PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 55, 24 February 1908, Page 2

PERSONAL.

-Mr*. 11awtliorm'j Inspector of l-'ai-tori'.'ri in tho -North Island, is at present visiting tliu various towns in Xaranaki. .Montague, (.ihiecstein, and A. Mark*. directors of Lyons. London, left liotoura Jor Wellington on Saturday via. the Wanganui river.— Press wire, ill". 11. I*. Ayson, solicitor, of Wellington, arrived in town on Saturday night. Mr. Alec JJill leaves for Tiniarn tomorrow morning. The funeral of the late J. C. Wilkin, formerly managing director of tile Lyttelton Times, who died in Paris towards the _ end of last year, took place at Chrirttclmrch yesterday afternoon, and was very largely attended. Amongst those present were newspaper men from other parts of the Dominion, and many representative men of this city. A. very large number of beautiful wreaths were received.—Press wire. Mv. <!. Shepperd, representing Messrs. Booth, Mar-Donald and Co.. iinplementmakers, of C'hristehurch, is in New Ply. mouth, having exchanged districts with Mr. Hill, who has gone to South Canterbury.

Colonel Kelly, whose denth was reported in the cables oil Saturday last, was a prominent figure in connection with the abortive Fenian rising of 1867. He had served with distinction in tiie Confederate Army during the American Civil War, ami was one of a number of Irish-American ofllcers who afterwards crossed to different parts of Ireland' aud Great Britain to place their services at tlic disposal of the Fenian organisation. The attempted rebellion had fizzled out in Ireland, when Colonel Kelly—who had taken a prominent part in conducting the affairs of the Fenian Executive after the arrest and escape of the head- centre, James Stephenswas arrested with Captain l)easy on suspicion by the Manchester police. Both prisoners, with a number of ordinary offenders, were being conveyed from the Courthouse to Salford. Caol on IStli September, 18H7, under an escort of a dozen police, when rescue was attempted by a small body of armed Fenians at tlie brickfields, some distance from the r? 10 '. 'l'he police were driven oil', and the onicer 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 shut fired for the purpose of bursting the lock. The van was then opened, and Kelly and Deasy, heavily ironed as they were, succeeded ill effecting their escape bofore the police returned, accompanied by a large crowd. Some of the rescuers came in for rough handling from the. mob, and wholesale arrests amongst th e Irish population of Manchester and Salford followed. Finally five men—Allen, l.flrkin, O'Brien, Condon, and Maguire—were sentenced to be hanged for the murder of Sergeant Brett. Maguire was subsequently pardoned, and Condon, an American citizen, ivas reprieved through the intervention of the United Stales Government. Allen, and O'Brien were hanged in front of Salford Caol on 23rd November, 18(17.