The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-03-13
An Irish Rebel
A Story For St. Patrick. Day
b. NORA MCCARTHY

By NORA MCCARTHY
of any importance was made to free
Ireland by violence. These revolutions
have always been the work Of the
Catholic party, which lives almost any
where In Ireland except in the province
Of Ulster, where many of the. people
are Professionals. So Ireland from the
beginning of her revolts has been in
the position she is now with reference
to home rule, Ulster against the rest
of the island.
One of the most earnest rebels In
this 1898 trouble was Patrick Mulligan.
a young fellow, who. like many an
other Irishman. was named for st.
Patrick. who introduced Christianity
into Ireland. "
After the Irish revolt of 1898 Pat
was found to be SO deeply dyed in
treason that all his inventive powers,
assisted by those of his friends, were
not sufficient to keep him from indict-
ment and trial. and he was sentenced
to be hanged by the neck until he was
dead. When the judge put OF the
black cap he asked the condemned man
if he had anything to say why SEN
tence of death should not be passed
upon him.
"Divil a word. your honor" said Pat.
with IN impressive bow to the judge.
have ! to say why sentence Of death
F, should not be passed upon me, for I'm
the worst rebel in Ireland, but l have
something to say when l shall be hang
ed. have the honor to bear the name
Of the patron saint Of Ireland. This
: year st. Patrick's day comes on Fri
day. two weeks from tomorrow, and
l should be obliged If your homer would
sentence me to die on that blessed
day."
The Judge granted this modest re-
quest and after he had passed sentence
asked Pat just why he wished to be
hanged on the saints anniversary. Pat
! replied that st. Patrick was stronger
than the king of England and would
have a care for any one who should be
swung off on that day.
The following two weeks were a
series of receptions on Pats part.
everybody he knew coming to the Jail
to see him and bringing him delica-
cies. Instead of acting like a man
who each day was twenty-fOur hours
nearer the gallows. the nearer drew
kl>1 k3~o~ ~ hfo 4vnorki1~ Tho ro1NNSnr
he grew. When asked by his friends
why he was in such good spirits he
said that he was named for st. Pat
rick. was to be hanged Of st. Pat
rick's day and divil a bit would the
saint suffer him to hang at all.
~ His faith affected his friends to such
an extent that they set about trying to
get a pardon for him. But Pat had
given the government so much trouble.
not only in times of open rebellion. but
of unrest. that they were determined
to get rid Of him. So Pats friends
were obliged to try another plan. One
of them. a cobbler. riveted together
some straps to go under his arms with
a hook at the back of the neck. An
other told Pat of the plan to save him
from death. while a third the night be-
fore the execution got the sheriff
drunk, and in the morning he was not
in a condition to oficiate on the scat
fold. So he appointed a deputy. and
that deputy was the man who got him
drunk.
When Pat was brought out to be
hanged he made a bow to the crowd
waiting to see him swung of and said:
Good morning to you. 1t gives me
great pleasure to afford you amusement
on this blessed morning." He was led
up on to the scafold and. acting on
the instructions he had received. OBJ
jected to the rope on the ground that
1t was not safe. being too light and
might let him down and hurt him. So
another rope was produced. and the
deputy sheriff when he came to slip
the moose over Pats head contrived to
catch the end in the hook at the back
Of the neck,
Now, there were those present who.
If they had perceived what was going
on. would have reported the fact, and.
though Pat might have been saved for
the time being. he would have later
been strung up in earnest without
waiting for another st. Patrick's day
to come around. So the deputy was
obliged to 60 through the motions. and
the rope was put around the neck of
the culprit. It was intended that the
hook should relieve the strain entire
Nv. but IT did not work as well as ex-
pected. and Pat was Jared s%enseless.
The deputy was obliged to let him
hang an hour. but by setting ahead the
hands Of his watch he reduced the
time to forty minutes. Then Pat was
cut down. put into a coffin and driven
away in a cart.
The jogging Of the cart resuscitated
him, and he wal about to sit up when
he was held down by a friend, and 1t
was not till the cart struck a wood
that he was taken out OF his grewsome
receptacle. He was then given a dis
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