THE IRISH POLITICAL PRISONERS
The man who watched the ship to the line where the sea and the sky met
was John Devoy.
Some time before there had come to him a voice, crying from the prisons
of Western Australia, the land of slaves and bondmen, the penal colony
of Great Britain. In the penal gangs were six of the comrades of John
Boyle O'Reilly. Forlorn but not quite forgotten, they worked on the
roads, "the weary work that has no wages, no promotion, no incitement,
no variation for good or bad, except stripes for the laggard." O'Reilly
had escaped from it, but he remembered the men who still toiled in the
convict's garb on the government road.
"They were cutting their patient way into a forest only traversed
before by the aborigine and the absconder," quoting from O'Reilly's
"Moondyne." "Before them in the bush, as in their lives, all was
dark and unknown,--tangled underbrush, gloomy shadows, and noxious
things. Behind them, clear and open, lay the straight road they had
made--leading to and from the prison."
These men had been soldiers like O'Reilly, and like him had joined the
Fenian conspiracy of 1866 and 1867, when revolution was plotted in
Ireland. Devoy had been the indefatigable agent of the revolutionary
party, having been appointed chief organizer for the British army by
James Stephens, who had been selected as chief executive of the new
republic which was the dream of the Irish in 1865, as it is to-day. In
a few months Devoy, quoting his own words, "laid up sufficient evidence
to procure himself a sentence of fifteen years' penal servitude." Among
the men were Thomas Darragh, Martin J. Hogan, James Wilson, Thomas
Hassett, Michael Harrington, and Robert Cranston.
They were brave, reckless fellows who were readily converted to the
doctrine of Fenianism. They attended the gatherings at the public
houses, joined in the singing of Moore's melodies in the congenial
company at Hoey's, and made the chorus of "We'll drive the Sassenach
from our soil" inspiring to hear. Then came the arrests and the
convictions for mutiny in her Majesty's forces in Ireland.
Mr. Darragh was born in 1834 in Broomhall, County Wicklow, his father
being a farmer there. He was a Protestant and when he entered the army
was an Orangeman, but he was subsequently converted through Fenian
agencies to the national faith. He enlisted in the 2d Queen's and
saw active service in China and Africa, receiving the distinction
medal for gallantry displayed. Mr. Darragh had attained the rank of
sergeant-major and was on the list for promotion. He became a member of
the Brotherhood early in its organization and was arrested for mutiny
in September, 1865, at the School of Musketry, Fleetwood, England.
He was taken to Cork, where he was tried and sentenced to be shot.
The sentence was afterwards commuted to imprisonment for life. He was
described in the prison "Hue and Cry" as being stout, five feet six and
one half inches in height, with red hair, gray eyes, round visage, and
a fresh complexion.
Mr. Hogan was born in Limerick in 1839, and was a carriage painter
by trade. He enlisted in the English artillery, but his discharge
therefrom was secured and in 1857 he joined the 5th Dragoon Guards. He
was sworn into the organization in 1864 and deserted the army early in
1865, in order to be ready to take part in the contemplated rising. He
was soon after arrested, tried, and sentenced to life imprisonment.
He was a finely-built man, with "the gait and appearance of a cavalry
soldier," according to the official prison description.
James Wilson had lived an eventful life. His real name was McNally, but
it was a common thing for Irishmen to enlist in the British army under
assumed names. He was born in Newry, County Down, in 1836. He served
for seven years in the Bombay, India, artillery, which he left at the
time of the white mutiny, when the East India Company was abolished.
He had lived in Syria and America. In 1860 or 1861 he enlisted in the
5th Dragoon Guards and was sworn into the Fenian organization in 1864.
He was continually propagating Fenianism, and in 1865 deserted with
Hogan. The fact that they remained in Dublin awaiting the uprising,
although gazetted as deserters, is a fine tribute to their devotion.
They worked under the direction of John Devoy until they were arrested
in 1866. They were asleep in bed when the police came upon them, or a
desperate resistance might have been looked for. Wilson is described at
this time as of medium stoutness, five feet eight and one fourth inches
in height, with a fresh complexion, brown hair, gray eyes, and oval
visage.
Thomas Hassett was born in Cork in 1846, and was a carpenter by trade.
