THE STORY OF A FENIAN PRIVATEER.

Tuapeka Times, Volume I, Issue 5, 14 March 1868, Page 4

THE STORY OF A FENIAN PRIVATEER.

The Irish Attorner-General, in stating the cage for the prosecution against " Colonel " John Warren at Dublin recently, gave an interesting narrative of the circumstances under which the prisoner appeared at the bar. He emigrated to the United States some years ago, and entered the American service, in which he rose to the rank of captain. In 1862, from some cause or other he was dismissed. He then became a prominent member in the Fenirn conspiracy, and was appointed head centre for the State of Massachusetts." On the 12th of April, 1867, a party of forty or fifty men, all officers or privates who had been in the American service, dropped down from Sandy Hook in a stea- | mer, and there went on board a vessel which ! had been purchased for an expedition to Ireland. Among the party were the prisoner, who wbs called a " Colonel " in the Eenian service, and a " (3-eneral " Nagle, who would also be put upon his trial. They sailed without papers, or colors, or luggage, but had a quantity of arms of various kinds packed in piano cases, in cases for sewing machines, and wine-casks, all consigned t< some merchant in the island of Cuba. Afte steering south for a while they veered tc wards Ireland, and whenever they met a shi they hoisted English colors. G-aining conf dence as their voyage seemed to pros' they resolved on Easter Sunday, the ? of April, to celebrate the festi^' manner. TV"-- -*"* ll borne the unroman-

'•^mmc' of 'the Jacknell Packet. This they changed, and called her the Erin's Hope — a title more congenial to their poetic taste and patriotic feeling. Kavanagli, another prisoner, wbo had charge of the ship, performed the baptismal ceremony, and having then read his orders, signed by Captain Powell, " chief of the navy," and by " Colonel" Kelly, to land the arms in Ireland, distributed commissions to the officers on. board. On the 20th May the Erin's Hope reached Sligo, and kept coasting along the shore, occasionally dipping into the bay. A boat was sent ashore containing two men, named Shea and Doyle, who had not since been heard of. Two others, named Smith and Nolan, who had been accidently shot by the approver's revolver, wei'e also put ashore with a man named Nugent, and the three fell into the hands of the police. A pilot named Ghllacher boarded the vessel and was told that she came from Spain with a cargo of fruit. He was compelled by Warren and Nagle, another prisoner, to take an oath not to describe the vessel when he went ashore. On reaching land, however, he pubhimself under the protection of the Coastguard. The vessel was next visited by one violonel" Burke, who informed the officers that they could not land the arms at Sligo. They accordingly left Sligo, and steaming southward, coasted about until tho Ist of

June, when they reached Dungarvan, and after holding a council of war, as their provisions were running out, they resolved to land some of the officers aud let the rest return to America. A fisherman named Wheelan happened to come near in his boat at this juncture, and agreed to land two of the officers for £2. When he went alongside, however, twenty-eight men jumped into the little craft, and, fearing the Coastguard, insisted on landing at a certain spot which is not a usual landing-place, and jumping out into three feet of water, waded ashore. The omen of Erin's Hope was not fulfilled. Nagle and Warren hired a car to take them to Youghal, but were arrested on the way ; and the remaining twenty-six, who broke up into small parties, were captured in different places by the police within twenty-four hours of their landing.