Dublin Metropolitan Police.
Superintendents Office,
G Division
16 Dec 1861
No.1
In reference to the annexed file, I beg to report that,
I have caused enquiry to be made at the Termini of the
Midland G [Great?] Western and G S & W [Great Southern
& Western?] Railways, and learned that the number of
men specified, did not on the 12th instant, nor upon
any other days during last week, proceed to Galway;
the railway officials positively stated that such
an occurrence could not take place without their
knowledge.
Sergeant McCarthy of the 9th Regmt. [Regiment?]
pointed out to two of my officers the place at which
he lost sight of the man who accosted the recruits,
and on examining the place they found that, there is
a passage leading from the lane under the railway
into a yard; and from thence to Aldboro'
Court, thro' which, no doubt he made his escape
instead of taking refuge in a house as the
sergeant supposed.
Descriptions of the man: - Name unknown, about
35 years of age, 5 feet 6 inches high, stout make,
dark complexion, black hair, small dark whiskers,
round full face, dressed in dark clothes; has the
appearance of a tailor, and carried a vest hung
across his arms.
John Delany, Recruit, Royal Engineers, stated
to the officers that, he saw the man on Saturday
night, 14th instant, in a public house on Innis
Quay, in which singing is allowed, and that he
would be able to identify him at any time, but
added that he expected to be going to England
in a day or two.
I have no doubt but that the police would be able
to trace out and apprehend this man if it should
be considered advisable to do so; when, perhaps
Delany's evidence would be required.
I have been credibly informed that the Brotherhood
of St. Patrick have a Depot in Liverpool in which
the men proceeding to the Federal States are supplied
with all necessaries, and that instead of going
to Galway, they go by Liverpool, and that they only
get the Steam Boat fare from Dublin to Liverpool.
I have sent two officers to watch the trains from
this city to Cork and Galway, and another to watch
the steamboats leaving the port for Liverpool with
instructions to take an account (if any should go)
of the number of men supposed to be emigrating to
America, the result of which, and further enquiries,
shall be reported in due course.
Daniel Ryan, Superintendent.
Confidential
Copy
Cmdr [Commander?] of [N---------?]
[--------------?[
[---------?]
14.12.1861
Aldboro' Barracks
Dublin 13 Dec 1861
John Delany
Recruit, Royal Engineers States as follows : -
About ten o'clock this morning I was walking with
two other recruits outside the barrack gates, when a
respectably dressed man, having the appearance of a
tailor, accosted us. He asked us, had we enlisted.
I said I had. He then said, "It is a great pity
you should have to go to Canada, and perhaps shoot
your father or brother." He also said "Are you not
aware you can emigrate to America, and if you apply
to the Secretary of St. Patrick's Brotherhood at
No. 2 Marlborough Street, you will get clothes
and a free passage to America, and you will be a
soldier when you go there. Now is the time, while
you are in plain clothes, and you can be sent
away privately by night. He also said that 100
young men left last night for Galway, where they
will embark for America.
Thomas Kinshela
Recruit, Royal Artillery States as follows : -
About ten o'clock this morning, I was walking outside
the barrack with two other recruits. A respectably
dressed man with a waistcoat hanging on his arm came
up to us and said "I hope you have not enlisted."
I said I had. He then said that they had an Irish
association for emigration to America at No. 2
Marlborough St., and that we would get œ15 and two
suits of clothes in hand, that on arriving in
America we would be very kindly treated, and that
it would be worth a man's while to get three or
six months imprisonment to get away afterward to
America; and that if we went to Canada we might
have to fight against our fathers or brothers.
I asked him how we were to be supported there,
and he replied that if we applied at the office
in Marlboro' St. we would be taken care of.
Sergeant M'Carthy
97th Regiment States as follows : -
A recruit of the name of Burke (who has since been
medically rejected) came to me this morning and
said that a man had been tampering with him and
other recruits, and trying to persuade them to go
to America, and that it did not signify whether
they had been attested for her Majesty's service
or not. I ran after him to apprehend him, but
he escaped from me by running into a house. I
think I would know him again if I saw him.
Copy 1
The police should immediately be put on enquiry
into this matter not merely in respect of the
individual cases stated, but also in respect of what
was said as to the 100 men going to America by Galway.
The police should make the utmost exertions to
ascertain the identity of the person or persons
who accosted the recruits, but they ought not to
make any arrest without communicating the results
of their enquiries.
J.S. 18.12 [December?]
1861
