me
something about William Murphy that I never heard before. He says: "When
Allen, Larkin, O'Brien, myself, and the other men were sentenced, Digby
Seymour (one of the counsel for the prisoners) went down to a large cell
in the court house basement where all the others were kept together. He
urged them all to plead 'guilty' and throw themselves upon the mercy of
the court, declaring that, if they refused to do this all would be
convicted and executed.

"There was an instant's hesitation among the prisoners, but William
Murphy, who was later sentenced to seven years penal servitude,
addressed his comrades, urging them to stand fast together, imitate our
example, and die like men, rather than live like dogs, for as such they
would be regarded by all true Irishmen if they pleaded 'guilty.'

"To a man the whole twenty-two shouted out--'We will never plead
guilty!'

"And Seymour, baffled and irritated, went away without accomplishing his
purpose."

Of the men convicted for taking part in the rescue, five--Allen, Larkin,
O'Brien, Condon and Maguire--were sentenced to death. Condon was
reprieved, really on account of his American citizenship, and Maguire,
who was a marine, because the authorities discovered in time that the
evidence against him was false. A number of others were sent to penal
servitude for various terms.

The execution of Allen, Larkin and O'Brien, so far from striking terror,
but gave new life to the cause of Irish Freedom, and to-day, over the
world, no names in the long roll of those who have suffered and died for
Ireland are more honoured than those of the "Manchester Martyrs," while
the determination has become all the stronger that, in the words of our
National Anthem--founded on Condon's defiant shout in the dock of "God
Save Ireland!":--

On the cause must go
Amidst joy or weal or woe,
Till we've made our isle a Nation free and grand.

It is not generally known how Colonel Kelly got out of the country after
the rescue. He lay concealed in the house of an Irish professional man
for some weeks, and then, all the railway stations being closely and
constantly watched night and day, he was driven in a conveyance by road
all the way from Manchester to Liverpool.

It was a patriotic foreman ship-joiner, whom I knew well, who actually
got him away to America. My friend Egan had charge of the fitting up of
the berths aboard the steamer in which Colonel Kelly sailed. In emigrant
steamers