The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-11-27

esAASA 4AA SAOAuCAAS WO4uS ZIG 1CSISCO NA40
story Of the execution, which is famil.
lar to the Irish the world over. His
utterances were applauded to the echo
by an enthusiastic audience. The fol-
lowing account of the tragedy and tho
circumstances that led up to it is Civ
en- for the instruction 81 the rising
generation:
The. Fenian movement had many
sympathizers in the city of Manches-
ter in 1857. Two of. the most active
conspirators, identified as Kelly and
Deasy. were arrested in September Of
that year. An attempt was made to
rescue the prisoners one day as they
were being conveyed to the county Jail
ct Stafford. The prisoners were placed
in a van and locked in separate COM
partments under the care of twelve
policemen. Under the railway arch
which spans Hyde road at Bellevue,
man darted into the middle of the
road, raised a pistol and shouted to
the drivers to pull up. At the same
time party Of about thirty men, pow
erfully built and armed with revolvers.
sprang over the wan beside the road,
surrounded the van and seized the
horses, one of which was shot. The
police took to flight. The rescuers pro-
duced hatchets, hammers and crow
bars, with which they sought to open
the van. It was slower work than
they imagined. and soon the police re-
turned, accompanied by considerable
crowd. Some twenty of the rescuins
party formed a ring around the van,
and with pistols pointed, kept back the
policemen and the crowd, over whose
heads shots were fired from time to
time. Finally, in desperation, one Of
the attacking party fired through the
lock. Unfortunately the bullet struck
an officer, one Sergeant Brett, who fell
mortally wounded. The prisoners We're
rescued and hurried away to place
Of safety. The police and the crowd
then attacked the rescuers. Many of
them were stoned and severely beaten.
One of them, recognized as one of the
young men who entered the van to
Kelly, and who was afterward
identified as William Philip Allen, was
knocked down by blow from brick,
then kicked and stoned while he lay
on the ground. Manchester was mad
with excitement that night. On Mon
day, the 28th of October, William Phil
Up Allen, Michael Larkin, Thomas
Mcguire, Michael O'Brien and Ed
ward Condor were arraigned for the
wilful murder of Sergeant Brett. AL
though it was plain that the death of
the latter was an accidental and not a.
premeditated murder, the prisoners
were convicted after an unfair trial
and sentenced to death. All five were
condemned to die. - although. it was
proven afterwards that several Of the
condemned were not even present at
the ARRAY.
The night before the execution
great crowd assembled outside the
walls of the jail; their conduct was
simply outrageous. They sang songs
of ghoulish triumph at the expense OF
the condemned, who were preparing
for death. "F'rom the first" says
published account, "the prisoners ex-
hibited deep, fervid religious spirit,
which could scarcely be surpassed"
In the cold. gray morning of the
23rd of November, 1857, Allen, Larkin
and O'Brien were led out to die. Such
a concourse Mad never before attend
ed Manchester execution as thronged
around the jail. Long files of bayo-
nets reached on all sides. A temper
airy platform ran some length at each
end Of the scaffold, but inside the
prison wall was occupied by detach-
ments Of the seventy-second High
landers, who stopped behind the mas
onry, with the muzzles of their loaded
rifles resting on the top. Even the
savage crowd hushed for a moment at
the death bells toll, and soon the con-
demned appeared. Allen came first.
He was deadly pale. but walked with
firm and steady tread. Next came
Larkin, greatly overcome and treni-
bling with emotion. Last stepped
forth o'Brien whose Arm and dignified
bearing was the admiration of all who
beheld him. Before he was placed
upon the trap he moved to where his
two comrades stood, capped and pin