The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-08

IA Wolfe Tone as one of their great 4 A est patriots and martyrs. He may be said to have been the founder of the United Irishmen's party. This was at 1 first purely political and constitutional | movement, but later, in 1794, it became a secret society, combining men of all | beliefs for the purpose of throwing off
 the yoke of England.
 Tone was born in Dublin, the son of
 a eoachmaker, on>June 20, 176S. A de- creo of the court of chancery in 1790 had ruined his father, and abandoning his profession of the law he took to politics. From this on he worked ultimately for the cause of the United Irishmen, but the English government, having extend ed its hand to break up the organization of the revolters, Tone was compelled to flee to America to escape arrest. He was but a short while in this country when he sailed for France to seek help from the Directory for the forthcoming strug gle. He was successful. A fleet under Hoche set out for Ireland but storm scattered them. Tone, nothing daunted, next appealed to the Dutch republic for assistance. Again his efforts were crowned with success, but again he was disappointed on account of the elements. Finally Tone appealed again to France, and force of 1000 Frenchmen under Gen. | eral Humbert sailed for Ireland. The | ship with Tone on board was attacked by 1 five English battleships. The Irish pa triot fought with undaunted bravery and seemed to bear a charmed life. It was only when the vessel was full of
 dead and sinking that fighting ceased. Tone, who had fought like demon, was
 taken prisoner. When Tone was arrested he said: For the cause I feel prouder in my chains than if I was decorated with the Star
 and Garter of England!' He was carried to Dublin and was there courtmartialed, convicted of treason and condemned, all
 within AS hours.
 When Tone apepared for trial in the,
 room set aside for that purpose in the royal barracks of Dublin, on November 10, 1798. he appeared in his French uni form He. made an eloquent and touch- ing speech, avowed everything and de- clared his love for Ireland and believed in the necessity of a separation from Eng l mitted to poverty; left the bosom of my family, my wife, my children. and all that rendered life desirable. After an hon orable combat. in which I strove to emu late the bravery of my gallant com rades, I was forced to submit and was dragged In irons through the country, not so much to my disgrace to that of the person by whom such ungenerous and unmanerly orders were issued"
 For the reason that he had been tried
 by courtmastial fs a soldier, he de-
 manded soldiers death by shooting, but
 this his judges refused, and he was con
 demned to be hung. Then arose compli-
 cations. The French government. in
 whose service Tone was a brigadier gen eral. is said to have threatened, if he were hanged, to hang two British pris- oners of equal rank. Moreover, as Wolfe
 Tone had not been British soldier nor
 acknowledged by England to be French
 officer, his trial by military courtmartial
 was declared illegal. When the votes
 of the court which sat in his case were collected and submitted to Cornwallis he
 paid no attention to any criticism of in-
 ternational right. but immediately con
 firmed the verdict of guilty and directed
 that Tone should be hanged within 4S
 hours This was on Saturday. The following day Tone was informed
 that the lord lieutenant had refused his
 last request to be shot. On Monday Cur
 ran moved before Chief Justice ISfl-
 warden for a habeas corpus to bring him
 up for civil trial before the Kings bench
 then sitting. This was granted, but the
 authorities at the barracks refused to
 surrender him.
 All efforts to save him were too late,
 however, for during Sunday night Tone
 had, with a penlxnife, opened an artery
 in his neck. The morning found him well
 tering in his own blood but still living.