Number One.

Hastings Standard, Issue 176, 20 November 1896, Page 4

Number One.

' 1 -V\ cmn (.'■ ■r.; ■ .ni><:>.'T. ! • >*.. :-v ! I*. ; Th- aire-: of J.'. -I. Tynan, the • ii": :-| ?s *• Xa: On--," <-f tie- In- I vim iule conspiracy. for complicity in pt\>ject=- ! tlyna• iiitt" outrages takes one back to tli' l sensational days of I**2, when his mysterious ami romantic personality excited prolonged discussion. The idea then was that the Invincible thief was an individual ]:•(» si. sstd of rare powers of will and or;-:! Una: ion and exceediiig'y ch'Vef. Titi* wa•; not. however, the conception formed of him hy Mr Maiion, the detective who brought the I'honix Park murderers tc justice. Mallon put down Tynan as an effective hut white-livered braggart who swayed his le ;s-educatcd companions simply by tlashy talk and theatrical ei'iVet. He no doubt planned the Park murders, hut he took good care not to be on the s|H)t at the dread moment, and lost 110 time in bolting to America atterwirds. Mallon believes that money and not patriotism incited this crime. In the spring of lis.'-i2 Tynan, who pretended to be a •' traveller" for a firm of lithographer-, was excessively hard up. borrowing money (which lie n>'\"i r repaid) from his irieiids, and with no definite prospect in life. It is b li.-ved tiiat oniy a few week-! b: fore the I*lxl -nix Park affair he obtained from Kg;;:) in Dublin a sum of money on hi- oM. reputation, and on the general understanding that he ct.uid do something great for the cause, the details being left for himself. A week or two after the I'ho-nix Park iiiur.ters he boa - ted in L-ndan that he had l':20() bonus from his employers in his pocket. He blossomed out about that period into gorgeous cloth*, s, and indulged in many exp-ns. s, ahhough he le-ver repaid the loans made to him. He was Vet'V proud of the Slicce-s of the Transvaal P.oers. andjirgued therefrom the ultimate success of the Irish cause. As he wa - mi capable of telling tin• truth, we may a-.-.ume that '1 yna.n lvaliv brought hark CoO to London after s •tt!iu: r up with ('a ivy. Sherida.ll, id doe Mullet the i>iii for the Pho-nix Park victory. TVV.w's lv t. iK. Mr Mallon'- view of Tynan's character was confirmed in by the appt :■ ra nee nf " Nmnlx r One';, so called ' History of the Iri-h invincible -. in wine!) lie iiguivs a - " K." Of K's. active share, not only in the Pho ;:i\ Park 0:: .;>ir.n-ies. but some of the [.receding plots ~■> murder Ai.i 1' •: 11 -t> r. the \' »linne boa-ts. 1 he folic, v. ing I'efer- to May the eve of the P!i : :>:•. Park Tragedy : ----- "\\ hen K. jarrived at Plnenix Park he met liie In\ineible officer in charge of the enirmce gate: the men were reconnoitring with a view of learning something of the I "udcr-Secivury's movements. K. told him that unless the eutl'naking could come ofi at once it v. . h- tter to post pone until the following day: that a new chief of the invaders ' • mur-l- r conspiracy ' was coming, whom it would he their duty to ' suppress.' He then [eft instructions with M. to attend with his colleague at. an as.-igned ivnd* xvoiis, where they would decide 011 the plan of campaign for the following day. In the meantime K. entered the Park, saw the otle-r officers, and instructed them to dismiss their men. That (-veiling L. and M. met K. at the appointe.l rendezvous; the arrangements d< emed necessary for the following day's attack were discussed, and all < he r ••;au- s which might :ir:should they he successful in comie ; on tin- enemy, vo re provided for, in .-o fa.r as they could provide for these possible counter moves. The Invincible* wa re < g r to wipe out past mi advehtt'i'i rs and were in a perfect state of discipline. Path th«• officers assured K. that he could rely on every man faei.ng the enemy mill inching!}', if necessary; time they might be .-hot down in the Ph-eiiix Park, but that they would neither f!y nor surrender. If forced hy a superior attack of tie enemy, it was decided to make it a life or death struggle." Of the two successful attempts of May (» we read : il 10very precaution that human ingenuity could devise was taken so that there should be no blunder. That these chiefs of the enemy's murder bureau should be slain was of paramount importance, even if the 'sacred hand' perished and every mi mher should he left bleeding in the green sward, or roadway, near the Ph-enix monument. This ci>!i!d not be accomplished, their 1- .id' r knew well, with nnnibeis of the f.ie biting the dun ; hut the Invincibles n.ere prepared to sell their lives 1! early." Lord Spencer was afterwards marked out for assassination. " That evening K. saw the captain and lieutenant of the • sacred bond," and told them of his resolve to attack Spencer and his e-cort. These oflicers received the news with tierce joy : the face of the brave young lieutenant glowed with delight, and his eyes sparkled. This tyrant and his red coated escort- were foes that they felt were worthy of their st-ei. For the attack on Judge Lawson K. also takvs the responsibility. "To -revved this blunder would be to lose mere men than Ix. wished to risk on ' thi- subordinate action. He gave the : next order from the 1 >irectory. To i -trike at two of the rebel jurors of the ■ murderid Francis Hynes. This new : or.lt r pleased N. for the brave fellow, : who was utterly reckless of his life, was anxious to attack these hated jurors. As the matter was of small importance in the opinion of K. he i-hed to have it finished before beginning the grand assault 011 Spencer, which he knew would ring over the world as a hold ; ct of Irishmen again.- 1 their foe." : The -'grand -assault on Spencer" was frustrated through the diiliculty ; of getting arms, and the order from ; higher officials to leave the country : I " Carey's treasou left K. one of two

courses, either to leave for the United States or -t :v ami </}the enemy the opportunity of capturing him. 'Lias, fitter rill tU- noise they mad') abonUus j tts-wviaiion \viU> tho invincible-'. they ! would have trumpeted as a victory, i Aiid there is no donbt they would have , pivi-n him the post of honor on the scaffold." Tynan's views of dynamite, always assuming this volume to he his, may be seen in the following passage: '• Many Irishmen are inclined to think that the men who have carried on this war are to be found in the ranks of men who have been publicly denouncing it at the same time. These latter fancy that by doing this they are taking a leaf from England s bo,;k, and practising the same hypocrisy towards her which she has l>een doing for generations towards Ireland. Had this dynamite war continued, and those men by their actions given the lie to their words, no Irish patriot would have so much to blame them for; but the very hypocrisy they wen.' practicing undermined' the public conscience, destroy.". I the work they were engaged in, and, as all false teaching must end bv doing, wrought distastes and confusion to the cause. Jf this war was wicked and unjust, it should have never been put in practice; but believing., as they and we believed, it was both honorable and ju-it, the dire n.'Ci-ssiiies of the time pleaded trumps t tongned for its continuance. It was ruinous and degrading, either by continual silence, or by bending in i with some men who wi re earnest m their condemnation, to have aided in poisoning the Irish mind and decidedly antagonised many noble-]] ear ted Americans."