Washington, with the hope that some decisive steps may be taken for my release before my health becomes so utterly ruined as to render the balance of my life miserable and liberty of no value or enjoyment to me. I have the honor to remain, sir, your obedient servant, Hon. C. F. ADAMS, United States Minister, London. WM. J. NAGLE. Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward. No. 1575.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: By a report made to me from Mr. West, the consul at Dublin, I find that there remain imprisoned at Dublin at this moment only three persons known to be citizens of the United States. The remainder have been liberated on condition of returning to the United States. The expense of the return of such as could not defray it from their own means has been paid under authority given by your cable telegram of the 7th of April. The newspapers have formally announced that Colonel Nagle has also been released. But I regret to learn from Lord Stanley that this is not true. I have reason to believe that he favors the thing, and that it will be ultimately accomplished. The matter is reduced to a condition which ought scarcely to be considered as an obstacle by the government. I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS. Secretary of State, Washington, D. C. Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams. No. 2165.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: Your dispatch of the 8th of April, No. 1569, has been received. Your observations concerning the political crisis of England are exceedingly interesting. It is very much to be regretted that her Majesty's ministers are unprepared to meet the naturalization question directly, and settle it in the practical way which I have proposed. Time is not likely to induce more liberal feelings in the United States than those which now prevail in this government. On the other hand, it would seem as if the political dispute concerning the Irish church, which is manifestly rising in Great Britain, could hardly be carried further without increasing the difficulty of satisfactorily adjusting the international question to which I have referred. I am quite convinced that all our international questions may be arranged speedily and satisfactorily, if the naturalization controversy can be adjusted. You may use this dispatch in any manner which may seem expedient. I am, sir, your obedient servant, WILLIAM H. SEWARD. CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, Esq., &c., &c., &c. No. 1583.] Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: According to your desire, expressed in dispatch No. 2156, of the 13th of April, I called upon Lord Stanley on Wednesday last, read it to him and gave him a copy of it. His lordship expressed great doubt whether anything was likely to come of the matter. There were differences of opinion among the powers not soon to be reconciled. Neither was he disposed to think the evils of the present system so serious as they had been represented. He intimated that France would wish to have her own way, which was not likely to be assented to by others. He would, however, give attentive consideration to the views of the dispatch. Apart from this particular question, it seemed to me as if his lordship talked with less animation and interest than I ever knew him to do before. Whether this may be owing to the prospect of leaving his office before long I cannot say. Neither is it necessary to decide, as the vote of Thursday night in the House of Commons seems to render it certain that a change of some kind will be announced on Monday next. You will probably have heard what it is by the telegraph long before this reaches you by steamer, so that all speculation in which I might indulge would be clearly out of place. I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS. Secretary of State, Washington, D. C. Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward. No. 1584.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to transmit to you the newspaper report of the trial of Richard OS. Burke, which has been just held in this town. Captain Burke, who seems to me to have conducted himself with extraordinary propriety throughout the period of his imprisonment, distinctly concedes the fairness of the trial, and the justice of the verdict according to the evidence. The only question he raises is that of citizenship, but even that relates rather to the form of trial, as, on the merits, even his being admitted to be an alien would not be held to shield him from the consequences of acts dangerous to the peace of the realm. I believe there are now very few citizens of the United States remaining under confinement on the mere allegation of offenses committed. Offers have been made to release even these, but conditions have been attached, to which they very naturally refuse to subscribe. This is, I believe, the case with Colonel Nagle. I learn from Lord Stanley that it is the wish of the Irish authorities to liberate him unconditionally, but there are difficulties in the way which time may yet overcome. If not, it is clear that he must be brought to trial in a very few days. I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS. Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C. [From the London Daily News, April 30, 1868.] THE TRIAL OF BURKE, CASEY, AND SHAW. The prisoners Richard Burke, alias Edward C. Winslow, alias George Berry, alias Wallace, 35, no occupation; Joseph Theobald Casey, 23, clerk; and Henry Mullady, alias Shaw, 26; who were put upon their trial on the previous day for treason-felony, in having traitorously conspired with divers other persons to deprive her Majesty of the royal style and title of the imperial crown of Great Britain and Ireland, and to establish a republic in Ireland, were placed at the bar yesterday morning again, at 10 o'clock. The attorney general, the solicitor general, Mr. Giffard, Q. C., Mr. Poland, and Mr. Archibald, were the counsel for the crown. Mr. Ernest Jones and Mr. Macdonald appeared for the prisoner Burke, Mr. F. H. Lewis for Casey, and Mr. Pater for Mullady. Mr. De Tracy Gould, a member of the American bar, was also retained professionally to watch the proceedings on behalf of Burke. At the rising of the court on the previous evening a portion of the evidence for the prosecution was given, and the case on behalf of the crown was again proceeded with. Amelia Tye, being examined by Mr. Giffard, Q. C., deposed: I lived at Mr. Kynock's house at Birmingham, and saw the prisoner Burke there. He first called there in December, 1865, and Mr. Kynock being absent from home I showed him some percussion caps which he wished to see. He approved of them, and said he would call on the following morning. He came next day and purchased a large quantity. In the afternoon he went out with Mr. Kynock, and in the evening he purchased 250,000 caps and 40 revolvers, which I put into a case. Burke ordered them to be sent to Mr. Mullady, 64 George street. They were delivered by Mr. Kynock's man, who brought back the book signed. I think the prisoner Shaw once brought a letter to Mr. Kynock, but I would not swear to his identity. I saw Burke at Mr. Kynock's several times. He was known by the name of Winslow. In cross-examination by Mr. Pater, the witness said she did not know what had become of the letter which Mullady brought to Mr. Kynock. George Kynock was then examined by the solicitor general. He said: I reside at Birmingham, and am a cap and ammunition manufacturer. I also sell fire-arms. I know Mr. Winslow (Burke) and Mullady, both of whom I have seen at my place of business. The first purchase Burke made from me was that of 2,000,000 percussion caps and 250,000 revolver caps. The amount of the purchase was £385, which he paid in cash. I made out an invoice, and gave it to him. I gave him a delivery order on the manager of the London and North Western Railway Company at Birmingham for the percussion caps, which were then lying at Curzon street station. Burke afterwards bought revolvers, and I went with him to Mr. Hill's, in St. Mary's road, where we inspected some pistols. I purchased pistols from Mr. Hill and other makers, and sold them to Burke. I made out seven or eight invoices of goods altogether, and to the best of my recollection the amount was £1,970. The payments were principally made in Bank of England notes. I gave credit for the invoice of the rifles. The amount of it was £698. I saw him every day, and was on very friendly terms with him. I went to his house in George street. There was a large plate on the door, on which the words "E. C. Winslow, merchant and commission agent," were engraved. I believe I saw Casey there. He appeared to be only a workman. I have seen Mullady at my office. I have occasionally received letters from Burke, and have seen him write. (Letters written by Burke to the witness were then read. In one of them he expressed a wish to be furnished with a list of prices of rifles, &c.) Cross-examined by Mr. Jones: Burke and I had frequent conversations about his antecedents. I don't remember his saying that he had taken up his residence for some time in Chili. Cross-examined by Mr. Lewis: I was examined at the police court on the 30th of December, and I then thought that Casey was the man who had passed under the name of Mullady. I also professed to have seen Mullady several times. I always had a doubt as to Casey's identity. I have now no doubt about Casey. Cross-examined by Mr. Pater: Had I not seen Shaw I should have been under the impression that Casey was the man who waited for Burke's letter. When I saw Shaw at the police court, I recognized him, and found I had been mistaken with respect to Casey. Wm. James Hill, a pistol maker, residing in St. Mary's road, Birmingham, corroborated that part of the evidence of the last witness relating to the purchase of pistols. In cross-examination by Mr. Jones, he said he understood that the pistols were to be sent to Chili. James Whitehead deposed to having seen the prisoner Casey at Burke's offices in George-street-parade. Mr. Day, a house agent, residing in Birmingham, stated that Burke rented premises in George-street-parade, on the representation