Part 2 (2/2)

To the eternal honour of the artisans of London be it told, they signalized theenerosity, that will not soon be forgotten by Irishs they adoptedfor the respite of the condeainst their contemplated execution These memorials were pressed with a devoted zeal that showed how deeply the honest hearts of English working-h class” press especially--the enlightened ”public instructors”--howled at, reviled, and decried these demonstrations of humanity The Queen's officials treated the petitions and petitioners with corresponding conten herself, then at Windsor; resulted in the contuate of the petitioners, ere mobbed and hooted by the tradesmen and flunkeys of the royal household!

In Ireland, however, as ht be supposed, the respite of Shore was accepted as settling the question: there would be no execution On the 21st of Nove poured into Manchester, that the streets were being barricaded, that the public buildings were strongly guarded, and that special constables were being sworn in by thousands All this was laughed at as absurd parade

Ready as were Irisheful severity, there was, in their opinion, nevertheless, a li Allen, O'Brien, and Larkin now, on the broken-down verdict, would, it was judged, be a land would frankly declare too great for her

A few there were, however, who did not view the situation thus They read in the respite of Shore, _fear_; and they gloonanimity towards the weak seldo _Shore was an Aht is thrown on the fact of respiting hist the four men admittedly concerned in the rescue

Shore was an Ahtered on a vitiated verdict To hang _hierous; but as for Allen, Larkin, and O'Brien, _they had no country_ (in the sa, but Ireland eak If it was deeerous to sport with the life of the American, it was deemed safe to be brutal and merciless towards the Irishlutted

But there were not many to discern, in the first flush of its proclamation, this sinister aspect of Shore's respite The news reached Ireland on Friday, 22nd Noveenerally dee like news in reference to Allen, Larkin, and O'Brien

Early next --Saturday, 23rd November, 1867--men poured into the cities and towns of Ireland reached by telegraphic coe literally fails to convey an idea of the horror--the stupefaction--that ensued when that neas read:--

”_This ht o'clock, the three condemned Fenians, Allen, Larkin, and O'Brien, were executed in front of Sulford Gaol_”

Men gasped in awe-struck horror--speech seemed denied them Could it be a dream, or was this a reality? Had men lived to see the day when such a deed could be done? For the reason that incredulity had been so strong before, wild, haggard horror now sat on every countenance, and froze the life-blood in every heart Irishmen had lain quiescent, persuaded that in this seventh decade of the nineteenth century, so influences would be found to sway that power that in the past, at least, had ever been so merciless to Irish victiulf between the two nations seeaped and yaide, deep, and dark as hell itself There was a scowl on every brow Men went about--sullen, moody, silent, morose--with clenched teeth and darkened faces, terrible passions raging in their bosoms For all knew that the sacrifice of those three Irish patriots was a cold-blooded and cowardly act of English policy, lish panic, cowardice, hate, and terror All knew that Allen, Larkin, and O'Brien would never have been hanged on the evidence of those forsitnesses, and on the verdict of that jury whose perjury or blunder was openly confessed and proclains of which the rescue was judged to be an illustration Had their offence been non-political, they would not have been held a day on such a verdict They were put to death for their political opinions They were put to death for political reasons Their execution wasto mutter of liberty Had they been Americans, like Shore, they would have been respited; but as they were Irishmen, they were immolated

The full story of how those patriots met their fate at the last reached Ireland two days afterwards, and intensified a thousandfold the national emotions Men were alternately melted into tears or maddened into passion as they read that sad chapter of Irish overnment had commenced the most formidable military preparations in view of the bloody act of State policy designed for the 23rd Troops were hurried by rail to all the English cities and tohere an ”Irish eleed The authorities called for ”special constables,” and, partly attracted by the plenteous supply of drink and free feeding;[1] and partly iainst the ”Hirish” or the ”Fenians,”--suddenly becolish writers and speakers--ato the raded of the population, were enrolled All the streets in the neighbourhood of the prison were closed against public traffic, were occupied by police or ”specials,” and were crossed at close intervals by ponderous wooden barriers Positions coetically scanned, ”strengthened,” and occupied by ap made in the upper part of the outer or boundary wall of the prison in New Bailey-street The masonry was removed to the width necessary for the scaffold, which was then projected over the street, at the outer side of the wall It was approached or ascended fro wooden stair or stepladder, close alongside the wall on the inside Against the wall on the inner side, on either hand of the scaffold, were erected platfor

These platfor down,” as the reporters described, ”with theon the top of the wall” The space in the street i wooden barrier, and outside this barrier were massed the thousands of police, special constables, and volunteers

[Footnote 1: The Manchester papers inform us that the specials were plentifully fed with hot pork pies and beer _ad libitu in volunteers from the lower classes]

On Friday the doomed men took leave for the last ti of Larkin and his fa scenes ever witnessed Poor Allen, although not quite twenty years of age, was engaged to a young girl whom he loved, and who loved him, most devotedly She was sternly refused the sad consolation of bidding hi the prisoners occupied the letters, and each of them drew up a ”declaration,” which they coht to this world Frohts were centred in the sole to meet their Creator In these last hours Father Gadd, the prison chaplain, was assisted by the Very Rev Canon Cantwell and the Rev Father Quick, whose attentions were unre to the end Froious spirit, which could scarcely have been surpassed a the earliest Christian , and spent the greater part of their ti they were locked up for the night at the usual hour,--about half-past six o'clock In their cells they spent a long interval in prayer and meditation--disturbed ever and anon, alas! by the shouts of brutal laughter and boisterous choruses of the th the fated three sought their dungeon pallets for the last tie as itthe execution, ”those three rave, and about to suffer an ignominious death, _slept as soundly_ as had been their wont” Very ”strange,” no doubt, it appeared to those accustomed to see _criminals_ die; but no marvel to those who kno innocent men, at peace with God and man, can mount the scaffold, and offer their lives a sacrifice for the cause of liberty

