The Irish standard., 1907-03-16

as to those who for it's cause braved
the cell and scaffold. The inscription
on a conspicuous coffin shaped stone
testif1es that it was erected "in men,
ory of Constable Charles O'Neill, of
the Metropolitan police, who was as
sassinated in the city of Dublin goth
April, 1866, in the execution of his
duty" and that it was a tribute from
his comrades .'.to commemorate the
melancholy event, and to mark their
admiration of his gallant conduct and
the esteem in which he was held by
every member of the service" Late at
night O'Neill. going the round of his
beat saw man tearing down copy
Of the proclamation offering a reward
of $1,000 for the apprehension of
James Stephens. and in an attempt to
arrest him was shot dead. Dublin has
always been the storm centre Of the
revolutionary movement. The records
of two more victims are to be read
on the tombstones of the burial place
of the Dublin Metropolitan police.
Joseph DAILY, oath Sept. 1881, aged 2e
years." John Cox. 25th Novr. 1882,
aged % years" After each is the ter
rible inscription Murdered in the dis
charge of his duty" starting out gar
ingiy in led from tine black lettering Of
the stone.
Sacred to the memory of Thomas
Henry Burke, Esq, murdered in the
Phoenix Park. May 9Th. 1882. He
pleased God and was beloved-Wis-
DOM" Such. is the inscription that
marks the grave of the under secre-
tary of Ireland. the victim, with the
chief secretary, Lord Frederick Caven-
dish. Of the most disastrous blow ever
struck at Ireland by Irishmen. For
ster, the chief secretary, and Earl
Cowper, the vfceroy, had resigned be-
cause the Gladstone cabinet refused
any longer to support their policy of
suppressing the Land League agitation
by coercion. Their successors, Lord
Frederick Cavendish and Earl Spencer,
who were to try conciliation, entered
Dublin together that fateful Saturday,
the sixth of May, 1882. Having trans
acted business at the Castle both left,
separately, for their official residences
in the Phoenix Park. Lord Spencer
rode to the Viceregal Lodge, with a
small escort. Cavendish drove on an
outside car. Inside the park gates he
overlook Burke, who was on foot; and
dismissing his car joined his subordi-
driven from the Castle, followed on
another car by the police employed to
watch him; but instead of going direct
to the under secretary's lodge, which
was his usual custom, he got off the
car at the park gates, tempted, no
doubt, by the prospect of an exhilirat-
ing walk through the beautiful park
that pleasant summer afternoon, and
his police guard thought it needless to
follow him on foot. Four Invincibles.
armed with surgeons knives, were ly-
ing on the grass in wait for him, and
they stabbed him to death, opposite
the Viceregal Lodge. Who Cavendish
was they were unaware, but he went
to the assistance of his companion
with no weapon than his umbrella and
they slew him also. Earl Spencer saw
the scuffle from his window, all un-
suspecting it's fearful import. How in
explicable is Fate! On what little
things do tremendous deeds depend!
If Burke had driven home the entire
way history would not have had to
record the Phoenix Park assassina-
tions.
1t was In the middle Of January of
the following year that the perpetra-
tors of the crime were detected. Seven
teen men, mostly belonging to the me-
chanic or laboring class, were arrested.
Among them, however, was a builder
named James Carey who, beginning
life as bricklayer, had prospered,
was member Of the Dublin Corpora
ton, and was spoken of as a future
lord mayor. At the inquiry before the
magistrates a car driver not only iden-
titled four Of the Invincibles in the
dock, whom he had driven to the park,
but swore tina. Carey gave the signal
for the murder of Burke, by waving a
white handkerchief. The next day the
court sat, Carey took his place on the
j witness stand as an informer, to the
! utter confounding of his accomplices.
He told the whole story of the In
vincible Conspiracy. AS the result
mainly Of his testimony five men We're
hanged and three were sent to penal
servitude for life
After the trials the government de-
spatched Carey, with his family, 10
South Africa. But the avenger was on
his path. He was shot by Patrick