CAPTAIN MORTIMER MORIARTY. 209
CAPTAIN MORTIMER MORIARTY.
First Fenian Organizer in Canada—Arrested going to Campo Bello—EscapesGoes to Ireland—In Kerry—Arrested on his Way to Take Command—Cause of his Arrest—What Followed—Trial—Evidence of the Spy Talbot—Found Guilty—Sentence.
CAPTAIN MORIARTY, so frequently mentioned in connection with Colonel O'Connor and the Kerry rising, was an active Fenian organizer, a man of courage, tact and energy. He had been a useful propagandist of national principles in Canada, and his devotion to the cause is illustrated by his readiness to sacrifice his life for it.
Mortimer Moriarty is a native of the Parish of Cahirciveen, County of Kerry; and emigrated with his family to Toronto, Canada West, after the famine of 1846-7. The memories of the sufferers in the old land kept alive his patriotism in the new. He became a prominent member of the St. Patrick's and Hibernian Societies ; and went still further, in becoming the first organizer of Fenianism in Canada. His military tendencies led him to the command of a company of militia; and he was arrested, with that sturdy nationalist, Mr. Michael Murphy, and others, when on his way to join the armed Fenians at Campo Bello. After some weeks in confinement, Moriarty and Murphy effected
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their escape—much to the horror and chagrin of the Canadians--through an underground passage, and, after further adventures, reached New York. Captain Moriarty sailed for Ireland in December, 1866, and was despatched by Col. T. J. Kelly to take O'Connor's place in Kerry, in the belief that the latter, according to report, had been captured.
Meeting O'Connor, he was induced to remain in charge of the locality surrounding Cahirciveen; and took up his residence about four miles from that place under the assumed name of O'Shea, which seemed a very important fact in the eyes of the Solicitor-General, who traced up Moriarty's movements in these words : "From Christmas, 1866, till February, he lived at Connor's, and had no ostensible employment whatever. He made frequent visits to Cahirciveen, and said he came to Ireland for the benefit of his health. In Cahirciveen there is a reading-room, where dances are frequently held, and I think I am justified in stating it was used not only for the purposes of innocent recreation, but as a place where Fenians resorted. On the evening of the 11th of February, Moriarty was at the dance there with O'Reilly, who had been convicted as a Fenian at these assizes. About the first of February, J. J. O'Connor was stopping at the house of a man named Kelly, a quarter of a mile from where Moriarty was living. O'Connor, as I am instructed, was "Centre" for Kerry. We have thus brought into proximity the prisoner with other leading members, and we have him in the immediate neighborhood of the Atlantic cable. On the 12th of February, the morning which
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CAPTAIN MORTIMER MORIARTY.
preceded the attack on the coast-guard station at Kells, and the shooting of Duggan—the time fixed for the rising to take place generally in this country—Moriarty proceeded on the mail car from Cahirciveen to Killarney, and was arrested within a mile of the latter town. He and his luggage were taken to the police station in Killarney, and in his pocket was found a letter directed " J. D. Sheehan, Esq.," with the word "present" in
the corner :
"February 12th.
"Mr DEAR SHEEHAN—I have the honor to introduce to you Captain Moriarty. He will be of great assistance to you, and I have told him all that is to be done until I get to your place. The private spies are very active this morning. Unless they smell a rat, all will be done without any trouble. J Sccess to you. Hoping to meet you, I am, as ever, . J. O'CONNOR."
The Rev. Father Lavelle gives the following account of the cause of Captain Moriarty's arrest, and other exciting circumstances attending the Kerry rising:
"It appears that on Tuesday last, the 12th, a shoeless girl came to a Mr. Galway, J. P., agent to Lord Castlerosse, at Killarney, with an anonymous letter, to say that Captain Murty Moriarty' would be on his way next day, or actually was on Bianconi's car from Cahirciveen to Killarney, bearing important despatches from General O'Connor, “Head Centre” of the South, to a brother, named Sheehan, in the latter town. The agent and J. P., with some Mr. Coltsman or other, took the alarm, and sent off a posse of police to meet the car some four miles out of town, and to arrest the party thus informed against. This was easily accom-
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plished, as his distinctive features were described, he having lost a portion of the nose in the recent American war. Unfortunately, he had on his person papers from O'Connor, introducing him to Sheehan as deputy for that part, and prescribing an immediate plan of action. At least so the story is told. Sheehan was, of course, arrested, and, with Captain Moriarty and a man named Garde, conveyed to Tralee jail. The same night the wires of the telegraph were cut simultaneously at two places, forty miles assunder—ten miles to the east of Killarney, and twenty-eight miles to the west, on the Valentia line. The coast-guard station, at Kells, was attacked, and the arms found therein seized, but no in- jury done to the men. Next day and night the magistrates met, panic-stricken, at the Railway Hotel, Killarney, and kept telegraphing, like very furies, to Dublin and Cork for more troops.' And so troops have arrived—arrived next day from both places, to the amount now in all of one thousand, and under the command of a Brigadier-General Horsford. This officer was sent especially, from Aldershot, to take the command.
"On the arrival of the Cork detachment, at 3.30 in the morning, they were told off to meet, and beat, and kill and capture the insurgents. But no insurgent had they the good or bad fortune to encounter. At night other squads, accompanied by the young Mr. Herbert, M. P., (I think,) set off to surround the wood of the Toomies; but after passing a dreary night, no insurgents did they meet, nor does it appear that one has been encountered yet by any of the detachments.
