The Life Story of an Old Rebel

also "Rossa," after his native place) was identified, were the first public manifestations of what developed into the great organisa

rganisation for the attainment of "Home Rule." As I was chief organiser for the League in Great Britain, and was in the, office at the time, I was introduced to his old comrade (who had, he said, often

efuge one day, about the beginning of 1866, whe

. Though we had not met, I had heard of him from mutual friends from time to time as

idea had been in his mind regarding me; our object being the same-my initiation in

lysis their language and arguments appear to me to be meaningless. A study of the history of the world and of the origins of civil power show

ses in the imposition of responsibilities upon himself. The application of this to Ireland is obvious, and it explains why in so many cases a man who has been a rebel in Ireland has afterwards risen to the highest place i

e was every likelihood of the success of the movement. It will be remembered that during these years the great Civil War in America was going on, in which many thousands of our fellow-countrymen, were engaged on both sides, mostly, however, for the North. A great number of these had entered into this service chiefly with the object of acquiring the military training intended to be used in fighting on Iri

duce me to join the I.R.B.; consequently, one of the first things he did was, at my request, to adminis

Liverpool, and he describing to me many of the adventures of himself and other prominent men in the movement, which were to

ommunication in the organisation. In this way I was, for several years, brought i

ely acquainted. Bravest among the brave, as they proved themselves at many a critical moment, there were none more prudent. Joh

y, the outside arrangements in connection with the escape of the C.O.I.R. (Chief Organiser o

ries had disagreed on his case, he was released. Breslin, the chief instrument in the rescue, was not suspected. He simply bided his time until he took his annual holiday, from which he never returned, leaving the country before there was any suspicion of h

e Christian Brothers in Liverpool. He was one of the men picked out by Colonel Kelly to be on guard when the "old man"-one of Stephens' pet nick-names-came over the prison wall. Ryan was a fine type of an Irishman, morally, intellectually and physically. As Stephens slipped down from the wall, holding on to the rope, he came with such f

ert, a trusted member of the I.R.B. Though his name was well known to the initiated at the time,

and Kinsale when engaged in their regular work. The owner, who was delighted to have a hand in such an enterprise, was a warm-hearted and patriotic Irishman, Patrick De

Brotherhood, and was greatly pleased to be called upon for active service in Ireland, and, sailing from New York, he reached Dublin on the 27th of July, 1865, when he reported himself to the C.O.I.R. He was entrusted with the payment of the American officers then in Ireland and Great Britain, which duty, I need scarcely say, involved his keeping in constant touch with them. In this way I, from time to time, came in contact with him in Liverpool, and was much impressed with the perfect way in which he carried out his arduous duties. Before Stephens left for America, in March, 1866, he directed Captain O'Rorke to send all the officers not arrested, and then in Ireland, over to England. This was a proper measure of prudence, as the Irish Americans would be less objects of suspicion, and less liable to arrest here than in Ireland. He had fifty officers, and sometimes more, to provide for as Paymaster, or, as the informers and detectives

" Being asked what he was, he said he was a Pagan. No, they said, they could not accept that-they had headings in their books, "Roman Catholic," "Protestant," and "Presbyter

to seize the large store of arms then in the Castle. In connection with this, arrangements had been made for the cutting of wires, the taking up of rails, and the seizure of sufficient engines and waggons to convey the captured arms to Holyhead, whence, a steamer having been seized there for the purpose, the arms were to be taken to Ireland, and the standard of insurrection ra

he side of the South in the American Civil War. He was a thorough type of a guerilla leader. With his well-proportioned and strong

rcourse with him, you found him just as genial as he looked. He was a man of distinguished bearing, who you could imagine would fill with grace and dignity the post of Irish Ambassador to some friendly power. He was a Wexford man, full of the glorious traditions of '98. He took an

ing the Chester raid, he frequently called

him on their way to Chester, and afterwards to Ireland, for the rising on Shrove Tuesday. And yet these were th

olunteered for any duty that might be allotted to me. It was settled that I should hold myself in readiness to carry out when cal

surveyed the ground, and besides the required personal assistance, had in readiness crowbars, sledges, and, among other implements, the wrenches for unscrewing the n

the leaders had learned in time of Corydon's betrayal o

projected Chester expedition un

mployment gets so accustomed to his fellow-passengers that he knows most of them by sight. But this morning it was different. In a sense some of those I saw were strangers to me, but I had

he morning's papers I got the explanation-

ck-and were now on their way through Liverpool to their homes in various parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire. It seemed that the in

ked men, some on the Sunday night and some early on the Monday morning, and that the promptness and cheerfulness with which the order was obeyed was astonishing; so that, probably, not le

ore, who had already reached Chester were sent back, and men were placed at the railway stations and on the roads leading to Ches

ol Head Constable, who at once communicated with Chester, whe

s circumstances in connection with him. A man resembling him in appearance, and evidently disguised, had been seen in company with individuals supposed to be police

s performer. He wore a frock coat, buttoned tightly, to set off a by no means contemptible figure, and carried himself with a jaunty, swaggering air, after the conventional style of a theatrical "professional." He was about the middle heigh

apers spelled his name-if it were his name, which is very doubtful, for it w

f the cases in the police court. I was told by someone in Court that the man whose hand Sylvester was so cordially shaking was the noted informer, Corydon. I was very

e ready for the Rising, but were arrested in Dublin, charged with being concerned in the raid

an, John Boyle O'Reilly, whose offence against British rule was his successful recruiting for the I.R.B. among the soldiery. Another lieutenant of John Devoy, who had charge of the or

"Brotherhood of St. Patrick," an organisation which furni

possession from John McCafferty to our mutual friend, William Hogan, written from Millbank Prison, 6th June

departure. My route will afford me no opportunity of seeing the iron-bound coast of the home of my forefat

iam Hogan's family and "Kind r

ioned person, with black side whiskers, came into my place-I was carrying on a printing and newsagency business-in Byron Street, Liverpool, and, though

get a few more men like himself: and indeed if the collection of just such a company of conspirators were practicable, no doubt the impossible might become possible enough. But the hypothesis is fatal, for the McCafferty strain is a rare one indeed, so that his project never got further than an idea. I think, however, that I cannot be accus

set at liberty. He was to be treated with the utmost consideration and-the recollection is not without its humorous side-McCafferty had a