grievance, nor was his
death intended. But Burke had been
sentenced by secret tribunal; his ex-
ecutioners had been selected; it was
mere accident that involved Lord Fred
erick Cavendish in the doom.
After his installation as chief secre.
tary he had started to return on foot
through Phoenix Park to the viceregal
lodge, and Secretary Burke, seeing him
walking, had dismissed his cab and
joined him. 1t was drawing near sun
set of beautiful day in May. The park
was almost deserted. An Irish car
driven by Myles Kavanaugh and hav-
ing four occupants, Joe Brady, stone
cutter; Tim Kelly, a coach builder; Pat
Delaney and Tom Caffrey, was driving
slowly up and down the path, followed
by the cab of Fitzharris (Skin the
Goat.
In the cab were Dan Curley, Michael
Fagan and Joe Hanlon, armed with re-
volvers and intrusted with the work OF
rescue if it were needed.
In addition to these nine were also
James Carey-afterward the informer-
whose duty it was to signal the presence
OF the victim, and Joseph Smith, who
alone of all the party knew Secretary
Burke by sight.
The four occupants OF the car who
had been selected to do the deed were
armed with surgeons knives brought
over from France. Brady, who was a
Hercules in strength, was their leader.
AS the victims approached the car
the signal was given from the roadside
by Carey. The four leaped DOWN and
ran to the encounter. Burke wasAin-
stantly killed and gashed with the shak kp