The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-11-01

freely Joined circles, and the fame of
the brotherhood spread throughout the
county districts. Not only did re-
cruits come from the farmers, labor.
ers, artisans and clerks, but they came
from the students and Journalists of
the cities. fro mthe government Of
fees, from the police force, and thou.
sands of Irish soldiers in the British
army were enrolled.
In 1868, OLeary started new pa
per, the Irish People, with Hickman
and Luby as sub-editors, and through
this organ, they preached, for two
years, the doctrines of the Society.
and stirred up hatred of England.
me paper was cleverly written, but,
strange to relate, 1t was the cause of
their downfall. The offices of the
irish People became the Headquarters
OF the organization. but, unfortunate
y the editors, instead of destroying
the mass of correspondence which
passed through their hands weekly. al
owed 1t all TO accumulate on their
shelves, though every word was
source of danger to themselves and
to their friends. On Friday, Septem-
her 18th, 1865, the police, guided by
the informers, Nagle and Power, raid
ed the offices and seized all the pa,
oers. The result may easily be i'm
aglned. O'Leary, Luby, Hickman and
ODonovan Rosa were Immediately
arrested. and, within few weeks.
Stephens and many others, were add.
ed to the number.
On the morning of November 25th.
however, the government and their
friends were terrified, while the peo-
nle Of the country generally were
| 7greeably surprised to read in the
morning papers that Stephens had es-
capped from Richmond prison. It has
since transpired that some of the
warders themselves Fenians, had
opened the door for che Chief Two
days later, the others were brought
to trial before packed juries, presided
over by the renegade Keough. Rosa
was sentenced to penal servitude for
life, O'Leary, Luby and Hickman to
twenty years each, and hundreds of
others to shorter terms.
Inc scene now changes to America
whittier Stephens had fled after his
escape from Richmond Jail. He found
his American followers suspicious
both OF himself and of O'Mahony. In
1866, the opposition party organized
the famous EXPEDITION into Canada
In the latter part Of May, Fenian con-
slngents from every state in the Union
concentrated on the Canadian border
and, on the first day Of May, they
crossed Niagara, and took possession
Of Fort Erie on the Canadian side
During theCivil War, the Federal gov.
eminent, angry at the help given by
England to the South, had promised
help to the Fenians, but now these
promises were forgotten and the Am
erican troops weer sent to enforce the
ventrality laws. The small Fenia1.
force at Fort Erie, cut off from help
and supplies, after gaining one victory
at Limestone Bridge over the Queens
Own" were finally overpowered by SUI
perior numbers.
Stephens, to rehabilitate himself |
with his followers, now announced
that the real fight would take place
on Irish soil itself. When the time
arrived, he failed miserably to carry
out his promise, and his followers, in
disgust, elected Colonel Kelly in his
place. During the early portion of
1867, large numbers of Irish Ameri-
cans, mostly Civil War veterans, land
ed in Ireland. and in March, by order
of Kelly, the instruction broke out.
Fro mthe beginning 1t was foredoomed
to defeat. Its chief defect was that
when 1t decided to take the field, the
control remained in the hands of civil
ians, instead of being entrusted to the
military officers. It was a mistake.
too, to start the rebellion at a time
when England was at peace with the
world, and 1t was also a blunder to
start an. insurrection, with practically
unarmed men, in the depth Of winter.
The men. however, showed that, al
though they were deficient in military
knowledge, they were rich in courage
and devotion. On the night of March
9Th, the Fenian bands took the field
in Dublin, Louth ,Tipperary, Cork,
Waterford, Limerick and Glare. At
the end of four days, the insurrection
was all over with the exception of a
few scattered insurrectionists, who
kept up kind Of guerilla existence.
The last Of the insurgents to fall was
Peter O'Neill Crowley, a'Cork farmer.
O nthe morning of March 31st, he
and two companions were surprised in
Kilclooney Wood, and, when called on
to surrender, they opened fire on the
British soldiery. After brief COM
bat, he was slain, and his two COM
pantons were captured. Within the
next few months, the jails were filled,
and the judges were kept busy passing
sentence.
In the latter part Of the year, some
events occurred in Englund, which
showed the strength of the national
spirit that the movement aroused.
The first of these was the rescue of
two Fenian leaders, Kelly and Deasy,
from the prison van as it passed
through the streets of Manchester.
In the rescue, policeman accidently
lost his life, and five men, Allen, Lar
kin, O'Brien, Condor and Mcguire
were tried, convicted and sentenced to
death. Mcguire was subsequently par
doned. as 1t was proved conclusively
that he was not present, and Conden
was liberated as he was an American
citizen. The other three were hanged
ON November 23d. 1t is certain that
they attacked the prison van, but it
10 onno11v nortoin that fhov did !