The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1883-01-27 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

THE CONSPIRACY TO MURDER  IRISH OFFCIALS.  EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS BY AN  INFORMKR.  Anything more startling than the statements made at the magisterial examination of the twenty-one persons charged with conspiracy to murder, held in Dublin on Saturday, could hardly hardly have been conceived. If the testimony of the "informer, Robert Farroll " (who is one of the persons arrested under Mr. Curran's warrant) is reliable,his evidence reveals a state of affairs which, to the people of Dublin at least, is utterly astounding. All the rumours of the past few days of the nature of the evidence to be produced by the Crown—startling as they were—have been surpassed altogether by the unpreeedentedly novel and astonishing character of the evidence as it was actually given. Bearing, as it does, upon the chief of the numerous crimes which have blackened the name of this city within even a year past, its importance cannot be misjudged, and the issue of this serious and gravely important. charge is looked forward to with anxious interest by all who are interested in the preservation of law and order. Mr. George Keys, Q.C., and Mr. Woodlook were the magistrates appointed to conduct the investigation, and they took their seats on the bench of the Northern Police Court shortly before one o'clock, and a little while afterwards Mr. C. J. O'Donel, chief Magistrate, also took a seat on the bench. The court and its precincts were crowded, , but great care was exercised in the admission of the public, most of the occupants of the building being policemen and detectives in plain clothes. Mr. , Hamilton, Under Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant, and Mr. Jenkinson, Director of the Criminal Investigation Department were present. The prisoners, who had been brought down from Richmond gaol in the prison vans under a strong police escort, were placed in the 'look at a quarter to one. The accused represent many stages of life, from men whose hair is tinged with the grey of age down to persons who are only approaching manhood. Some of the prisoners were defended by Mr. J. B. Belleen Mr. Gerold B. Warne, Mr. M'Clure, and Mr. J. J. Walsh, solicitors. After a brief statement by the counsel for the Crown, the first witness called was a young man named Farrell, who had been one of the men in custody. Mr. Murphy said they would at once proceed to call evidence establishing the existence of an organisation which had produced the recent terrible assassinations in Dublin, and that the prisoners were connected with it. _  _ Robert Farrell, a young man thirty years of age, was then called. He stated that seven years ago he was sworn in a member of the Fenian Brotherhood. He identified some of the prisoners as being at the meeting. Threepence per week was paid by the members for arms, and rifles and revolvers were supplied. The city was marked out in districts. There were at times military inspections, and they had a general. Some of the accused had position in the-brotherhood. The members were sworn to obey the !superior officers like good solhers. The picked men of the organisation formed an assassination committee. They did not know each other. The " Stephenite " was under the sole direction of Stephens; the Council was elective. Daniel Curley invited witness months ago to join an inner circle, the members of which would not know each other, excepting himself and his lieutenant. Curley gave him a revolver, and told him to stop the Chief Secretary's carriage on the bridge opposite Ellis Quay, near the Royal Docks, and Jim Kelly and Joe Brady would do the remainder. A carriage passed, and Peter Doyle said it was all up. The Inner Circle was composed of men employed to assassinate Government officials. The witness proceeded to give details of a plot to assassinate Mr. Forster, explaining how the members were stationed at different points, and how Mr. Forster's carriage was allowed to pass through mistake. He went on to give details of the attempt on Mr. Field's life and the manner in which the assassination was sought to be carried out. The witness said it was a mistake to suppose the Fenian organisation was dead. The Assassination Society was based on that Brotherhood. He regretted that he had ever joined the society. It was a complete delusion; there were parties in Ireland who lived by it. After his evidence had been read over, the prisoners were remanded for a week.