The Irish standard., 1908-04-25
Stirring Events in Connection With Excit.
ing Fenian Days as Told By Sur
viving Eye Witness.
The Evidence on Which James Whelan was
Convicted and Sentenced to Death
Purely Circumstantial.

S~N>~~>>~So -~O>-'
Thomas Darcy MCGEE was shot and
killed as he was about to enter the
Toronto House, on Sparks street, sit
uated OH the present site of the Citi-
zen building, says the Ottawa Citizen,
Of April 9Th.
The murder was the first and only
great political crime of the new ma
tion and despite the fact that nearly
half a century has rolled around, the
event is recalled and discussed more
than any incident in the history Of the
capital. 1t is a remarkable fact that
the date Of McGees murder is more
often asked for in newspaper offices
in this city than any other event in the
story of Ottawa, or indeed Of Canada.
MCGEE was only 43 years of age at
the time Of his death, but had already
gained world wide reputation as a
writer Of prose and poetry, while his
eloquence was a feature of all discus
sions in which he took part. Born in
Carlingford, Louth, in 1925, he emf
grated to America. when only II years
of age. His writings, all of which were
devoted to the cause of Irish inde-
pendence, soon attracted the notice of
the great O'Connell, who offered him
a position on the: staff of the Dublin
Freeman's Journal. McGee returned
to Ireland in 1S45 and affiliated himself
with the Young Ireland party, soon as
Stunning a prominent place in the coun-
ellis of the organization. The futile
revolution Of 1848 caused him to leave
Ireland and again take up his abode in
the United States. He contributed at
this period many bitter yet scholarly
articles to the Celt and the Nation,
breathing fiery dislike to all British
institutions. AS time wore on, how
ever, MCGEE, while intensely loyal to
the Irish cause, became less and less
enamored of the United States and ap-
parently realized that the Democracy
of that period, at any rate, was hardly
liberal enough to permit of the recog-
milton Of the talents displayed by one
of his race and religion.
In 1857 an invitation by the Irish
Catholics of Montreal induced him to
take up his abode In that city. He
found Canada the environment he de-
sired and soon became an enthusiastic
advocate of the advantages Of his
adopted land. His advocacy of Can
ada as the objective point of Irish
emigrants and his earnest efforts to-
wards tolerance and broad -mindedness
soon brought him into prominence.
Political .advancelxent followed and in
1853 he entered the administration of
Hon. John Sandf1eld Mcdonald, and
subsequently that of Sir r. P. Tache,
of which he continued a member until
the confederation act was passed. Nc
Gee had become, at this period, an op-
ponent of the Fenian movement and
denounced the whole scheme as a base
deceit at every opportunity. His in
fuence among thinking 1rishmen was
very great and his opposition grew
very annoying to the Fenian leaders.
During the last year of his life many
anonymous threats had been made
against him and his friends became So
licitous for his safety. There was a
strong Fenian element in Ottawa and
1t afterwards developed that the mur-
dered man had been closely watched
for months previous to his death.
The assassination of McGee in the
dawn of April 18th. 1868. is thus de-
scribed in the ottawa Citizen of that
date:
This morning, shortly after two
O'Clock this city was thrown into a
state of horror by report that the
Hon. Thos. Darcy MCGEE had been
assassinated at the door of his board
ing house in Sparks street. At first
the dire intelligence was scarcely
credited. But few who heard it could
resist the desire to enquire into the