that he belonged to a mercantile firm in New York. He paid the first quarter's rent in advance. The third quarter the prisoner suddenly left without giving notice. On regaining possession of the house witness found a carboy, from which there was the smell of petroleum. He also found a door which bore bullet and chalk marks, and appeared to have been used as a target. In cross-examination by Mr. Jones, witness admitted having stated to the magistrate that he did not know whether the carboy was in the premises when Burke took possession of them. Mr. Mansell, a member of the Birmingham detective force, produced a plate which he had taken off the door of Burke's offices and which bore the following: "Edwd. C. Winslow, Commission Agent and General Merchant." He further stated that in the cellar of the house he found several jars containing a liquid, the nature of which he did not know. In reply to Mr. Ernest Jones, he said he believed the liquor was used in polishing the stocks of rifles. The foreman of the "order shed" at Curzon street station, Birmingham, proved the delivery at that station of goods consigned by Mr. Kynock, of Birmingham, to "Edward C. Winslow, at Park-lane station, Liverpool, to await order." The booker at Park-lane station, Liverpool, proved the delivery of twenty cases on December 29, 1865. The freight was made out from the order (produced.) The signature in the delivery book was "W. Laurence." Mr. Kynock identified the order as being in Burke's handwriting. William Emery, the checker at Curzon-street station, Birmingham, produced consignment notes which accompanied cases sent to the station. One of the notes did not bear the address of the sender, and he asked it from the man who brought the note. He identified Casey as being that man. Mr. Kynock stated that the notes were in Burke's handwriting, and bore the signature, "E. C. Winslow." The witness, in continuation, deposed that the cases were forwarded to Park-lane station, Liverpool. In answer to Mr. Lewis, he said that Casey was in his sight for about twenty minutes or half an hour on the day on which he brought the note. He had never seen him before. He did not think he should be much surprised to hear that, on the 29th of December, 1865, Casey was in the employ of the Messrs. Pickford. There were such strange things taking place now, that one might believe anything. (Laughter.) The booker at Park-lane station was recalled, and proved the delivery of nine cases on the 30th of December, 1865. Mr. Kynock stated that the note of consignment was in Burke's handwriting. A clerk at the Curzon-street station, Birmingham, deposed to having received the consignment note (produced) with 12 cases in January, 1866. The cases were forwarded to Waterloo station, Liverpool. (This note was also proved to be in Burke's handwriting.) A clerk in the Waterloo station, Liverpool, proved the delivery of the cases, adding that the signature in the delivery-book was R. Laurence." 66 The consignment and delivery of other cases were proved by railway employés connected with the Birmingham and Liverpool railway stations. Henry Fisher, who was employed as railway clerk at Birmingham in the early part of 1866, produced four consignment orders, which were delivered to him by the prisoner Shaw, who stood by while the packages to which they related were being weighed. The court here adjourned for a short time. Upon its reassembling, Two females residing in Liverpool were examined, one of whom proved that the prisoner Burke lodged at her house under the name of Edward C. Winslow, and the other, that Burke visited two of her lodgers named Preston and Rice, in company with a Mr. Beecher. Scafe, a member of the Liverpool police, deposed to finding in a house in Salisbury street, Liverpool, where Burke lodged, three tubs containing water and a large number of bottles. The bottles were taken to the police office, and witness subsequently took one of them to a doctor. On opening the bottle, a few drops of the fluid it contained fell on witness's clothes, and set them on fire. William Hone, inspector of detective police at Liverpool, corroborated the evidence of the last witness. Edward Davis, analyst and chemist, deposed that he examined some bottles which had been given him by the last witness, and found that they contained solution of phosphorus. That substance when dissolved by bisulphate of carbon produced what was known as "Greek fire." Morrissy, a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary, stationed at Cork, deposed to having seized two deal cases which had been brought to that city by the steamer Halcyon. They were addressed to "J. Daly & Co., Grand Parade, Cork." Thomas Hamilton, resident magistrate at Cork, stated that he had examined the cases referred to by the last witness, and found that they contained Enfield rifles, bayonets, and bullet molds. The rifle produced was one of those which he had taken from the cases. The rifle was here shown to Mr. Kynock, who identified it as having been sold by him. John Daly, a member of the firm of Daly & Co., Grand Parade, Cork, being examined, stated