THE IRISH SKIRMISHING FUND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6566, 2 December 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE IRISH SKIRMISHING FUND.

SOME INTERESTING DISCLOSURES. It was stated in a recent cablegram, published in the Hekald, that the funds of the Irish Skirmishing Fund had been misappropriated or misapplied. The following report of a meeting of the subscribers to the fund (taken from the New York Times) throws some light on th-2 matter :—When the meeting of the subscribers to the Irish .Skirmishing Fund was called to order at Ko. 295 Third Avenue, yesterday afternoon, Joseph Oo'.men, the presiding officer, read a statement of the Investigating Committee. The .statement began by saying thr.t all the charges against O'Donovan Kossa inade by Jo'i:i Duvoy in his series of letters had been collected, and that both parties had been ref(iicst2d to appear next Sunday and answer them and other charges th.it would come up. Tii. , explanation by O'Donovan Rossa w hylic v.-as .short in hisaceount when ho went on Li: lecturing tour, and why his cheque was d:>Uc-r.ore;], hail been investigated. "'Before I s*.irted for Massachuettn," "Rossa declared, "I lodged in the Bowery Bank all the subscriptions receive , , that week, .iiid gave a cheque to John J. Bresiiu, but Mr. Bieslyn unduly delayed presenting it, ami when lie did present; it it was dishonoured because there were not funds enough to meet it. i>.;ri:;j; tuo time between the receipt of the choi;r.rc i: inn me and its presentation, the shorifi enjoined the money in the bank." Sir. Kelly, of Kelly and McCrea, told the com:nittec that the sheriff collected for them October 0, IS7G, llidols. Csc, which was a br.l:i!>ct-> dim on account. At the Bowery Bank the committee was told that time would be iL-quii-fd to look up the accounts, which ran bnei: fix years. The committee was asked to c.-.1l this week, and it then hoped to learn whether Mr. Brislyn had unduly delayed presenting the cheque. The committee had doubts o: the O'Mahoney funeral bainn a legitimate expense. It was found that lOQOdcls. liad been given to tin; Fenian Brotherhood as a : the event. The C'.au-nu-Gael desired a representation at the funsral, and requested a loan of lOOOdols., the payment of which Mr. Dovoj' guaranteed. The lOOOdols. borrowed by the Fenian Brotbcrhuod was not paid back, because the Clari-n.i-Gr.c-1, crowded it out of representation, and its money w-is used by the Clan-na-Gaol. Neither was the Chiu-na-Gael's IQOOJoIs. returned. Information had b«cn received that five members of the Fenian Brotherhood called on Patrick Ford of the Irish World at his home, in Brooklyn, and asked him to publish their statement, to ■which they were willing to make oath, but he refused point blank. The committee was not allowed to look over the files of the liiah World for IS7C> and IS7C. Mr. Cromien thought the charge t'or the ram was excessive. He ha-.-l cast about to find out what it was v.-orth. A gentlemen connected with some iron works said that his concern would bo glad to mate rams like it for SOOOdols., each. A number of letters were read in most of ■which the writers said the committee was doing right in investigating the charges against the trustees of the fund, but one thought -Uie investigation wrong. Out' writer favoured a dynamite shock that would be felt all over tho world. Luke Clarke reported that no onii could find out w!:at Ind become of SOOOdols. or lO.OOOdols. collected bv John Devoy, Thomas Francis Burke. Thomas Clarkn l.uby ami John Gibson that lie knew about. The Chairman said that EOiiie 5000.'.015. was received that was not acknowledged in the Irish World. That would be investigated. Rossa, the Chairman went on, said that he turned over to Duvoy SD,Ooodcls., and the committee wanted to learn from Davoy the dates of the transactions and whether the account tallied with the fignre-5 of the Irish World. The trustees gave their notes to make up '/COdols., shcrt in Roasa's account, and the committee wished to know whether they paid them. The fact was, a salary was voted to O'Donovan, and the payment of the notes was stopped. The Chairman did not think tho money expended on the O'Mahony funeral was a skirmishing expense. Rossa claimed that he was forced to resign, and ho told the others while he was sick to go and take the papers away. A gold certificate for oOOdols. was found on the floor of a barber's shop. Rossa said that while in the shop arranging his papers be was stricken with paralysis, and it must have fallen from his hands. That, Rossa thought, was in April, IS7B. The sum of 900d015., belonging to the Fenian Brotherhood, the Chairman remarked was swept away with the rest. (A Voice—" We'll soon have the figures up to 200,000do!s."). Daniel Kelly arose aud said the captain of the ram was in the hall, but his identity was concealed, and the most urgent requests for him to make a speech could not induce him to reveal himself. "We have enough evidence," said William J. O'Dwyer of the committee, <- to send the trustees to prison. Two of tiie trustees have bean particularly criminal, and four more careless than anything else. In the next tvo weeks we hope to conclude our labours. We have given the accused persons an opportunity to explain, but they will not come forward to placate the feelings of thousands of exaspirated Irishmen. We have appealed to them, but they are impregnable to decency. They -ire entrenched in riiud, and have thrown muck at more decent men than they ever were. If there is no honest settlement in two weeks we will know the reason why, and if we can't get satisfaction in the courts of justice we can get it in a higher tribunal—the sentiment of the Irish people." "The Irish World, out of its pretensions of honesty," said James G. Dyer, "should be the first to make a statement. The editor, with all .his professions, should not hold up his head when he consorts with mea like O'Donovan Rossa, Devoy and Brsslyu. The Irish World should be held up to the execration of honest Irishmen. All who read Mr. Ford"s paper must look upon him :i.s a good and noble man. More than one-half of the fund was subscribed through the popularity of the Irish World, and an investigation in this quarter is demanded." "I read the Irish World when it ■was for physical force," said P. S. Gleason, "but have not taken it since it adopted vapourings." "The paper," said Manus O'Connor, "is two-faeed, andshould be shown up. It is morally responsible." Resolutions offered by Mr. Dwyer were adopted, calling upon Patrick Ford and his nephew Agustine to appear before the committee and tell what they know aboni; tho fund. " The use of the public files of the Irish World were denied the committee," said Mr. O'Dwyer. "[t ia charged that 12,000d015. of the fund was used by the Irish World when tho name of the American Industrial Liberator was added. It is said that it has not all been paid back, aiid the Fords have no reason to afford us any means cf getting at tho bottom of things." A communication was handed to the speaker, who read it, as follows: —" 1 wish to call attention to th.-.t ram, which cost son:e friend or association 23,3-i.jdols. As this torpedo monster is of no use against England, I would be in favour of bringing it to Nev/- York and giving it to the subscribers who meet every Sunday. Perhaps they would bo able to work out a suggestion to raffle for it. I think it would be better to get rid of it that ■way than to permit it to be destroyed in the Jersey mud." Tho Chairman suggested that it might be put on exhibition, or shown liko Patsy Owon's whale. The- meeting then adjourned.