Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-26

Half q century ago 1O men were
executed under sentence of the law on
the same day in
Execution Of Ten three different
Molly Maguires. e sNIvanis a. These
men were members of an infamous or
ganization in the coal regions known
as the molly Maguires." Their
crimes were numerous and their de-
lection and conviction were matters
Of the keenest national interest for a
long time. The Star Of June Fl, 1877,
thus describes the organization and
some of those who on that day paid
the final penalty for their crimes.
Thomas Duffy, who instigated the
murder of Policeman Yost, came to
this country with his parents at an
early age. He is about 80 years old,
unmarried and by profession an en-
gineer. When arrested he was at his
post in the engine room at the Buck
Vile colliery, near Tamaqua. He was
in the habit of getting drunk and this
led to frequent encounters with the
Tamaqua police, in one Of which
Policeman Yost used more violence
toward the refractory Irishman than
was consistent with a Molly's idea of
justice, and Duffy determined to have
revenge. Under the Mollies' code it
was only necessary for the body
MASTER or president of one lodge. to
will mans death. He could then
call upon the body master of any
other lodge to furnish the assassins
and it was only common courtesy to
grant the request. Kerrigan was
nominally body master of the Tam
lodi al nd ha
Duffy were boon companions. Accord
ingly, when Duffy communicated to
his body master his desire to have
the policeman put out of the way
Kerrigan readily complied, and James
Carroll, a saloon keeper, who on &C.
count Of Kerrigan's inability to read
and write, was the real head Of the
lodge, also gave his consent. About
this time Duffy met James Roarity,
body master Of Coaldale division, in
Carbon County, and offered him S. to
shoot Yost. Roarity accepted, and as
his division happened just then to be
contemplating the murder of John T.
Jones, an exchange of courtesies was
easily arranged.
James Carroll was IS years Of age.
a native Of [Wilkes.Barre, Pa. He re.
moved to Tamaqua in 1872 and kept
a saloon there, which was a favorite
resort of the Molly Maguires. Carroll
took an active part in arranging the
Yost matter, concealed the assassins
in his saloon and sent them out, with
Kerrigan as guide, at the proper time
to do their work.
flames Roarity was of Irish birth
and came to America about 10 years
ago. He was about 81 years Of age.
h,.A Ill
of Coaldale, where he was employed
in the mines. He started on the day
previous to the. Yost murder to fulfill
his horrid agreement, but was over
taken by a messenger, who told him
Of his wife's confinement and he
turned back. The rest of the party
met as agreed at Carroll's saloon.
Roarity's absence was explained and
substitute was promptly found among
the habitues of the place. This was
James Boyle, a young Irisher miner
who had previously borne good char.
acter, except that he was known to
be dissipated. He went with Kerrigan
and Mcclellan on the fatal errand and
fired one shot at the policeman, which,
however, missed it's mark.
Hugh Mcclellan was the principal
actor in the tragedy. He was young,
only "a at the time of the murder, and
was ambitious to distinguish himself
among his fellows. He knew there
was no better way to rise to emf
hence in Molly Mcguire circles than
by killing a man. He had, besides.
private grudge to settle. He had
made himself obnoxious at the Sum-
NIT Hills mines, where he had for.
merly been employed. and had. or
thought he had, been blackiisted. so
he could not nfbtain work in the neigh
borhood. bscharged John r. Jones