The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-08-10
Tells How England Was Forced by the In
fuence of the United States to Re-
spite and Free Him.
A Joint Resolution of Congress Led President
Hayes to Ask For and Secure the
Release in 1873.

1 was lneSpreSSlnlE Saddened ana
shocked by the news of Monsignor
Gadd's death. says Edward O'Meagher
Condor in the Irish World. On return
ing here a few days ago. read in Tho
Irish World that the venerable prelate
had just celebrated his seventieth
birthday, and was about to send him
a letter of congratulation. Now l will
have Mass celebrated for the repose
of this good priests soul.
The statements in some of the trans
Atlantic papers with regard to the
preparation for death of Allen. Lar
kin. O'Brien. and myself at Manches-
ter in 1867 are not entirely correct.
Monsignor Gadd was not the only
priest who attended the prisoners
There were two others. equally zeal
Gus and sympathetic. One was the
kindly and faithful Father Quick of
st, AuSustine's, whom last met many
years aeo at a reception given him
after his Xrrival ia New York by Mr.
Patrick Ford Of The Irish World at
the latter's home in Brooklyn. He
died sometime since in the West. The
other devoted priest and friend was
Canon Cantwell Of ST. Patrick's who,
l trust, still survives. Fathers Quick
and Cantwell. as we'll as Monsiznor
Gadd. visited us every day in the Old
Bailey, after the passing of sentence
of death. and all three accompanied
the victims to the scaffold.
The floor of that structure was on
a level with the hattlements on top
of the wall enclosing the prison yard,
and stood over 30 feet above the
ground. Along the wall on the inside,
was erected a gallery. ON which was
ranged a line Of red-coats. kneeling
and facing the embrasures. SO that
they could act II rescue We're at
tempted. The street at each end of
the Jail wall was closed by heavy
timbers running across 1t, outside of
| "ulCIl WSle vi thNdI hC
front and ends Of the scaffold were
covered with some black stuff which
extended from about 5 feet over the
floor to within a few yards of the
ground. 80 that only the heads of
those standing on It could be seen
from the roofs Of the houses opposite
The English rabble. who had crowd
ed every available view point, from an
early hour on the evening before. were
at least deprived Of the qualification
Of witnessing the death throes Of the
dying men.
The story that @ Brien continued to
breathe for three-quarters of an hour
after the bolt was drawn is, of course
incorrect. He indeed struggled long
est, and, as the heads of the dying
men were. while suspended. nearly on
a level with the scaffold. the Monsign-
or knelt down and grasped his hand
retaining it until the pulse ceased tc
beat When the surgeon declared
that the three were dead. the bodies
were dawn up. brought down from
the scaffold. put into rough boxes and
these into hole dug in the Jail yard
They were then covered with heaps OF
quick lime before the covers were put
on
was still kept in the condemned
! CELL the windows of which were
strongly barred. and covered with
black painted planks. so that might
not see what took place. But I could
not help hearing clearly the combined
growl. srunt, and roar which burst
from the sodden and seething mass
OF half-drunken and crazy wretches
who had assembled to gloat over the
dying struggles of the heroic Irish
men. These creatures had been wait
ing very eagerly for the spectacle all
through the night; yelling. shouting
squabbling and screaming out obscene
songs. 90 loudly that we were kept