THE TUBBERCURRY "CONSPIRACY."

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 26, 17 October 1884, Page 9

THE TUBBERCURRY "CONSPIRACY."

The following documents are supplied to the Dublin Freeman of Augnst 13, by its Tubbercurry correspondent, vrh* wrote on the previous evening :— r At a meeting of the board of euardian? of this union to-day, Mr. N. U. Devine, one of the guardians, called the attention of the board to a report in a local paper, in which it was stated that members of thfi constabnlaiy had vH<ed an inmate of the workhouse named M'Manus, and to the fact that the porter's book contained an eutry of a visit of three policemen on the sth met. The master, having been called before the board, made the following statement, which he subsequently handed in in writing : " I have been asked by the board to make a statement iiT reference to the visits paid to Michael M'Manus by members of the police forse. On the 6th of August I was present at'a cMnersation Michael M'Manus had with Canon Stannton, chaplain of the workhouse, when he (M'Manus) admitted that on the occasion of the police interrogating him at the barrack respecting: the firing at Mr. Donohoe he was drunk, having taken before going to the barrack two pints of porter and five glasses of whiskey, and that while in the barrack, Constables Cronin and Sullivan gave him a cup of whiskey, which he believed contained at least two glasses. M ( Manas complained to Canon Staunton of the visit paid to him by the police, and he requested of me not to admit them in future, as he believes they wanted to tamper with him. On a subsequent occasion M'Manus informed me that Constable Sullivan visited and suggested that he should make a written statement, which he (Sullivan) would give to Sub-Inspector Phillips, who would forward it to where money could be got for him. " Jeremiah Roddy, Master. "August 18th, 1884." M'Manus was next called before the board and made the following statement, which he signed :—: — " I am an inmate of the workhouse sinae 4th July. I had been previously examined at the Crimes Court held in connection with the Tubbercurry conspiracy trials. In about three weeks after my admission to the workhouse I was visited by Sullivan and MunnelJy, members of the R. I. C. Sullivan suggested to me to make a statement for him, which he would give to Bub-Inspector Phillips, who would forward it to where there would be money got for me. Sullivan came again in a few days after and asked me did Ido that. I answered I did not, nor would I. On sth August Sullivan came again, accompanied by two men, who appeared to be policemen in plain clothes. He (Sullivan) said he had made a mistake about an answer given by me to him in the barrack, in reference to Lyons coming to my house for food, and asked me a few times did I not say that it happened on the night Mr. Donohoe was fired at, and almost insisted that I should say so. I distinctly told him that it did not occur on that night, but in three or four nights after, and I told him that I did not want visits from him. I afterwards had a conversation with the master of the workhouse, and told him that I did not wish to receive any visits trom the constabulary, and I also expressed the same wish to Canon Btaunton, the chaplain, and do so now before the board of guardians. I wish to say now before the board of guardians that I was deeply under the influence of drink on the two occasions I was examined— first, when in the barrack with Constables Sullivan and Cronin, who wrote down my sta'ement. I was supplied with half a teacup-full of whiskey and I had previously drunk five glasses of whiskey and two pints of porter. Cronin suggerted that I ■would go out and that it would give me nerve to think of more. Second — I had taken six glasses of whiskey before I was sworn at the Crimes Court. "(Signed) Michael M-Manus " Witness— J. Roddy, Master." The following resolution was then proposed by Mr. Devine, seconded by Mr. Durcan, and unanimously passed : — " That this board, having heard from the master that an inmate named M'Manus complained to the chaplain and also to himself, of the visits of policemen and detectives, and their conduct in endeavouring to influence him to give evidence, and holding out to him inducements if he would make a statement to the district inspector in reference to the Tubbercurry prisoners, and the board having had M'Manus before them, who handed in a statement to that effect, we direct that in future such persons shall not be permitted to see any inmate of the workhouse except at the special request of such inmate and in presence of the master." An application was made on Tuesday to the Master of the Rolls to admit the Tubbcrcurry conspiracy prisoners to bail. Hia Lordship refused the application, the Crown undertaking that the prisoners should be tried in Dublin in October.