Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1896 — COLD BLOODED CRIME [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COLD BLOODED CRIME

SORROWFUL CHAPTER OF IRISH HISTORY RECALLED. The Arrest of p, J. p. Tynan, of the Invincible Society, Brings to Mind the Murder* of Lord Cavendish and Secretary Burke. Vile Political Plot. The arrest of Patrick J. P. Tymgn, the nortorions “No. 1,” of the Irish Invincibles, makes interesting a review of the

bloody crime of this secret body which on ,■ May 6, 1882, put to death in Phoenix Park, Dublin, the new chief secretary of Ireland, Lord Frederick Cavendish, and the permanent under secretary, T. 11. Burke. Tynan was arrested at Boulogne, France, on a warrant issued

in 1882. He was one of those who organized the Invincibles in Dublin and ever since the revelations consequent on the Phoenix Park assassinations the authorities had been endeavoring to capture him. The killing of Lord Cavendish and Mr. Burke was a cold-blooded crime. It was essentially political, as not one of those counseling or participating in the murders had the slightest private wrong against either of the victims. The details were carefully planned by the Invincibles and the place selected for the assassination was Phoenix Park, where Mr. Burke had his official residence. It has been said that the intention of the Invincibles was only to kill Mr. Burke, but this has been controverted and the counter assertion made that Lord Cavendish had also been marked out for death. Whatever be the right or wrong of this, the plan of the conspirators was well laid. On the afternoon of the fatal day. May 6, a car driven by Myles Kavanagh and carrying four men—Joe Brady, Tim Kelly. Pat Delany and Tom Caffrey—drove into Phoenix Park. Following the car was a cab driven by James Fitzharris and in which were seated Dan Curley, Michael Fagan and Joe Hanlon. These latter were armed with revolvers and their duty was to assist the others should there be any need of it. In plain view of the viceroyal lodge the two parties halted to await the coining of their victim or victims. Not one of eiiher party knew Mr. Burke by sight and Lord Cavendish had only arrived in Ireland that day, to be present at the forma! entry of the new viceroy of Ireland, Lord Spencer, so that he, too, was unknown to the conspirators. This, however, the latter had provided for. A short distance from them were two men, James Carey and Joseph Smith. Smith knew Burke, and his part in the tragedy was to point out Burke to Carey, whereupon the latter was to signal the conspirators. A little after 7 o'clock in the evening Mr. Burke alighted from a car just within the park gates ami recognizing Lord

Cavendish, who was going on foot to his now home in the park, proceeded to greet him. Instantly the signal was given by Carey to the conspirators, and Brady with his companions Kelly. Delaney and Caffrey advanced to their bloody work, while Smith and Carey conveniently

disappeared. When Brady had advanced almost to the point of meeting Burke and Lord Cavendish’he stopped as though to tie his shoe. Suddenly rising he seized Mr. Burke, swung him around and buried his knife in his body. Burke fell to the ground, whereupon Kelly bent over and gashed him across the throat. Lord Cavendish, who had sought to defend his companion, was seized by Brady and stabbed to death. The party then boarded the car and drove out of the park into the country, returning to the city by a roundabout way. The cab, too, disappeared. A bicyclist was the first to discover the dead bodies of .Burke and Lord Cavendish The news of tills’ double assassination

swept through the city like wildfire and created intense excitement and horror. For tho first time in the history of the Irish press Sunday editions of the three leading Dublin papers were issued next morning. In all the churches announcements were made of the crime and in one of the churches a priest while denouncing the crime fell dead on the altar. Immediately the machinery of the law was put in motion to run down the murlerers. There was little clue at first to vork on and the labors of the police and

detectives seemed futile. Several arrests were made, some of the guilty ones being apprehended, but the prisoners were subsequently discharged for lack of evidence. A man, now prominent in the business life of Dublin, but who was never brought fo?th in connection with the case, gave the first important piece of information to the police. Soon other clues were picked up and when the police were satisfied that they might act openly they arrested twenty-six Invincibles-. This was on the night of January 13, 1883. For a time the men under arrest kept up a bold front, but day as they were

taken into court for examination one member was absent from the ranks. This man was Kavanagh, driver of the car, and he turned informer. Soon another man. named Farrell turned informer and then James Carey volunteered to become a State witness. This sealed the doom of the murderers and in quick succession .Toe Brady, Dan Curley, Michael Fagan. Tom Caffrey and Tim Kelly were tried and found guilty. May 14, 1883, Joe Brady was executed in Kilmainham jail and four days later Dan Curley was hanged. May 28 Michael Fagan was executed, June 2 Caffrey suffered death, and on the 9th Kelly was executed. Of those who were also tried for the ’ murders Pat Delaney was sentenced to death, but as he had turned State witness his sentence was commuted, first to penal servitude for life and subsequently to ten years’ imprisonment. Chairman Mullett, another Invincible, received ten years. Life sentences of penal servitude were meted out to Joe Mullett, Laurence Hanlon and Fitzharris. Of the informers, not all have been named and one of them has amassed a fortune in a quarter of the globe far re-

moved from Ireland. Carey, it may be recalled, was shot down by a fellow passenger on a Cape steamer. Kavanagh died in a lunatic asylum in London.

O’DONNELL.

JAMES CAREY.

CAVENDISH. BURKE.

PHENIX PARK, DUBLIN, WHERE THE TRAGEDY OCCURRED.

PHEXNIX PARK MURDERERS. CAFFREY. BRADY. KELLY FAGAN. CURLEY.