Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1883-04-07 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

THE PATRIOTIC BROTHER HOOD CONSPIRACY. SENTENCES ON PRISONERS.  At the Assize Court, Belfast, Mr. Justice Lawson has passed sentence on the twelve men who were lately convicted of having conspired to murder certain landlords and other persons unknown in Crossmaglen, in the county Armagh, on February 18, 1881, and on other dates before and after that time. ' '  Dennis Nugent, Joseph Daily, Thomas Kelly, John M‘Bride, Michael Watters, and Edward O'Hanlon were placed in the dock. On being asked if they had anything to say why sentence should not bepronounced upon them, Nugent replied, I'm not gailty ; " Daily and the others saying " Neither am I; neither am I." Mr. Justice Lawson then proceeded to commentupon the nature of the circumstames which had brought them to the dock. He did not wonder at the depth of moral degradation to which the men of Crossmaglen had fallen in consequence of the machinations of such men as the prisoners. His lordship dwelt on the heinous add terrible nature of the crime of which they had been convicted. Ile considered that Michael Watters, the writer of the threatening letters which had been sent to various persons, to he the greatest criminal of them all, but between him and the prisoners Daily, Nugent, and Kelly he would make no distinction,and would accordingly pass sentence of ten years' penal servitude upon them. As to M'Bride, he had carefully considered the circumstances under which he had been connected with the conspiracy, and he felt that justice would be met in his case by a sentence of seven years' penal servitude. Having regard to the position of O'Hanlon, who had been proved to have been the first to give information to the police as to the existence of the society, his lord:• red upon him a sentence of only five years' penal ervitu.  The prisoners did not exhibit any emotion, but turned round and quietly left the dock. _ _ _ . -  Peter fle'velin, Patrick Finnegan, Patrick Geoghegan, James Hanratty, Peter Coleman, and Bernard Smyth were then put forward. They made no reply when asked the usual question before being sentenced. Judge Lawson again dilated on the terrible consequences which most follow the wrongdoings of neon who took part in secret societies for the purpose of murder and rebellion. Who, he asked, were those who banded themselves together to "overthrow the Government?" email farmers, tailors, shopkeepers, and schoolmasters. These were the people who were to regenerate their countrymen. His lordship commented on the foolishness and criminality of those who formed themselves into secret societies with such objects, and the utter futility of such proceedings. He would not make any distinction between the prisoners, but would pasi upon each a sentence of ten years' penal servitude.  The prisoners seemed stunned by the sentence pronounced, and sat looking at his lordship until they were motioned by the warders to leave the dock. Bernard Smyth's son, a boy of fifteen years of age, who sat near the dock, called oat," My lord, my father is not guilty," and Bernard Smyth himself clung to the dock rail, protesting his innocence loudly to his lordship. He had to be removed by force to the cells below. Immediately the men left the dock the crowd that thronged the court began to disperse, and, there being no other business to be disposed of, the fiStiZes were brought tot close.