Page:Life of John Boyle O'Reilly.djvu/71

Rh were present besides Private Bergin and myself a number of footsoldiers and two civilians, none of whose names I know. The prisoner was also present, but I cannot say if he was in the room when I entered or whether he came in afterwards. I saw Lance-Corporal Fitzgerald, of the Tenth Hussars, there too. He was in the prisoner's company.

Prosecutor. Did you see anything occur on that occcasion between prisoner and the civilians?

Witness. I saw prisoner go up to Fitzgerald, and immediately the latter and the civilians went out. Previous to this I also saw him whispering to the civilians. Any time he did speak it was in a whisper.

Prosecutor. Did you see the prisoner go out of the room on that occasion?

Witness. Yes; the three of them left at the same time. I did not see the prisoner go out of the room more than once. When the three left they were absent for about ten or fifteen minutes, and they returned one after the other. When they returned, one of them spoke to a footsoldier, said good-by to his comrade, and then left the room. There was singing in the room that evening. A foot-soldier sung one of Moore's melodies. I particularly remember the words of one of the songs—

Cross-examined by the Prisoner:

I have been at Hoey's since the occasion in question, but I cannot say how often. I never saw Private Denny there.

Question. If Lance-Corporal Fitzgerald swore that on the occasion in question there were no soldiers at Hoey's but those belonging to Tenth Hussars, would he be swearing what was true?

Witness. No, there were infantry there. I can't say that I was at Hoey's with Lance-Corporal Fitzgerald in November last.

Here the court adjourned, and the examination of Private Rorreson was resumed on the following day.

In reply to the Court:

The infantry soldiers were sitting alongside of me in Hoey's. There were not thirty of the Sixty-first Regiment there. The civilians were sitting at my right. I cannot say whether the soldiers came in first, or whether they were in the room when I went in. I will not swear what time the meeting took place; it was in January. No one spoke to me about my evidence. I was not asked to become a Fenian at Hoey's. Bergin spoke to me elsewhere of it, but never in the prisoner's presence. Any time I ever went to Hoey's it was with Bergin, and the civilians always paid for the drink. I never heard the names of the civilians, but afterwards I heard one was named Devoy. I never heard the names of the others. Devoy appeared to be a born Irishman. I never