The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1883-01-20 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

IRISFI SECRET SOCIETIES. The struggle between the Y uthorities and the desperadoes who hav done so much to convert Ireland into Is howling wilderness is becoming a hand to hand one. The once wide-spread conspiracy seems to have been focussed into a comparatively small centre the list of proclaimed places in Ireland has, consequently, decreased from abnormally large proprtious to comparatively small ones—and the ruffians are seeing the mesh they have themselves woven closing more tightly around them. Early on Sunday morning nearly twenty men, one or two of them of good standing in the city, were arrested in Dublin on a charge of having conspired together to murder certain Government officials. Taken before the magistrates thvy were remanded for a week, though they whined about the hard way in which they were being treated. In reference to these remarkable and ! startling proceedings a correspondent, I writing from the Irish capital, says : There are rumours alloat to the effect I that at least four informers will be put into the witness box, and that the revelations to be made will occupy the magistrates some weeks. I have as yet  no definite information on the subject, but according to general report the evid,nce will be given on the part of the Crown of the Existence of the secret organisation in Dublin, and approvers will be produced with a view of showing that they belonged to it, that some of them were present when assassinations were discussed, and that they were actually assigned to participate in the murders. Detectives will be examined to testify that fr the past two years they have been ersyloyed on special political duty watching men suspected of or known to belong to illegal societies ; that they have closely observed their movements, have known them to attend private meetings held in stables, garrets, and back lanes, the utmost secrecy being observed ; and that they have seen some of the prisoners attend such meetings. They will be examined to prove that they have seen some of the prisoners in company, and apparently in consultation, in places notoriously frequented by men who either have been convicted, or are now awaiting trial, charged with murderous outrages or attempted assassinations. An effort will be made to prove that on the date of the Dorset-street mur or some of the accused had been in tke company of those actually posted in a certain part of the city for the purpose of a,sassinating a high Government official, but that the chances being unfavourable to the attempt it was abandoned for a better opportunity, which, as regarded the intended victim, fortunately never arose. It is said that it will be shown there was a plot at one time to destroy the Viceroy and his escort by means of bombs to be thrown from unoccupied dwellings or houses in ' course of construction. It is alleged that circumstances will be detailed as to how the murders were decided on, the reasons given, and the selection of the perpetrators made, the latter being responsible with their own lives for carrying out the decrees by means only known to themselves. Evidence will be forthcoming of the discovery and storage of arms in Dublin, and the seizures made from time to time.  *-... MR.