EXTRAORDINARY STATEMENTS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 38, 9 January 1885, Page 25

EXTRAORDINARY STATEMENTS.

On Wednesday, November 5, in the House of Commons, Mr. Sexton said he desired to bring before the attention of the public a remarkable statement of facts which had fallen into his possession. The statement in question was mad© by Thomas Nolan, who was until lately one of the prisoners charged with the Ballyforan murder, and it rah as follows :—: — Statement of Thomas Nolan, late prisoner in the Ballyforan murder case, made at Boston, U. S. A : I was arrested in connection with the Ballyforan murder case 24th February, 1884, one month after my father was arrested as an accessory to the same murder. I was arrested as I was leaving the court-house after the investigation on the evidence of a young man named M'Donnell, who swore he saw me on the road about a half a mile from the supposed scene of the murder. That evidence was false, and the young man who swore it could have'no motive for so doing unless he was prompted and paid for it by the Crown. He further swore he saw my father, John Nolan, on the night of the murder speak to Michael Tansey, another prisoner. My father is still in prison on this false evidence. Neither my lather nor myself could have any motive for being accessories to that unfortunate man's murder. We were ajjvays on the most friendly terms with him. But on account of our house being next to the supposed scene of the murder the police said we must know something about it, and for that reason procured false evidence against us in order to drive us to swear falsely against the other prisoners. On the night I was arrested I was visited by the governor of the prison, Captain Mason, who asked me how I got into the hobble ; he also asked me, if I knew anything, to turn round on the others and liberate myself and my father. I Jpld him I knew nothing at all about it. Three weeks after I was arrested Sergeant O'Brien, of Ballyforan, asked me to give evidence against the others, and told me J should have the Bupport of the Government. I told him I could give no evidence unless it was perjured evidence. This was in the grand juryroom of county courthouse, Galway. Four weeks after I was arrested (22nd March), the four other prisoners— viz, Tansey, Kennedy, Hannon, and my father, John Nolan—were brought out into the office of the gaol and Mr. Bolton told them I had turned approver, and Sergeant O'Brien said he expected to get evidence from me. He had no reason whatever for saying it, unless it be to frighten Thomas Kennedy to turn around aad swear against all as they promised to save him if he turned approver. On this day (22nd March) I was taken out by my warder (Simcox) after the other prisoners. He was not in the plot. Just as I was going in on the office door, SubInspector Joyce and the deputy -governor ran out, and Joyce said " For God's sake take him back, or the whole thing will be spoiled." I knew then how the ground lay. Mr. Bolton was at work with others on the inside, telling them I was an approver, I was taken in and locked in my cell. I asked to be allowed to see Mr. Bowler, the solicitor for the defence, but I was denied the privilege, though he was in the prison office at the time. They told me he was gone. My mother called to see me that day, and the next and was denied admission. After Mr. Bowler was gone I was taken out alone, and Mr. Paul. E.M., addressing me, said : " Consequent on what Sergeant O'Brien has sworn, you are remanded for further evidence." I did not know what he swore ; they did not tell me. I did not know what they told the other prisoners. I was hurried away again into the prison without being given time to ask a question. This was the fouTth time I was remanded without any evidence being given against me. On the following day (Saturday, 23rd March), Sergeant O'Biien came into the prison, atd himself and the Deputy-Governor asked me would I not do anything for the Crown that was paying me, saying I must know something about (he murder. I told him I should have his conduct and tbat of DeputyGovernor Evans brought before the notice of Parliament in not allowing me to see Mr. Bowler, the solicitor who was employed for me, and making it appear that I turned an approver. Sergeant O'Brien again visited me in the prison on Sunday, 24th March. I asked him would he be satisfied if I swore to the truth. He said I would not "*be eworn unless I made a statement criminating the prisoners. I than handed him a written statement as follows :—: — " I know nothing whatever of the circumstances connected with the murder of William Mahon^?'o nor con." I told him to keep that, and that it was the truth, and that I should swear to no other statement. I asked them several times to put the book in my hand, and that I would tell the truth, but they wanted me to give evidence against the other prisoners, and swearing the truth would be only contradicting the witness Thomas M'Donnell. I was brought up by myself on the sth (Friday) of my incarceration about seven o'clock in the evening, and Mr. Paul, R.M., read a long piece of swearing done by Sergeant O'Brien against me in order to frighten me, and told me he must again remand me. Mr. Bolton, Crown Solicitor, said I must be sent for trial along with the others, and that I would not be discharged till both myself and my father should go before the judge and jury. During that week and the following I was kept in a cell separate from the other prisoners ; though I requested to be allowed to go to exercise with the other prisoners, I was denied leave to do so. I was several days without exercise. Now I always told the Crown I had neither hand, act, part, or knowledge in thai murder. One of the warders (M'Ardle) used frequently tell me that he was instructed by Sergeant O'Brien to tell me that I would be kept there until I would be sent for trial

or made a statement criminating the other prisoners. He also told me that it was no harm to swear false, that it was done everyday, and the Crown did not care right or wrong. On the 4th of April I was taken out of prison to the county court-house. Sergeant O'Brien came to me and said, " I suppose you have heard that your school is gone ?" " Yes," said I. " Well," said he, " the best thing you can do now is to turn round with the Crown. You have no business home." He was sent to make offers to me by Bolton and Joyce. I repeatedly told him I knew nothing about it. "Well," said the magistrate, "we are now going to send you for trial." I was discharged shortly afterwards when they saw all their badgering was of no avail.

After coming borne from prison the children were being kept at home from school by their parents till I would be reinstalled. My mind, was disturbed both while I was in prison and after getting out, and the instructor and manager agreed to reinstate me when I should get better. I was so bad at this time that it was deemed necessary either to send me to the asylum or somewhere ; so I resolved to come to America, as I was told the Crown were prompting Kennedy, one of (he men in prison, to turn round and swear against me. Shortly before I left a report was circulated that I was going to swear against 100 men in the county for committing outrages and belonging to secret societies. Four young men secretly left the country at the time. One of them was none other than a Government spy, and never belonged to a secret society, and I believe he was paid by the Crown for running away, and making it appear that it was from me he was running away. I met two of tht young men here. They told me they were teld by the parish priest to run away. He told them he was informed of all through the Crown. The plot was got up by the Crown in order to prevent me from being reinstated in the school, in order, as Sergeant O'Brien said, of leaving no resource, to fall back on but to turn round and become a perjured informer.