THE FENIAN ROBBERY OF THE MARTELLO TOWER.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XIII, Issue 570, 20 April 1868, Page 3

THE FENIAN ROBBERY OF THE MARTELLO TOWER.

The Cork correspondent of Saunders’s Newsletter gives the following account of the surprise of the martelio tower at Foity on Thursday night, the 26th December The tower was occupied by two married men of the Royal Artillery, and their children. They were in charge of their etna]] prepared ammunition, shell, \nd fuses. Within observation of Monnin? Tower is a similar mm cormnamliim Lelveliv River, and another further down at These were each similarly garrisoned and provided, From the time dusk se t in on St. Stephen’s night all was stillness and solitude outside the walls of Foatv House, except the noise occasioned each halt-hour by the passing of the railway trains to and from Queenstown, until about 10 o’clock, when the report of a large gun re-ccboed through the hills around. Another quickly followed, and the train rushing past shortly after, the engine-driver, guard, and many of the passengers observed a lantern waving on the roof of the tower. This, though a novel exhibition, created no suspicion, many believing it to be a mere Christmas pastime. When the train reached the Youghal Junction, where it delivers and receives passengers, another discharge of artilllery shook the ground in the stillness of the night. B fore the train had arrived at the next stop station two more discharges were audible. The cannonade was heard by the night watch on board the guardship in the harbor and by Lie sentinels at Camden and Carlisle Forts at its entrance, who instantly reported it to their superior officers. The reverberation deceiving the hearers as to the direction of the place of firing, it was attributed to an engagement at sea bet ween one of her Majesty’s ships and a Fenian privateer, for which a close look-out has been kept for some days along t.ha coast The firing and lamp signals on the Moaning Tower having attracted (he guard at I Helvelly Tower, one of (lie men came ofi’j to the former, and then having made him-j sclf known to the guard in t he Monningj they requested him to go into Quens-i town for assistance. He complied, and at midnight Constable O’Connor, and » party of Royal Irish constabulary, proceeded without loss of lime to the place. Hero they had some difficulty in getting admittance, ns, not having a countersign. Die inmates hesitated in lowering the ladder and opening the door. When the constabulary gained admittance they found the wives ami children of the artillerymen in the Deepest fright, and the cause \ra< explained. About half-past five in the evening the artillery guard, Ambrose Hickey and John Radclifie, with their wives and children, sat down to tea, not having raised the entrance ladder or fastencil the door. They had not been long thus occupied when a man appeared close beside (hem, presenting t; many-chamborcd revolver, followed instaneously bv four others, three of whom were disguised bv mudles across them faces, all armed with with revolvers. The first announced himBelt as a captain of the Irish republic, that his pa-pose was not to do nersonal injury, but that if any one disobeyed his orders he would blow Ids brains'oat. The inmates were so astonished that no one made, a remark, and after a brief pause he continued, “I’ve come for the amis end ammunition in the tower; be quick end surrender them, or you may guess the consequence.” Hickey rev lied* “How can we do that F we are in charge of them, and have sworn allegiance.” The leader quickly followed with, “ Tut tut, no fencing ; if wc are not enough here we are plenty outside to compel rur demand.” The women and children then burst into fears, and pleaded for their lives. He then demanded the key of the magazine, which was surrendered ; and two of the insurgents being told off as sentinels over the inmates, the other three proceeded to ransack the budding. The powder in the magazine, which was made up in Sib charges, was occasionally brought up and handed through the door to some party at the (op of the ladder, and conveyed from hand to hand down the stairs, as also a quantity of fuse and some explosive shells. The quantity of gunpowder thus! stolen amounted to nearly 300Ibs. They SiSO removed the two carbines and swords of the guard, but declined the cross and A local journal, not inimical to Teniauism, gives the following incident;—

“ The i 1 eniane seemed pavticulary anxious about hand grenades, and, not satisfied with (ho assurances of (he gunners, they made a strict examination for that class of weapon. An idea of the coolness which was exhumed may be obtained from the fact that the h cabins held an ar.alyisu of the shot to know their construction. This missile is composed of several small compartments, in each of which are placed bullets of the ordinary sue. the whole being hound together by plates with screws! and nuts, and they looked quite pleased' with tne useful lesson which was doubtless impressed by an inspection of (he interior. 3laving inspected the magazine, and satisfied themselves with what they bad done, the party, accompanied by the soldiers, wont to the jarmory, the state of which ci idently disappointed them, as there were but two old carbines, with sword-bayonets and appurtenances, in stock. These limy likewise seized. And now comes the most remarkable part of the tale. When the work of ransackmgjhad been completed the five armed men sat down and had a friendly conversation with the artillerymen and their familcs. One of the men talked of lus exploits during (ho American cam-

paigns ; another treated them to a discrvation on lenian topics; _aud they finished

up by exhibiting one of (heir twelveshooters, and explaining (he mechanical

construction of Che weapon. The piece appeared to one of the gunners to be a breech-loading revolver, with twelve chambers, and he had an excellent opportunity of observing it. In taking the cylinder out one of (he bullets dropped on the ground, and this fact is deposed to by the wife of one of the gunners* So far a? tue uiugistenal investigation Ins progressed, it is believed that the body of the insurgents

numbered between 2-5 and 30, and were led by a mari not unknown to the nolice, as the person now sought after, but who is not found iu his usual haunts, has beau ere now iu custody as a suspect, and is an acknowledged leader iu the Fenian conspiracy. The parly crossed the river from the Passage file in boats, with implied oars, at high water, so as to be enabled to land close by the tower an i escape quickly If they met a reverse. The gunners and their wives gave a minute descriptions of two of tiie desperadoes, and are honeful in being able to identify others, should they be captured.” The signals of which mention has been made were fired after the Fenians left the tower.