Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1883-05-05 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

KINGSTON, GIBNEY, & HEALY BEFORE THE MAGISTRATES.  MORE REVELATIONS.  On Friday afternoon at the Dublin Police Court—Mr O'Donel, the Chief Magistrate, presiding—Sylvester Kingston, Thos. Gibney, and Thos. Healey werej charged on remand with having conspired, together with other persons, to murder Joseph Poole and others. Mr George Bolton and Mr Samuel Anderson' prosecuted on behalf of the Crown. Mr McCune defended Kingston and Gibney, and Mr Tyrrel defended Healy. The , Court was densely crowded, and the greatest interest appeared to be taken in the proceed ings. Wm. Lamie was first examined, and said he ' had been a member of the Fenian Brotherhood since 1867. Some time ago the party in Dublin , divided into two parties, the Stephenite and the Council parties, and he joined the former. Poole was his brother- , in-law, and was in the same party. Farrell asked them to join the Council party, as they had more money to buy "tools," and this they accordingly did, together with Devine and a number of others. A. Vigilance was formed in October last at a meeting at which was present, amongst others, James Mullett, who, in fact, proposed its establishment. The object of it was not stated, but James Mullett said the first case to be investigated was a complaint against James Poole for taking a revolver and ammunition from Devine's house. Witness introduced two men. The members of the Vigilance could not tell the orders they received except to their own centre. He heard a little about the murder of a man named Kenny in the city. A man named Byrne told him that he used often to have to hide in consequence of having fired at Kenny twelve months before he was assassinated. Kenny and Byrne were members of the Stephenite party. Mr Sullivan, an auctioneer, was always the head of the Stephenite party in Dublin as long as he could remember. Witness had a conversation with him about Kenny, in the course of which he said shift any papers you have, and tell Poole to do the same, and you will soon hear from me" (Sullivan), and this was after witness told Sullivan that Kenny had said he (Sullivan) was a dissembler. Witness knew well that Kenny was to be murdered, but that word was never used. It was always "remove." On the night of the murder, and after it was committed, Poole came to witness's house, and said, "Get up, Kenny is gone." "Where," said witness. "Dead !" Poole replied. He and Poole then set towork among some papers, and while they were doing so Poole gave him an account of how the assassination was done. He said that as soon as Kenny was stabbed he called out, "Oh, Joe. And some of the men who were present said the damned knives were no good, and they might as well have chisels! After the deed was done they all ran off. He did not know anything about the murder of Bailey except the fact that it was done by the Stephenite party. Cross-examined: He knew nothing about Gibney and Healy except that the latter was a tailor and the other a tailor. He knew from Joseph Mullett that the Vigilance was formed to carry out the orders of the , Directory. The Vigilance Committee was , formed to obey all -orders received from the , Directory as to the " removal " of persons , within or without who were obnoxious. The . treasurer was reduced for threatening one of the men. There was an attempt made to break into his house to get arms, and such raids were frequently made on the Stephenites by members of the Council party. John Lyons, commission agent, proved having taken rooms for a literary club in Great Brunswick-street, and to having seen Kingston there. .  Mrs Maxwell deposed that a room in her house was occupied by young men, who held meetings on the evenings of Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and sometimes Saturdays. On the evening of the night Constable Cox was shot a very large meeting was held, and on the follow- I ing day there were two held—one in the morning, and the other in the afternoon. John Nevin, tailor, proved to the same men having asked him a week before Constable Cox was shot as to where Poole lived, but witness told them he did not know. The prisoners were then remanded for a week on the application of Mr Anderson, bail being refused.