Twenty-five years in the Secret Service: The recollections of a spy

by Henri Le Caron

XXXVI.

I saw Mr. Parnell once more. This was when I went to say good-bye to him. I found him in the tea-room of the House of Commons, as cordial as ever. Indeed, he was particularly agreeable on this occasion, presenting me with a photograph of himself, on which he wrote, “Yours very truly, Charles S. Parnell.” This portrait, which is here reproduced, I kept as an interesting souvenir for a long time, but had to surrender it at last to the Special Commission, amongst the records of which it is now duly numbered. Soon after I left London for Ireland, not, however, before I had seen a good deal of Egan, and spent several pleasant evenings in his company, at the house of Mr. A. M. Sullivan, M.P., who now, poor man! is no more. I well remember Egan’s impressing upon me the necessity for my covering my revolutionary sentiments whenever Mr. Sullivan was near. It would never do, I was told, to talk of revolutionary matters, for he was ultramontane. This advice I followed, noting the fact in my own mind to Mr. Sullivan’s credit.

Talented, witty, and brilliant, Mr. Sullivan made a magnificent raconteur. Even now I can recall many of his happy efforts which would well bear reproduction. I shall not, however, yield to the temptation of bringing them in here, but will content myself with recalling one pleasant story told about the irrepressible Mr. Biggar. Mr. Biggar, as I was informed by way of preface, was known as the great objector and “counter-out,” sometimes, sad to relate, moving that the House be counted when it was not to the interests of the party to take any notice of the want of a quorum. Very pious in disposition, he rarely failed to attend early mass, in spite of late sittings and consequent fatigue. One morning Mr. Biggar, fatigued after a very heavy night’s sitting, but still devotionally inclined, attended mass at St. George’s in Southwark. So tired out was he that he fell fast asleep in his chair as the service proceeded, and so he remained until all had been concluded and every one had gone. Upon being vigorously aroused by the verger, Mr. Biggar started up, rubbed his eyes, looked at the roof, and fancying himself at the moment in the House of Commons, with the master instinct strong within him, loudly exclaimed, “Mr. Speaker, I move that the House be counted.”

Yours very truly
Char. S. Parnell

Thanks to Egan, I travelled to Dublin under happy circumstances. I was the bearer of letters of introduction to Dr. Kenny, M.P., O’Rorke, Egan’s brother-in-law, and to those in charge at the Land League head-quarters. I anticipated an interesting time, and I was not disappointed. Dr. Kenny, though his memory is now very deficient—shall I say?—proved the most entertaining of men, and I had both lunch and dinner at his hospitable board in Gardiner Street. It was in his company I paid my visit to Kilmainham Prison, and through his kind introduction that I made the acquaintance of John Dillon, P. J. Sheridan, M. J. Boyton, and the others I met on the occasion. My visit and its incidents afforded a very good insight into how matters were conducted, and proved to me how very easy it was to carry on communication with the outside world—at least when you were an Irish political prisoner. To my surprise there was no attempt made by the warder to hear the conversation I had with Boyton. On the contrary, this interesting official most obligingly took himself off.

This meeting with Boyton was full of interest to me. He was the man, it will be remembered, who had been named by Devoy as carrying out the arrangements for the “active” policy of Ireland, and who was best known as the brother of Captain Boyton the swimmer. From him in the secrecy of conversation, undisturbed by the presence of a warder or fellow-prisoner, I learnt that the Land League had placed the Fenian or National cause in a far stronger position than ever in Ireland. Could the Clan-na-Gael only see the national spirit which had been developed all over Ireland, they would never oppose it, he believed. In counties where the Revolutionary organisation had been dead for years, continued he, there was now material for work, and men ready to go as far as any one. All these men wanted was organisation and leaders. He besought my assistance in proving his claim to be a naturalised American citizen, which, if established, would mean his release. I left him with no doubt in my mind as to his being a thorough-paced Revolutionist. When I got outside the prison, I received from Dr. Kenny a letter which Boyton had intrusted to him after leaving, containing a couple of his photos. Boyton, need I state, was a paid Land League organiser like Sheridan, the director of the Invincibles. My meeting with Sheridan was, by the way, almost a momentary affair, and that with Dillon in the presence of a warder.

After a very interesting time in Dublin, I left by North Wall boat, being “seen off,” as the phrase is, by Egan’s business partner and brother-in-law, O’Rorke, and Andrew Kettle, both Leaguers remaining on the bridge of the boat talking to me till we left. The detailed report of all I had seen and heard was duly submitted to Mr. Anderson. I was commended for my success, said good-bye to everybody, and once more took ship for home, in order to get back in time for the Convention of the Clan-na-Gael, which was to take place very soon. Of course there was another matter which prompted my speedy return, and that was the work I had undertaken to do on behalf of Mr. Parnell. I had to see Devoy and the others, to report the Irish leader’s views to them, and having acquitted myself of all I had to do as a Revolutionary envoy, to find out as much as possible of the result, in order that I might utilise the information in my capacity as an agent of the Secret Service.