Page:Life of John Boyle O'Reilly.djvu/68

34 Witness. I spoke to Lance-Corporal Fitzgerald, I now recollect, about Smith.

President. What did you say about him?

Witness. I was talking to him about the time Smith and I were arrested. He might have been in the room when the paper was reading, but no one read aloud when I was in the room.

President. What did you and Smith talk about yesterday?

Witness. I did not talk to him yesterday, unless I might have spoken to him outside the door, while we were waiting.

President. If Private Smith swore yesterday that you had told him your previous evidence, would it be true?

Witness. No, sir.

(recalled). The two Sixty-first men we met at Pilsworth's did not come to Hoey's. Private Denny never spoke to me about Fenianism. I have often played cards for drink in public houses. When the prisoner introduced me to the civilian at Hoey's it was as a friend of his in the regiment. My regiment turned out for the field yesterday at half-past seven. It was about nine o'clock when Denny made out the paper for me.

Court. If Denny swore that he did not read the paper aloud, would he be swearing what was true?

Witness. I say again that Denny read the paper aloud; if he did not I could not hear him.

President. You must answer "Yes or no."

Witness. It would not be true, sir.

To the Court:

I have heard Denny reading the newspaper aloud on other occasions; I do not know what part of the paper Denny read, but it was about this trial; when speaking to Denny yesterday it was about the trial; about his evidence and mine; when the prisoner introduced me to the civilian at Hoey's, he merely said that I was a friend of his; I cannot repeat the precise words used in introducing me; Denny and I had only a few words about this trial when we spoke together yesterday.

President. The civilians to whom you were introduced you said yesterday were Fenian agents; did they ever ask you to become a Fenian?

Witness. They did.

President. As a rule did you always pay for your drink or were you treated?

Witness. As a rule I was treated.

President. Were those civilians that you met Americans and Fenians?

Witness. I was told so.

President. What were they talking about when the prisoner spoke of the movement?