The Irish standard., 1907-03-16

leader then entered the van, and set
ting Kelly and Deasy free, hurried
them away with a body-guard across
the fields. Their object accomplished,
the attacking party dispersed in all
directions, but the police having, mean
while, returned with considerable
crowd, they were pursued and several
of them captured. A special commits
sion was issued for the trial of the
prisoners. five of whom We're indicted
for the murder of Sergeant Brett. The
case for the Crown was that the police
officer was deliberately aimed at
through the open ventilator and shot.
For the prisoners it was contended that
his death was due to misadventure,
and not to deliberate design, the re-
volver having been fired through the
keyhole solely with view to smash
ing the lock. All the prisoners were
convicted Of murder; two were re-
prieved Gone of them, marine named
Mcguire. was proved not to have been
present at the rescue and to have had
no sympathy with the Fenians) and
Allan, Larkin and O'Brien were pub
licly hanged. in presence of an enor-
nous crowd, before Stafford Jail on
November 23d, 1867. The leader of
the rescue party. Allan, carpenter by
trade, was only nineteen. Not the
least extraordinary feature of this dar-
ing enterprise was that Kelly and
Deasy, though handcuffed on being
rescued from the van, were never re-
captured.
The bodies of Allan, Larkin and
O'Brien were buried in quick-lime in
unconsecrated ground within the Jail.
The cross over the untenanted grave at
Glasnevin gives the names Of the men,
and simply records they were hanged
at Manchester and buried there in the
Jail 23rd Novr. 1867" There is another
inscription on the side of the base Of
the memorial. 1t runs-"Michael Bar
rett. hanged at Newgate, London, and
buried May 26th, 1868, in the jail-yard.
Requiescat in Pace. God save Ire
land" Three weeks after the execu-
tions at Salford,, on December 18th.
1867, barrel containing gunpowder
was exploded outside Clerkenwell Pris-
on, London, and breach sixty yards
wide made in the wall. The object Of
the perpetrators was to effect the res
cue Of two Fenian prisoners, named
Burke and Casey, who were expected
to be in the exercise yard at the time
Of the explosion. Had they been there
they would have been blown to pieces.
But fortunately for them they We're
confined to their cells that day, as in
formation of the plot had reached the
authorities. Such was the terrific
character Of the explosion that death
and ruin were spread around. Some
tenement houses opposite the prison.
inhabited by very poor people, were
demolished. Six persons were killed
outright; six died afterwards from
their wounds and shock; several went
injured. For this grossly stupid and
reckless deed-manifestly carried out
by persons ignorant of the full power
and reach Of a gunpowder explosion
five men and a woman were arrested.
They were all of the Irish laboring
class from Glasgow. Tried for murder,
one only was convicted, Michael Bar
rett, who was identified as the man
who trundled the barrel on a Wheel
barrow to the prison wall and applied
match to the fuse. 1t is a remark
able fact that despite the indignation
naturally aroused by Barrett's desper-
ate and wicked deed, his appearance
and demeanor in the dock and his genu-
Inc sorrow for the desolation caused by
the explosion most favorably impressed
the press representatives at his trial.
He was the last person that was pub
licly hanged in the United Kingdom.
That eminent journalist, Sir Wemyss
Reid, saw the execution outside New
gate prison. "Of the execution itself.
have only one thing to say" he
writes in his 'Memoire;' that is that
Barrett died in very different fashion
from any other murderer whom had
seen hanged. He faced death, in fact
like a hero, with undaunted mien, and
smile upon his pallid lips. I OBJ
served that his trousers were all frayed
and worn at the knees, and remarked
upon the fact to one of the warders
who was standing beside me. Yes,
he replied. he has been on his knees
praying ever since he was sentenced
James Stephens, Head Centre" OF
the Fenians in Ireland, is buried be-
side the memorial to the Manchester
Martyrs. In 1865 the government took
decisive action against the conspiracy
its weekly newspaper, the Irish Peo.