Page:Life of John Boyle O'Reilly.djvu/70

36 My real name is Talbot, and I joined the constablery in 1846.

The arch-informer was succeeded by, Tenth Hussars.

In January last I was in a public house, in James's Street, with the prisoner. He took me there to see a friend of mine, as he said that about a fortnight or three weeks previously a young man was inquiring after me. There were present there two civilians to whom he introduced me as two of his friends, but whose names I don't know. From the room we first entered we went into a larger one, where there were three or four soldiers belonging to the Sixty-first Regiment and Tenth Hussars, another civilian, and a young woman.

Prosecutor. Did you see the prisoner stand up and whisper to one of the civilians?

Witness. Yes, to the civilian sitting opposite to him. Very shortly afterwards the prisoner left the room and did not return. I then had a few words with the civilian to whom the prisoner had whispered.

Prosecutor. Did you see a book on that occasion?

Witness. Nothing more than the book the civilian to whom the prisoner introduced me had taken out of his pocket; the prisoner was not then present. I had no conversation afterwards with the prisoner as to what occurred in the public house, or about the friend of mine of whom he spoke. I never ascertained who that friend was.

Cross-examined by the Prisoner:

Witness. I did ask you to go to the theater on the night in question. I told you I had got paid my wages, that I was going to the theater, and that I should like to go and see the friend of whom you had spoken.

Prisoner. Is that what you call my taking you to Pilsworth's.

President. We have not got as far as Pilsworth's yet, as far as I can see.

Prisoner. Is that what you call my taking you to the public house in James's Street?

Witness. It is; I asked you to show me where this friend was, and you said you would take me to the public house, which was the last place where you had seen him.

To the Court:

I returned to the barracks at twelve o'clock that night. The friend of whom the prisoner spoke was a civilian, so he told me. The civilian who spoke to me in the public house asked me if I was an Irishman and I said I was. He asked me if I was going to join this society. I asked what society. He said, the Fenian society. I did not know what that was. Since I was in the public house with the prisoner no one spoke to me of the evidence I was to give here or at this trial.

, Tenth Hussars: I was in Private Bergin's company at Hoey's public house in January last. On that occasion there