A FENIAN LEADER’S DEATH

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6450, 22 February 1908, Page 10

A FENIAN LEADER’S DEATH

COLONEL THOMAS KELLY. By Telegraph—PrCßfl Association —Copyright LONDON, February 20. The death is announced of Colonel Thomas F. Kelly, a noted lonian.

Colonel Kelly wins a prominent figure in connection with the abortive Fenian rising of 18(17. Hu had served with distinction in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, and was line of a number of Irish-Amoncnn officers who afterwards crossed to Uiileri.nt parts of Ireland and Great Britain lo place their services at the disposal of the Fenian organisation. iho attempted rebellion had fizzled out in I roland, when Colonel Kelly—who had hi ken a prominent part in conducting /he* affair* of the Fenian Executive after rlie arrest and escape of the head centre James Stephens —was arrested with Upt.ihi Dcasv ou suspicion by the Manchester police. Both prisoners, with, a number of ordinary offenders, were being conveyed from the Courthouse to Salford Gaol on September 18th, 1867, under an escort of a dozen police, when rescue was attempted by a small body of armed Fenians at the Brickfields, pome distance from the gaol. The police wdre driven off, and the officer in charge inside the prison van. Sergeant Brett, was called upon to pass out the keys through the grating in the door of the van. This Brett refused to do, and.as a result he was mortally wounded by a pistol shot fired for the purpose of bursting the lock. The van was then opened and Keillly and Heasy, heavily ironed as they were, succeeded in effecting their escape before the police returned, accompanied by a large crowd. Some of the rescuers came in for rough handling from the mob, and wholesale arrests amongst the Irish population of Manchester and Salford* followed. Finally five men —Allen, Larkin, O'Brien, Condon and Maguire—were sentenced to bo hanged for the murder of Sergeant Brett. Maguire was subsequently pardoned, and Condon, an American citizen, was reprieved through the intervention of the United States Government. Allen, Larkin and O'Brien were hanged in front of Salford Gaol on November 23rd, 1867.