IRISH AFFAIRS. A CONSPIRACY CASE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 35, 11 February 1908, Page 7

IRISH AF FAIRS. A CONSPIRACY CASE.

By TeiejfraiJh.- Vresa Association.— Copyright. LONDON, 10th February. The trial ended yeßterday, at Dublin, of Mrs. Minnio Walsh and her son Percy, fifteen years of ago, charged with conspiring to obtain from Lord Ashtown and Mr. Chenevix Trench, his agent, money by moans of false , pretences. Tho same accused were also charged with conspiring to incite Patrick Cahill, J. Ward, and others unknown, to destroy by explosives the building at Woodlawn. Lord Ashtown's Galway seat. Mr. Justice Madden, in his summing up, spoke strongly in favour of prisoners, emphasising, the fact that mere suspicions wore < insufficient grounds for a conviction. , The jury found in favour of the boy, who was acquitted ; but disagreed regarding Mrs. Waleh.» The latter was liberated, on her own recognisances, until the noxt sessions. During the hearing of the, charges at the Dublin Police Court, Lord Ashtown, in cross-examination, eaid he had no interview with Mrs. Walsh before the outrage at Glenahiry (his lordship's in County Waterford, where an explosion took place on 14th August last). Was she a friend of the Ashtown family? — My. grandmother took a great interest in her and my mother also. Lord Ashtdwn said he had received letters both before and after the Glenahiry outrage from Patrick M'Dermott (a police pensioner, now an outside watcher of game in his Lordship's employ), but they had nothing to do with eny outrage. He did not keep them, and probably tore them up. Mr. Brady, solicitor for the defence, declared that his 1 instructions wore that most of the. letters wera .written by Patrick M'Dermott. Patrick Cahill', publican, Loughrea, deposed to receiving an anonymous letter asking him to send "a few of the Loughrea boys" to Woodlawn. Asked if he had any suspicions as to who wrote the letter, Cahill replied : "I came to the conclusion it was between Lord Ashtown and the, polico or ex-police." Thomas Mahon, farmer, Clooncaha, eaid he had received a letter headed United Irish League, which stated : "Dear Mahon.— lf you are, as we think a true Catholic and Irishman, with the welfare of your religion and country at heart, and a faithful member of^ Our Land League, and if you are willing to Ao a little work for the same, wo will give yo". £50 in hand, and" fifty more in monthly instalments. The cowardly, cruel evictor that is the curse of our country will be going in a few days to foreign parts. Nor or never is the time to nail him. We won't fail this time like we did in Waterford. We have a man thatj is well used ta the work to blow him up whilo he is praying to his friend tlie devil in church next Sunday, and send him home to sure and certain. As you know, none of the rotten supers round Woodlawn can bo trusted. Wo want you to show him the right place to bury the pot. Wo are told that his pew is under the stained window that faces tho gate closo to the headstone. That is the spot to put the bomb." Mr. Gurrin, handwriting expert, stated to tho best of his belief the writing on the envelope of tho Cahill letter was the same as Percy Walsh's handwriting. Ho gave similar evidence, as regarded the other letters.