He joined the Phoenix organization in 1859 and afterwards went out
with the Papal Brigade to Italy, serving through the brief campaign.
In 1861 he enlisted in the 24th Foot, and in 1864 was sworn into the
Fenian Brotherhood. He, in turn, swore in 270 members of his regiment.
It was his suggestion that the contemplated fight begin in Dublin by
seizing the Pigeon House, which contained twenty-five thousand stand of
arms. When it was considered to be in danger a guard of ninety men was
placed upon it, of which number sixty were Fenians. Hassett proposed
a plan of capture to his superiors in the organization, but it was
rejected on the ground that they were not ready for a general fight.
In January, 1865, Mr. Hassett was informed while on sentry that he
would be arrested for Fenianism as soon as he came from his post. He
concluded to leave at once, and, marching into the Fenian rendezvous in
full uniform with his gun on his shoulder, presented himself to John
Devoy.
"Most of the fellows who desert for Ireland's sake," said he, "come to
you empty-handed, but here am I, ready for work."
O'Reilly presents a dramatic picture of Hassett's appearance at the
meeting of organizers, whither he marched from the sentry post. He
says,--
"Private Hassett walked off his post and, shouldering his rifle,
proceeded confidently through the streets of Dublin, in which a soldier
with arms is never questioned. It was ten o'clock at night, and it so
happened that Hassett knew of a certain meeting of organizers, and
other 'boys on their keepin',' which was being held that evening.
Thither he bent his steps, reached the house, and, knowing how it was
done, gained admission. The rebels sat in council upstairs; faces grew
dark, teeth were set close, and revolvers grasped when they heard the
steady stamp on the stairs and the 'ground arms' at their door."
"A moment after, the door opened and the man in scarlet walked into
the room; all there knew him well. With full equipments, knapsack,
rifle and bayonet, and sixty rounds of ammunition, Hassett had deserted
from his post and walked straight into the ranks of rebellion. He was
quickly divested of his military accoutrements; scouts went out to a
neighboring clothing-store, and soon returned with every requisite for
a full-fledged civilian. The red coat was voted to the fire, and the
belt and arms were stored away with a religious hope in the coming
fight for an Irish republic.
"The next evening one more was added to the group of strangely dressed
men who smoked and drank their pots-o'-porter in a certain house in
Thames Street. The newcomer was closely shaven and had the appearance
of a muscular Methodist minister. The men were all deserters, and the
last arrival was Hassett. Vainly watching for the coming fight, the
poor fellows lived in a mysterious misery for several weeks. It is
hard to realize here now the feeling that was rife in Dublin then.
At last one of the deserters was recognized in the streets by the
military informer,--Private Foley, of the 5th Dragoons,--tracked to the
rendezvous, surrounded by the police, and every one captured."
In 1873 he escaped from prison in Western Australia, and lived on an
Irish farm for a time; but it was a bad season and he could not get
together an outfit. After two months he made a dash for the coast and
stowed himself away on an outgoing vessel, but he was captured by the
water police and brought back to the convict establishment. For two
years afterward he was kept in irons with the chain gang.
Michael Harrington was forty-eight years old at this time. He was
born in Cork, where his father was a merchant, and he was given the
advantage of a liberal education. His tastes were for the army, and
in 1844 he enlisted in the 61st Foot. He served through the Punjab
war, and also through the Sikh war under Sir Hugh Gough, who made the
now famous exclamation, "Magnificent Tipperary!" Mr. Harrington also
took part in the Sepoy war, and then returned home with his regiment.
He joined the Fenian organization in 1864 and was very active in
enlarging its membership. In January, 1866, being in danger of arrest
and desirous of freedom to take a more active part in the projected
uprising, he deserted. Yet he remained in Dublin, was arrested on
suspicion after the suspension of the habeas corpus act, identified
as a deserter, tried and sentenced for life. He was described on the
prison records as fairly stout, with brown hair, gray eyes, and a
sallow complexion.
Robert Cranston was born in Stewartstown, County Tyrone, in March,
1844, and assisted his father on the farm previous to enlisting in the
61st Foot at the age of twenty. He joined his fortunes with the Fenian
conspiracy and industriously assisted in "propagating the faith." Of
his regiment at least six hundred were sworn members of the Fenian
organization.