Waterbury Democrat., 1902-09-30
HIS LONG LIE ENDED.
Aged Michael Wallace Passed
 Away Last Evening.

Was Quiet and Peaceful, Surrounded
 By His Family and Friends Tuner
 al Will Be Held Thursday Morning.
 Michael Wallace died last. night at his home, 394 River street, after an illness of about two weeks.
 MT Wallace was born in the town of Mountrath Queens county, Ireland, May 12, 1916, and was therefore over S6 years of age. For many years he was familiar figure on the public streets of Waterbury and probably had a wider range of acquaintances than any other private man in the commun1- ty. He was graduated from the Chris tian Brothers school of hfs ngtive town, the alma mater of many Irishmen who made their mark in the republic of let ters, and always took a modest pride in referring to the achievements of those whose voices had chimed with his in that institution. He was prom inent1y identified with the Irish na- tiOnal movement from the time of his boyhood and could tell some interest ing "reminiscences of his experiences in Ireland during the tithe war, whose ablest champion was Richard Labor of Tenakill, one of MT Wanace's friends and compariots; the agitation for the repeal of the union and the monster meetings when OConne1l through his magical eloquence turned the attention of the whole civilized world towards the condition of Ireland, and succeeded in getting himself elected as member of parliament from old historic Clare: the cholera epidemic which carried away vast numbers of people and threatened to wipe, out every soul with ! Ill the four corners of Ireland; the famine of 46 and AT, when men, wo- men and children perished of hunger and cold and were laid away in coffin less graves, in many instances the vic tims being picked up on the roadsides where they had succumbed while en- deavoring to satiate the bangs of hun ger by deyorHing the grass and weeds on the ways1de. All these and mang other events of note formed part Of the history of Ireland during MT WaIace's residence there, so that it is no wonder that the theme was upperfnost in his mind at all times and in all | places
 When Mr Wallace was in q happy frame of mind--and he was rarely out of sorts-he loved to tell of the time of his young manhood when he was member of a band i'll his native town and travelled all over the country fur nIshing music at public meetings at which O'Connell was the principal speaker. He was gifted with a won derfuliy retentive memory and corlld recount With surprising accuracy the u11Terent places and under what air cumstances he met O'Connell and other men prominent in Irish affairs half a century or more ago. He had a per sonaI acquaintance with Thomas Fran I cis Meaghera John O'Mahoney. Smith OBFien, Father Kenyon, Gavan Duffy Tom Davis. Darcy McGee. James Fin ton Labor, the Sullivans, McCarthys Dalton Williams, John Keegan and aIl the other brilliant men who made Iln that galaxy of talent which Fanfed
 round tAe Standard of the Young Ire iand party, an organization whose Ieachlngs, as Ingram said, ''kindled there a living flame that nothing can Wlthsland.@ He was a neighbor of John heegan, the poet and novelist. l Wno dIed III Dublin during the cholera epidemic, and did much to Keen his Writings before the public mind not 1 only by giving them to the press. but also Dy reciting them from time to time at public meetings in this country and 1 on UIle other side. Who has not heard the voice of our dead friend lifted in praise of the author of HsThe Holly ana Ivy Girl, .sThe Dark Girl at the Holy 1 Well. Pinch and Kaoch .O'Learv
 Midnight Mass in the Glen. ''fsI.be May 1 queen and Shaun Rhua"? These are tne titles Of a few of Keegan,s ballads l Wnlch have been preserved through fhe eIlorts or MT Wallace. They tell the story or Ireland as the common peoDIa saw II at that time and will always ba I esaIaeu as q valuable acquisition to the literature of that country Y
 Although actively engaged in Ina irish struggle from childhood fo ina 'tlme when he paid the common dab+ or nature. still he held aloof from se- l creT bodies, and while performing val. uaDIe service on behalf of Ina sca,,eo l both with his tongue and pen. he in Varlably refused to become san enI.oiIad l lue1lDer or any of the national bodies
 With tne exception of the land leaoI,a
 WHICH ne Jolned i'll this town T never
 vas fenlan, he said a short time be- .seas HIS li' sieath 70 Democrat reporter.
 lol tne reason that l witnessed toe and thought that all things consideraa' the Irish cause could be best saryad h1 1s,, contendlng for it's rights in broad day. Hgnt. but 1 never had any differences
 with the Fenians They were ; noa1e
 pody of men and had it not been fo,. the deception practiced upon fhem nv
 lew people they would have led Ena
 iand good dance and probably foroed
 her hand Just as O'Connel did e1 zvbe1
 he compelled the Iron Duke lyVellinp. l Ion) to push the test oath aside so that
 he and others who didn't believe in it l might not be denied .the right to renra- I sent constituencies ill the bouse of commons '7s VI
 ln the old country MT Wallace ,vas
 an occasional contributor te the news- I papers. and wrote some able articles fo,. I the Nation and other Journals dnrir5g
 the animated discussions that look
 place during the arrest and fnprison-
 ment of O'Connell and the subseouent
 attack by the government upon the I Ioung Ireland party. He spent some time in England, where he was a mis-
 sionary among his ceuntrymen in the interests of the Irish cause. and was I instrumental ill securing funds to aid
 several refugees to make their escape to France or to the United States.
 MT Wallace came to this country
 about fifty years ago and after spend