The Irish standard., 1903-01-31
A Sentence of Death is Passed Upon Him
for Taking Up Arms Against
Queen Victoria
Belief is Current That King Edward Will
Exercise Clemency and Save
His Useful Life.


high treason for leading the Irish bri.
gade Of the Boer army, was sentenced
on Jan. % to be ''taken to the place OF
execution and there be done to death
after the manner provided" by Lord
Chief Justice Alverstone, who presil.
ed at the trial in London.
Lynch took his sentence coolly.
When asked if he had anything to say
before sentence was rendered he re-
piled: 'Thank you, will say nothing"
After the sentence he simply bowed
his head to the Court and was taken
away by the warders. The Lord Chief
Justice gave Mrs. Lynch permission
to see her husband.
1t is almost certain that Lynch will
never be executed but that his SEN
-tence will be, reduced to term Of i'm
prisonment, probably ten years, by the
King, or to exile to some foreign coun-
try, as Ireland would be thrown into
a state of red hot indignation should
he be put to death, says the London
correspondent of the Chicago Exam
iner.
The conviction of Colonel Lynch has
caused tremendous sensation. Not
in sixty years had there been trial
for high treason, and it is questionable
if any one lives who can recall the de.
tails Of that trial and the feeling it
created. Already an appeal has been
made to the King to save Lynch from
the death penalty.
There are three ways of carrying
out the death sentence: The convicted
man may be hanged, or shot, or hanged
drawn and quartered. The last named
is the most revolving manner Of ex
ecution ever conceived in civilized
country. It consists of the disem
boweling of the prisoner while YET
alive, and the burning of his bowels
before his eyes if he still retains life
enough to realize what is being done
then hanging, and finally quarterine
the body.
There is no chance that this awfu
mode Of execution will be followed
The British authorities would fear tot
much the effect such an atrocit,
would have on the civilized world
Shooting has fallen under the ban OF
popular condemnation as a means o1
taking mans life. That plan is moi
likely to be followed in this case
either. There is a chance, however
that Lynch will be hanged, notwith
standing many persons believe the
King will show clemency and change
his sentence to imprisonment.
Lord Chief Justice Alverstone's rul
ings in the case of the Boer hero were
based OH the law governing high trea
son in the statute of Edward I'LL, vol
ume %. Almost every clause under
the heading High Treason" has since
been changed or modified except the
one under which Lynch was sentenc
ed. Here is the substance of the
clause in question:
"Any subject of the crown shall be
sentenced to death, either shot, hang
ed, or hanged, drawn and quartered
for adhering to the Kings enemy
The crime is high treason"
When the court opened OH Jan. 2:
the room was crowded by those who
expected an early finish. Few wit
nesses were called by the defense
Counsel Shea, for Lynch, said that he
did not deny that Lynch fought on the
Boer side, but claimed that his client
was a naturalized citizen of the Trans
vaal Republic.
Colonel Lynch took the oath of al
legiance to the South African Repub
lic," he said, ''in order to facilitate his
newspaper work and be able to ac
company the Boer commandos with
out fear of court-martial. When ht
arrived in South Africa he had nc
idea of joining the Boer commandos.'
The death sentence has caused spec
ulation as to how the sentence will bt
executed, should the death verdict be
maintained. There are three ways, ac