that he had not ordered two cases of rifles. In reply to Baron Bramwell, the witness said he had never acted as agent for any person. Thomas Kavanagh, a clerk in the employ of the agents of the Cork Steamship Company, at Liverpool, deposed to the shipment of the cases in question. John Townsend, a member of the firm of Townsend & Cook, drapers, Byron street, Liverpool, was produced to show that they did not send cases of rifles to Daly & Co., Cork. A servant at the house in Tavistock street, Tottenham court road, in which Burke and Massey lodged under the names of Wallace and Cleburne, was then sworn, and identified Burke. Evidence having been given as to the finding of military haversacks in the Commercial hotel, Nelson street, Liverpool, in which Burke met several leading members of the Fenian movement who stopped there, James Hollyman, rifle instructor of the South Cork militia, and John Daly, a colorsergeant in the same regiment, were produced, and identified Burke as having been attached to it in 1856. Elizabeth Itheall deposed that her father kept the King's Head public house at Chester. She remembered a person who went by the name of Johnson lodging at her father's house in February, 1866. Their house was near Chester castle. She said that she afterwards saw this man Johnson on his trial at Dublin under the name of McCafferty. William Bray, detective officer at Bray, proved that on the 11th of February a great number of strangers arrived at Chester by the trains from Manchester and Liverpool. Some of these persons stopped on the platform and others walked about the town in bodies. He said he should think that there were about 2,000 strangers in the city on this day. On the following morning he found several pistols and some powder and ball in a field near the railway. He could find no owners for these articles. There were 30,000 stand of arms in the castle at this time, and very few soldiers to protect them. Although the place was called the "castle," it was not possessed of any strength, and was used for courts of justice, and a portion of it was used as a prison. John Clerk, another constable belonging to the Chester police, also spoke to a number of strangers coming to Chester on the day in question, and among them he recognized the prisoner Burke. The volunteers had been called out early in the morning, and the men who had come by the trains left on the same evening. On Friday, the 15th of February, he drew off the water from a stream at Chester, and found 160 ball cartridges. Francis Sheridan: I am a sergeant in the Dublin constabulary, and on the night of the 5th March, 1867, I was on duty at the village of Milltown, about two and a half miles from Dublin. I was patrolling the village with three other constables, and at the railway arch at the end of Milltown we met a body of from 700 to 800 men. They were all armed, some with rifles and bayonets, and others with pikes and revolvers. They surrounded and disarmed us. We had revolvers and swords, and were in uniform. There was a person named Lennon, who seemed to have the command of them. They put a number of men round us, and we walked in the center. They proceeded, marching in regular order, towards Stepaside, and on reaching the barracks there they summoned the constables to surrender in the name of the Irish republic. The constables refused to surrender, and the insurgents then fired on them by direction of Lennon. They also got a sledge-hammer from the smith's forge, and broke open the door. They likewise broke the windows, and threw in stones, and set the barrack on fire, and threatened to burn the constables out. One of the insurgents said they were at a loss because they had not some Greek fire at the time. There were four or five policemen in the barrack, and they returned the insurgents' fire. When the doors were broken open they surrendered, and their arms were taken from them and distributed among several of the insurgents. Their accoutrements and uniforms were also taken. The insurgents next proceeded to Glencallan, and Lenuon having ordered his riflemen to the front of the barrack there, he summoned the constables to surrender in the name of the Irish republic. The constables refused to surrender, and the insurgents then fired into the barracks, and the fire was returned from the inside. One man was shot beside me. After about a couple of hours' firing the insurgents placed us in front, and got behind us-(laughter)—but the firing did not cease. A letter was then sent to the sergeant of the police, offering us in exchange for their arms, and threatening that if this offer was not accepted, we should be kept in front of the fire. The arms were therenpon given up, and we were released, and the insurgents then marched away. John Macilwain, another of the Irish constabulary, deposed that he remembered the rising of the 5th March, and a few days before this he saw the prisoner, who was afterwards tried as General Halpin, on a car in Dublin. He was in the barrack at the time it was attacked, and he corroborated the evidence given by the last witness as to what took place. |