The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-12-30
RESCUE OF KELLY AND DEASY


By Capt. Edward O'Meagher Condor in
the Irish People.
The rescue OF Kelly and Deasy is de
;cribed in the current issue OF the Irish
People, OF Dublin, by Captain Edward
O'Meagher Condor. who was foremost
n planning the coup, who stood side by
ide with Allen, Larkin and O'Brien in
he dock, and from whose lips, under
GLENN and dread circumstances, with
he shadow of the gallows looming
larkly over him. came the immortal
lords, God Save ireland" Alter
ocaking about the preparations for the
escue, Captain Condor says:
The van drove lip to where we waited
and the driver promptly responded to
lie order "Halt--pull up!' when he
quad it came from determined man
no pointed pistol a. his head. I'M
lediately we haL surrounded the We
icle. The driver recovered himself
omewhat and tried to drive on, but we
Don quoted the FESTIVE horses with a
w shots. Then the escort turned and
'cd-hed with all The more celebrity that
| lew shots were tired over their heads
hey crouched behind the solid wall O.
he viaduct forty yards away. The day
,as ours. But Brett, inside the locked
an, had the keys
He refused to pass them through the
rating. Every moment was precious
\lready we could see people gathering
and some OF thc cowardly escort, OF
course, were rushing away with the
news. Some OF our men clambered on
op and vainly tried to break in the roof
with large store. No one thought
that Brett-a pluclly man the unlucky
fellow seemed 10 me-was looking
eagerly through the keyhole watching
for aid from the comrades who had fed.
So he was stationed when the thought Of
blowing the lock- TO pieces occurred to
It's. A revolver was placed at the key
hole, the shot was fired and the sergeant
fell, MORALLY wounded.
A woman quickly handed out the
keys, and Kelly and Deasy were at
liberty in few seconds. They had
handouts on their wrists, but they were
free.
The crowd now was near us, and a
few stood by ME and kept back the mob
while our nlanacled friends sped away.
Then we, too, retreated, but found that
another gang on the rising ground
above cut us off from the fugitives.
Our men rapidly dispersed, but several
were captured on the spot, including
poor young Allen, who was barbarously
beaten by the cowardly mob. With one
OF the men who guarded Kelly's re-
treat l managed to return to Manches
ter, where at friends house changed
my clothes and altered the trim OF my
beard. But the police were on my
track, and I was captured and cruelty
maltrcated before being dragged to the
nearest police station.
The story OF the trial. before the spe-
eial commission has been so often told
that l need not dwell upon it. Thirty
three years after, l can say without
Boosting that neither Of the four. OF us
who stood in that dock and listened to
the torrent Of perjury issuing from the
lips of the witnesses against us feared
death for moment. We knew we were
| guiltless OF human blood-becausc
Brett's death was an accident which NJ
one could have anticipated. We had
done ot,r duty and we were ready to
abide the consequences. But poor Ma
guire, the miserable marine, who, OF
course, had not hand, act, or part in the
affair, and against whom the army OF
,perjurers had sworn as Justify as against
Michael O'Brien, Larkin, Allen and
myself, was in a pitiable state through
out. He whined about his loyalty to
the queen, and evidently had lost all
sense Of manhood.
We we're found guilty-all five. None
OF us expected that sentence would be
pronounced that night, and O'Brier
only had made some rough notes. But
the speeches delivered by the lone and
iriendless men before that hostile and
bigoted tribunal will, think, live for
ever in the hearts Of Irishmen.
During the day had heard court
official cry out now and then, "God
Save the Queen" This gave me ar
idea. After expressing the hope TIL,
our blood would satisfy the craving 10,
Irish blood, and that the rest Of the
prisoners would get trial, said: 81
have nothing to Notwithstanding tc
retract-nothing to take back. l car
only say, God save Ircland"
They are words which have sine,
echoed the world over. We were sen
fenced. Mcguire was released within :
few days. On the morning before tina
fixed for the execution my cell was in
vaded by the governor Of Stafford jail
the officer OF the military guard and a,
official who, learned, was queen
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