"But on the arrest of Captain Moriarty, an orderly
CAPTAIN MORTIMER MORLkRTY. 213
was despatched with instructions to Valentia, and being met on the road by a number of armed men, was requested to halt and deliver his papers. He refused, drawing his sword and striving to make away from the assemblage. He was galloping off at full pace, when a ball on the hip brought him down. He was then taken to an adjacent house, when, fearing he was about to die, he called for the priest. One of the party—call them insurgents' for the moment—went forthwith for the clergyman, who attended him as usual. But here the Rev. Mr. McGinn, after acting as the servant of God, thought fit to do a trifle in the British spy way ; and so proceeded forthwith to the police barrack of Rosbeg, and there warned the police to stand to arms.' He subsequently met the insurgents—I cannot as yet call them Fenians—and told them to desist, not to approach the barrack, for that the police were ready to receive them. Then you have informed on us,' said one of them. "Yes,' answered he, I did so, and would do so again, and am prepared for the consequences.' Without further parley, they left his reverence and proceeded their way, whither it has not been since ascertained. But it would appear that on Wednesday some of them were seen, wearing green uniforms, passing the Gap of Dunloe,' and taking the direction of the mountains. So much for the facts, as far as they have hitherto transpired.
"The panic, as might be expected, was extreme among the loyal West Britishers of the 'Kingdom of Kerry,' during the excitement. Mrs. Herbert flitted to the Railway Hotel, with several others from the neigh-
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borhood. Lord Naas, the Irish Chief Secretary, was telegraphed to at his very seat in the House of Commons, and had to come across to see after this part of her Majesty's dominions—leaving his Irish Land Bill, which he was to move next night, to its fate. The Irish Office,' in London, was up all night on Wednesday, seeing what to do ; and on the whole, whatever may be the nature or the result of the commotion, it has rather fretted our most benign and paternal Christian Masters.
"Some persist in denying it to be a Fenian movement at all. I would I could bring myself to believe so much. But I fear that utter hatred of the intolerable yoke, with extra enthusiasm, not guided by prudence or fortified by sufficient means, may have driven some noble spirits to a deed of rashness, which, if undertaken in auspicious circumstances, and with prospects of success, would entitle them to rank with the nobles heroes and apostles of Liberty."
On Thursday, 25th July, 1867, "Mortimer Shea, alias Captain Moriarty," and Jeremiah Daniel Sheehan, were indicted, because " they did, on the 15th of January, 1867, and on divers other occasions, feloniously conspire and intend to depose her Majesty from the royal style, title, and queenly dignity of Sovereign of Great Britain and Ireland, and did feloniously express divers overt acts," &c. The prisoners pleaded not guilty, and were " put back."
Captain Moriarty was brought to trial, at the Kerry Assizes, 16th August. The great object of the Government, on the trial, was to connect the prisoner with
CAPTAIN MORTIMER MORIARTY. 215
Colonel O'Connor, and prove, from some experience in naval matters, that he was to take charge of the Atlantic cable. One Talbot, who had joined the Fenians to be a spy on their movements, said he heard that Moriarty was the Fenian chief for Kerry. This Talbot was a head constable, and appeared in court in uniform, decorated with two medals and clasps. On another treason-felony trial—that of John Goulding*--the same day, the testimony given by him was of interest, "if only true." He said part of the plan was to seize all the arms from the coast-guards and police stations, and from all the gentry who had them, and there was a list of these prepared for the night of the rising. On the 10th or 11th of February, it was settled in Dublin, that there should be a rising in Kerry one day after, to bring the army here, then break the rails and leave them here. I was so much engaged in the business, that they would not hold any meeting. night or day, without me; they were to have made me Commissary-General ; they took me to be the head of the whole thing.
On his cross-examination, Talbot declined to state whether he was attending Fenian meetings at that time. He declined for "state reasons." Neither would he give the name of the place where their meetings were held in Dublin, (where the Kerry rising was agreed on,) as "matters were passing there yet."
The Solicitor General—Meetings connected with this conspiracy arc still held in the same places?
Mr. Waters—Do you swear that, Mr. Talbot ?
Talbot—I do.
*Sentenced to five years' penal servitude.
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Judge Keogh—He may tell the locality without names.
Talbot—Francis street and Ward's hill ; they also settled in the same place the second rising of the 5th March.
Mr. Waters—Until you came here as a witness, you were never in Kerry ?
Witness—No.
A Juror—Did you take the Fenian oath? No.
Then how did you arrive at the position of Head Centre? I was not Head Centre, but they took me to be such.
Massey had seen Moriarty in December, 1866, at the headquarters, in New York, and had heard him say "he (Moriarty) escaped from Canada after the Campo Bello raid." Corydon identified the letter found on the prisoner as being in the' hand-writing of O'Connor;* had been introduced to the prisoner at the headquarters, New York, by Colonel Downing," as a man holding a high position; frequently heard him spoken of at Fenian meetings, in Liverpool, in connection with the Atlantic cable; he was well known in that locality, being accustomed to naval matters; he was supposed to know how to sever communication between Ireland and America."
On the trial, three witnesses from Cahirciveen, who had deposed as to the prisoner's hand-writing, and who refused to support their depositions, were ordered by the court to be arrested for perjury.
*We are in a position to state that it was not in the handwriting of O'Connor. It was written at his dictation.
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The prisoner's counsel, Mr. Coffey, made an able review of the case, taking exception to the admission of much of the principal evidence, and animadverting on the conduct of the detective, Talbot, and the informers. He contended that his client had been unfairly and unjustly treated, and claimed that on an honest view of the case, he would be entitled to a verdict of acquittal. The learned gentleman's efforts were, however, vain. The next day, Judge Keogh treated the jury to a lengthened charge, and, after twenty minutes' consultation, they convicted the prisoner, who was sentenced to ten years' penal servitude.