The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-11-22

door was flung open and the boy.
martyr was first led out upon the
drop. His face, which: was deathly
pale, appeared working with effects
OF strong. mental agony. The high
priest Of English rule Oliver Irishmen,
Calcroft, came forward, placed the
treacheroals moose around Aliens
neck, pulled a thin white cap over
his ashen face, and then stopped and
securely tied his feet together. The
pinioing Of the arms. which had been
done in the cell, allowed his hands,
from the elbows downward, sufficient
freedom to clasp on his breast a cruel
fix, which ever and anon, as he spoke
aloud the responses Of the litany, the
poor young fellow seemed to press
closer and closer to his heart. !
Next O'Brien was led forth. On
his fine manly face the closest scrut-
my could not detect trace Of weak.
ness. He looked calmly and sadly
around; then, stepping UP to where
Allen stood capped and pinioned, he
clasped him by the hand, and kissed
him affectionately on the cheek,
speaking to him q word or two not
overheard. Then O'Brien himself was
placed by Calcraft on the drop, the
rope was fized upon his neck, the cap
was drawn on his face, and his feet
were securely bound.
Larkin was now brought out, and
led directly to. his place on the left
hand Of O'Brien, who was in the
middle. The sight of his two brother
martyrs capped and pinioned, and
with the f..tal cord around each neck,
semed to unman the poor fellow ut
terly. He stumbled on touching an
uneven plank on the scaffold, so that
many thought he had tainted; but it
was not so, though he unquestionably
was laboring to the last, turned and
looked at hts rencouragingly, and to
him also spoke few words In a low
tone.
Calcraft now disappeared from
view, and the three men stood for
moment before the multitude, their
voices ringing out clearly In the still
morning air, Lord Jesus, have mercy
on U.S. Suddenly the click Of the
bolts was heard; the three bodies sunk
through the traps; England's three
halters strained, and tugged, and
twitched convulsively for few mo-
ments and the deed was donelher ven
geance was accomplished.
That afternoon, her functionaries
bore to three gravepits in the prison.
yard three Jumps of lifeless clay, that
| few short hours before had been
three Of Gods noblest creatures. Like
Carton, they were flung into those
unconsecrated pits, and strewed with
quicklime. For this was British law
The wolf and the tiger leave same
vestiges of their victims but a special
ordinance of English law required
even the corpses of those martyred
1rishmen to be calcined.
They had purposed ADDRESSING the
crowd from the scaffold, but were
prevented from so doing by order Of
the government. They had each one
however, committed to writing. as al
ready mentioned. a last solemn mes
sage to the world. These declarations
Of the dying men were entrusted to
the care of their confessor, who event
ually gave them up for publication
They made more and more clear the
dreadful fact that the hapless men
had been cruelty sacrificed. Standing
as it might be said, in the presence o.
their God and Judge, they one and
all protested their innocence and de
clared the falseness Of the evidence
on which they had been convicted
But not in querolous repinning or de
nunciation were these truths pro
claimed, but in language and with
sentiments worthy Of men who pro
fessed the faith preached by the
Crucified on Calvary. Every lnie
breathed the pnrest humility, the
most perfect resignation, and the
most intense devotion to God. mingled
with the most fervent love Of country
Those men were all af humble circum
! stances in life, and. with the excep
ton OF O'Brien, had but slight liter
airy advantages: yet the simple path
os, beauty, and eloQuence Of their dy
ing messages moved every heart.
/