PIGOTT'S PATRONS.

Evening Star, Issue 8364, 15 November 1890, Page 4 (Supplement)

PIGOTT'S PATRONS.

MICHAEL DAVITT’S REVELATIONS.

A FIRST INSTALMENT,

[From Odr London Correspondent, |

London, October 3, In the second number of the ‘ Labor World,' published last Saturday, Michael Davitt commences the story of what he gracefully styles ‘ Unionism and Crime,’ The following are some extracts : One evening in October, 1882, a gentleman of military appearance, aged some fortyfive summers, was dreamily indulging in a cigar in a drinking saloon in Chambers street. New York. He had turned into the place without any specific purpose. His prospects at that particular time were not of tho brightest. He belonged to a respectable family in Dublin, and was an ex-student of Trinity College, A romantic marriage, against the wishes of bis wife’s relatives, had occasioned a visit to the United States which had no purpose in view but to seek for suitable means of earning a livelihood. Weeks were passed in New York in search of an expected situation, with nothing for the waiting but disappointment. It was in a frame of mind, such as could be imagined under the circumstances, that caused Mr Blank, aa we will call him for the present, to turn into this particular saloon in Chambers street. While ruminating over the unkindnosa of fortune, bis ear was arrested by a conversation that was carried on in load whispering between two other occupants of the saloon. Ho overheard the name of Earl Spencer pronounced by one of the speakers, and, being near enough to bear what was being said without appearing to listen, he continued to lend an attentive ear. He gathered from what was being said that some plot was being hatched inimical to English government in Ireland. Mr Blank belonged to an Irish Conservative family, and was a loyalist from head to foot. He waited until the two strangers stood up to leave, whereupon he followed one of them out a short distance until he saw him enter No. 10 in the same street. A name on the staircase read “Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa.”

Mr Blank, acting upon an instant and obvious impulse, went at once to the office of Sir Edward Archibald, the British Consul-General in Now York. He told him of the conversation he had overheard, and of the plot that was being planned between Rossa and his companion. Sir Edward Archibald listened attentively, and on the termination of the statement asked Mr Blank if he would join tho service with a view to ferreting out further information about the doings and sayings of England’s enemies in New York. Mr Blank was not well through with his honeymoon at the time, but he was not over-burdened with money or moans, and, being a strong loyalist by conviction, he accepted the offer, and became a member of the Intelligence Department attached to the British Consulate at New York. Not knowing anything of IrishAmerican revolutionary movements himself, he looked around for a colleague who would possess this advantage. Remembering that he had been brought into contact, in 1865, in Dublin, with a well-known American Fenian then in Ireland, whoso father was a distant relative of Mr Blank’s family, he inserted the following advertisement in the ‘ New York Herald ’:—

If James M‘Dermott will communicate with the advertiser, he will hear of something to his ad* vantage.

The following morning James M'Dermott, of whose previous career wo have already incidentally given a brief sketch, called at address, Mr lilanW asked him to join tho service of the British ConsulGeneral. Ho accepted the offer, as he, too, was in somewhat straitened circumstances at the time. He was well known in the newspaper circles of Brooklyn and New York as a man of the most desperate and disreputable of characters. He had the reputation of being a political bravo, whose dirty work could be purchased at any election—municipal or otherwise—for a monetary consideration. He had at one time been accused of killing a man in a publichouse brawl, but was acquitted through the influence exercised on his behalf by political “bosses," whose interests he had looked after in contested elections. This was the instrument whom Mr Blank selected for tho carrying out of the work which Sir Edward Archibald wanted to have done. On Blank engaging the services of M'Dermott, the latter proposed at once that they should pay a visit to Rassa’a offices. They went and found tho dynamite chief alone in his headquarters. Ho welcomed “Jim” back again to active work, and talked in his usual free-and-easy manner about his plans and projects for what he called “ striking a blow for Ireland.” While Blank was sympathetically listening to Roasa’s ravings, Jim M'Dermott was busy pocketing all the papers within his reach. He secured a number of documents and left with Blank, assuring Rossa of a speedy return with a subscription to help on “ the good cause.” The following morning M’Dermott brought to Blank's house all tho papers he had stolen, and among them was found a “password” to some of the barracks iu Dublin signed by tho Duke of Connaught. With their booty in their possession, Blank and M'Dermott waited on Sir Edward Archibald. The Consul-General expressed himself highly pleased at getting possession of the papers, and, in response to M'Dermott's suggestion, gave Blank lOOdol to be handed to Rossa as a “ subscription to the cause.” Tho money was lodged by M'Dermott in a bank in Brooklyn. Another visit was paid to Rossa’s office by Blank and M'Dermott, the health of “the cause” was drunk, and M'Dermott, addressing Rossa, told him he must give up controversy and attend to real work, otherwise ho (M'Dermott) would not help him. He then handed Rossa 50dol, which money the latter acknowledged in hj s paper with a tribute of praise to tho practical patriotism of James M'Dermott. Meanwhile Sir Edward Archibald communicated with Dublin Castle, and described the papers which M'Dermott had stolen out of Rossa’a office, whereupon word came back by cable to send M'Dermott to Ireland. Another visit waspaid to the office of the British Consul-General by Blank and his confederate. The mission to Ireland was proposed to M'Dermott, and he agreed to go if well supplied with cash. He received 500dol on the spot to defray his expenses, and was told that farther necessary funds would bs at his disposal when he landed in Ireland. A few days after this money had been received, M'Dermott called again upon Rossa, and told him that be was going on a newspaper expedition to Ireland, and was prepared to do anything in his power to further the cause on the other side of the Atlantic. He asked for letters of introduction from Rossa to persons in Ireland, and modestly solicited a “send off” on his departure. The letters were given in due time, the “send off” was organised, and James M'Dermott sailed for Liverpool It was arranged between him and Sir Edward Archibald that ho should proceed from thence to Birkenhead and pat np at the Railway Hotel in that town to await the advent of a Dublin Castle official, who would register in the hotel as “Mr George Jones.”