The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-14


the men In the British army OF 800. 600
were In sympathy with the I'cnians
iheSc, or course, were irishmen which
ihe British government had been stead
lily enrolling in the service since the
famine OF 1SAS.
The Fcnian movement itself grew
out OF the failure of the Young Ire-
land movement In 1915. The hundreds
of thousands of lrishmcn in America
rot only gave the movement moral sup
port. but substantial support as we'll
The British government watched this
movement with great anxiety They
decided it WAS time for them to act
ON the 18TH of September. 1865, the
blow fell The newspaper, "Thc Irish
Peonlc.' which lad been for two years
the organ OF the movement, was seized
by the police. and its editors Iuby
o lcary and O'Donovan Rosa, were ar
rested. cRoiliy was iooKinE out OF
the barrack windows in Dublin on the
afternoon Of February -, lS6G. when he
saw one OF his fellow -conspirators ar
rested. My turn will bc next" he
said quietly. His prediction was veri-
lied, for lie was arrested within forty
EIGHT hours. lie was conveyed to the
ArOor INN military prison where he
was closely guarded, ana pressure was
brought 10 bear upon him to inform
against his comrades.
ON Wednesday,. Juno -, on the eve
of his twenty-sccond birthday, his trial
by court martial began in the mess
room OF the Eighty-iifth Regiment at
Royal barracks The charge was.
Having at Dublin. In January. 1866
come TO a Knowledge OF an intended
mutiny in Her Majestys forces I'm Ire
land. and not giving information of
SAID intended mutiny to his command
inI officer"
The prisoner was defended hy Mr.
pLouchlcu, and pleaded mot guilty"
Captain Whclan, OF the Twelfth Reg
imcnj, opened the case. \ number OF
irish spies who had joined the Fcnians
testified against o'Rcilly and other
prisoners. The trial was n farce Ec-
forehhnd every effort had been mad
TO induce O'Keiily TO inform against his
fellows. and having not done so. he
received no mercy. He was found
guilty, and. on July q, 1866. "A formal
sentence Of death was passed upon
! him II was only fornality. The
same day II was committed To life i'm
| prisoumcnt. ANA finally to twenty years
penal Servitude.
on Monday afternoon. September 3.
/ in tho itoyal Square OF the Royal Bar
racks, In the presence OF the Fifth
/ Dragon Guards ana q number Of other
regiments ORcilly had his sentence
read TO him, was stripped Of his mili-
/ tarY uniform, clothed in the convict :.
; dress ana escorted to Montioy prison
7 as convict @S+J.
After Il few days ORcilIy wa,
marched through the streets of Duh
lin chained ana shipped to England, 20
fcntonvllc prison, and from thence To
, Miilhaull prison To undergo term OF
solitary confinement. preliminary to the
severe physical punishment orduined In
| the sentence.
For attempting to escape OReMly
was taken from MillbaDk TO Ports
mouth prison. and finally to Dar,moor
This was tho worst prison in England.
and here o'Rciliy was compelled 10
work from morning TIL night knee
deep In water In the drains of the
marsh. Finally he was sent 10 the
penal colony In Australia. whore lie be
came such Il favoritc with the guards
that he VAS allowed unusual priv
ileres. lie escaped from Australia on
the Sth of February. 1868. on an Amer
lean vessel flying tn" stars and Stripes
ana engaged In whaling. He landed in
Philadelphia on the esd OF November
1868. and the following day tool, out
his first papers OF naturalization From
that on he was an American. heart
and soul