Far differently that night was spent by the thronging countrymen of Broadhead, who came as to a holiday to see the ”Fenians” die Early on the preceding evening crowds had taken up their places wherever the occupying bodies of military, police, or specials did not prevent; and the pictures drawn of their conduct by the newspaper reporters, one and all, are inexpressibly revolting It was the usual English crowd assembled to enjoy an execution They hter at obscene jokes, shouts, cries and repartees; and chorused in thousands [beneath the gallows!] snatches of ”cos, varied by verses of ”Rule, Brittania” and ”God save the Queen,” by way of exultation over the Irish Once or twice, in the early part of the night, the police had to remove the mob from the portion of the prison nearest the conde the haplessfor eternity

Saturday, the 23rd Nove the first hours after the past ht the weather had been clear and frosty, and a heavy hoar covered the ground; but as daylight approached, a thickcity

The condemned were roused from sound and tranquil slu dressed, they attended Mass, Rev

Canon Cantwell, Rev Mr Gadd, and Rev Mr Quick officiating They heard this, their last Mass, with a fervour and sole been offered, the condemned and the three priests remained in prayer and spiritual exercises until seven o'clock, when the prisoners partook of breakfast ”The last preparations,” says an English eye-witness, ”were then begun At twelve ht o'clock the executioner, Calcraft, and his assistant, were introduced into the cell in which the prisoners were placed, and the process of pinioning their arh The priests stood by the side of the unhappythem to firmness to meet the last dreadful ordeal The convicts, at this tilish reporter, ”manifested a remarkable fortitude Not one of them flinched in the least”

The saedy, with a brief general sketch of which we coht o'clock the interior court of the gaol presented a strange and striking spectacle Behind the wall in New Bailey-street was erected the long staircase leading to the scaffold, and by its side were platfor was so dense, that objects could be but faintly distinguished at a distance of thirty yards Suddenly the words of hlanders marched round the Roundhouse, and took up a position in line at the foot of the staircase Siiment ascended to the platforhtly projecting over the prison wall At almost the same moment the heads of a line of soldiers arose above the parapet of the railway viaduct A line of warders was foraol court The sentries on duty ceased their walk; istrates and reporters stood aside, and a dead silence prevailed for a few iven froht o'clock the sole the litany of the Catholic Church was heard, and the head of the procession beca, about thirty yards from the foot of the staircase The Rev Canon Cantalked first by the side of Allen The convict was deadly pale; his eyes wandered alternately fro round, and then he uplifted his gaze, in a vain endeavour to pierce the dense canopy which hung above him He walked with a tolerably steady step, and uttered the response, 'Lord, have mercy upon us,' in a firm voice”

Next to him came Larkin, in whose appearance confinee His physical strength seemed shaken, and he required to be assisted by one of the warders in ascending the long wooden stair that led to the scaffold Last of all ca won the approbation of everyone who beheld hi in the line of the wall divided the scaffold into an outer and an inner platfor between the reached the top of the stair, waited on the inner platform until Larkin and the rest of the attendant warders and officials ca open, and the boy-martyr was first led out upon the drop His face, which was deathly pale, appeared working with the effects of strong lish rule over Irishmen, Calcraft, came forward, placed the treacherous noose around Allen's neck, pulled a thin white cap over his ashen face, and then stooped, and securely tied his feet together The pinioning of the arms, which had been done in the cell, allowed his hands, from the elboard, sufficient freedom to clasp on his breast a crucifix, which ever and anon, as he spoke aloud the responses of the litany, the poor young fellow seemed to press closer and closer to his heart

Next O'Brien was led forth On his fine manly face the closest scrutiny could not detect a trace of weakness He looked cal up to where Allen stood capped and pinioned, he clasped him by the hand, and kissed hi to him a word or two not overheard Then O'Brien himself was placed by Calcraft on the drop, the rope was fixed upon his neck, the cap was drawn on his face, and his feet were securely bound

Larkin was now brought out, and led directly to his place on the left hand of O'Brien, as in the ht of his two brother-martyrs capped and pinioned, and with the fatal cord around each neck, see an uneven plank on the scaffold, so that h he unquestionably was labouring under intense agony ofto the last, turned and looked at hily, and to him also spoke a feords in a low tone

Calcraft now disappeared from view, and the three men stood for aout clearly in the stillair, ”Lord Jesus, have mercy on us” Suddenly the click of the bolts was heard; the three bodies sunk through the traps; England's three halters strained, and tugged, and twitched convulsively for a few eance was accomplished

That afternoon, her functionaries bore to three grave-pits in the prison-yard three lumps of lifeless clay, that a few short hours before had been three of God's noblest creatures Like carrion, they were flung into those unconsecrated pits, and streith quicklier leave solish law required even the corpses of those martyred Irishmen to be calcined