IRISH BROTHERHOOD

Otago Witness, Issue 3364, 4 September 1918, Page 37

IRISH BROTHERHOOD

AN AUSTRALIAN SENSATION. CASE OF SEVEN INTERNED MEN. (By Cable.) At the inquiry into the continued detention of the interned Irish arrested on a charge of conspiracy, the judge refused to issue a writ of habeas corpus for the release of the prisoners. The.'taking of evidence has commenced. The hearing of the cases of the interned Irishmen i 3 proceeding, the evidence so far chiefly relating to documents seized at the residence of some of the internees, regarding the formation and progress of the Irish National Association in Australia,/ the spreading of propaganda, and the collection and transmission of funds. Amongst other documents were a quantity of correspondence with America, and instructions how to read certain letters written in invisible ink. Some letters indicated movements to secure freedom for Ireland from Eno-land. One document, labelled "Recipe lor severe attack cold," was declared by the police to be identical with a formula the I.W.W. men had for the .purpose of destroying property in Sydney. A letter was read to-day, stating- that every man iir Ireland was drilled and well armed, and another revolution was expected at the first favourable opportunity.

SOME DETAILS OF THE CONSPIRACY. (Fhom Our Own Cohrespondent.)

SYDNEY,. August 8. The inquiry regarding the seven men who were recently interned, by the Commonwealth Government was commenced yesterday. The names of the men are : Albert Thomas Dryer. Edmund M'Sweeney. Michael M'Ging. William M'Guinness. Maurice Dalton. Prank M'Keown. Thomas Fitzgerald.

Mr Ralston, K. 0., for the Crown, said he proposed to make a full statement of the case which induced the Minister to taKe action. The seven men were arrested on June 17, four of them—Dryer, M'Ging, M'Sweeney, and M'Guinness—being in Sydney, where they had lived and worked prior to arrest. Dalton and M'Keown were arrested in Melbourne, and Fitzgerald, who was a bookseller in Brisbane. After the arrest the Acting Prime Minister made a statement setting out that they belonged to a secret society known as the Irish Republican Brotherhood. The Commonwealth Government came to investigate the matter and take action in the beginning of 1917. It •was ascertained that in 1915 and 1916 an Irishman named John Doran had been in the commonwealth forming branches of the Brotherhood. A branch had been started in Melbourne, and two others started in Sydney. Fitzgerald then started one in Brisbane under the auspices of the other branches. Doran left tor America in September, 1916. The investigation showed such a state of affairs that search warrants * were issued, and on March 25 this year the residences of these seven men were eaarched, and documents taken possession of. A further search was made of other, premises on May 23. and the result of evidence obtained was a complete case that these persons, together with John Doran, had been for three years engaged in conspiracy of a highly treasonable nature, dangerous to Australia, Britain, and the, Allies. The < evidence was such as would fully justify them being placed on trial for treason. While John Doran was in Australia it was found that he was in communication with a certain John Dovoy, a leading member in America of the Clan-na-Gael. This man Devoy was communicating with a man named John Dalton, in Ireland, with the object of extending tho activities of the Irish Republican Brotherhood to Australia. LETTER TO ARCHBISHOP MANNIX.

Dalton in a letter described the part -he had taken in Irish disturbances in 1865 and 1867. Dalton in another letter wrote to Archbishop Mannix congratulating him on an address he had delivered. Below his name Dalton signed himself "an old

campaigner of 1865 and 1867." The Crown was in a position to show relations between John Devoy and tho seven men, and between DeYpv and the leaders of the Irish rising in 1916. In 1915 the Irish National Association of New South Wales was formed. The objects were on the face of them innocent, the first being to assist Ireland to achieve her national destiny, to extend her sovereignty, and to extendlrish national ideals. At the end of the booklet containing the constitution though there was this: " There are no greater nationalists in the world than thoso of Germany." This society seemed to be a sort of cloak or recruiting ground to test people to see if they would make reliable members of the other secret society, the Brotherhood. A report of the proceedings of this association was read. In tho fifth paragraph it was set out that the real objects for which the association was instituted had by no means been obscured. One of the most instructive lectures made before the association, tho report stated, was one delivered by a member, in the course of which the two objects of the association were stated to be "to strike for Irish nationality, for the emancipation of Ireland." Lectures on these subjects were delivered, the first dealing with the "reasons which compel us to exert ourselves in the grand cause.', 1 The second lecture dealt with the Fenian movement. THE IRISH VOLUNTEER ARMY.

Mr Ralston read a letter from Dalton relating to the ''sale of goods," and the probable necessity of appointing direct agents. A letter was found written in Gaelic, which, when interpreted, was found to be as follows:—"Hold this over a lamp, and there will be other things for you on the other side." Mr Ralston said the letter was held over a lamp, and Was then dealt with by a chemical, which made the writing permanent. This writing, done in invisible inlc, was a list of names, beginning: No. 1, Albert Thomas Dryer; No. 2„ J. E. P. O'Dwyer; and giving a number of names and addresses of persons, three of whom were described at the foot of tbn letter as old members of Irish service. The'o3 three names were given as Dermis, and Brennan.

OATH OF BROTHERHOOD.

The declaration for members of the Brotherhood was set out as follows: — " I believe in Ireland's unquestionable rights to sovereign independence, and v solemnly declare that I will bo true to" the Irish Renublician Brotherhood, .and will forward those principles militarily and civilly even to the last sacrifice, as directed by the officerr- " The Clan-na-Gael constitution set out among its objects:—" The complete independence of Ireland, and the establishment of an Irish Republic. Neither this organisation nor its members shall give any support to any movement having for its object the settlement of the Irish National question except on the basis of complete national independence. "To secure complete national independence in the republican form of government, , ~ ... "The only policy which it believes will attain that end is physical force." It was also set out that the only persons eligible for membership were those over 18 years of -age and of Irish descent, and they must "*not be antagonistic to the V. O." Mr Ralston said there was some doubt as to what the V.C. was, but it was believed to stand for " Volunteer Committee, which controlled both the Brotherhood and the Clan-na-Gael. Mr Ralston read other letters and documents dealing With a revolution in America, military organisation, money for I.W.vv. defence, a denunciation of Archbishop Kelly, the I.W.W. formula, post-cards in Gaelic (translated), a circular which stated that every man who donned khaki was a scab on his mates, and when the chance comes he must be shot.