Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 1911)
I) Tin: OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: HXKUAUY 10. 1011. Omaha Irishmen to Honor Emmet, - Patriot and Martyr cSOIIN HUSH : 1 " ' If I - I (gjk V 'j vi p,cHEArol!K (M " ' N : ' If 1 0 r::: mmk z tM lit , : - 'wur mmMm. s ta ;ss A .yfw T' a-f ' 1 i m MM M M W mm ' - " . 1 a r mr ' ir 1 ' f n 1 . v . . ini ine Lmmei asocisLion nas Dcen worth ini a w.. jr 7Sr "Let no iran dare, hen I am dead, to charge to with dishonor! Let no man attaint tar memory by believing that I could have en aaed In any cause but that of my country'a liberty and independence! I would not hare ubmitted to a foreign oppressor for the same reason that I would resist the domestic tyrant. In the dignity of freedom. I would hare fought upon the threshold of my country, and lta enemy should enter only by passing over my lifelesa corpse. "If the spirits of the Illustrious dead par ticipate in the concerns and cares of those who were dear to them In this transitory life. O ever dear and venerated shade of ray departed father! look down with acrutiny upon the con duct of your suffering; son. and see If I "have, even for a moment, deviated from those princi ple of morality and patriotism which it was your care to instill Into my youthful mind, and for which I am row to offer up my life. "My lordf, you seem Impatient for the sacri fice. Be ye patient. I have but a few worda more to say. My lamp of life la nearly ejtin golshed! My race is run! The grave opens to receive me. and I sink into Its bosom! 1 have but one request to make at my departure from this world; It ta the charity of silence. Let no man write my epitaph; for, as no man who knowa my motives dare now vindicate them, let cot prejudice or Ignorance asperse them. Let them and me repose In obscurity and peace, and my tomb remain uninscrlbed, until other times, and other men, can do Justice to my character. When my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then, and not till then, let, my epitaph be written. I have done." From Emmet'a speech In the dock. ENDER sentiment toward the memory of Robert Emmet haa found a congenial borne In Irish hearts since the day, now ' well over a century past, when bis In tense personality was laid low on an English scaffold. And recent events in Great Britain have raised the fond hope In those same Irish hearts that the day may be close at band when the epitaph ot Robert Emmet can be written by men who deeply sense his motives and will dare much to vindicate them. Thomas Moore, he cf the melodious muse, sang with high reverence for Emmet's great qualities: Oh! breathe not his name let it aleep In the Bhade Where, cold and unhonor'd his relics are laid; Sad. silent and dark be the tears that we shed. As the night-dew that falls on the grass o'er bia head. But the night-dew that falls, though in silence it weepa. Shall brighten with verdure the grave where he sleeps; And the tear that we shed, though in secret it rolls, Shall long keep his memory green In our souls. Another of Moore's poema la devoted to the sad dened girl who was to have been the bride of Robert Emmet, Sarah Curran; She la far from the land where her young hero sleepa, And lovers are round her sighing; Bnt coldly ahe turna from their gae, and weeps. For her heart In his grave is lying. 4 Emmet Monument Association of Omaha. On a Sunday evening. April 4, 1869, the Emmet . Monument association ot Omaha waa organized by Frank Rooney of County Antrim. Ireland. The meet ing waa held in old Liberty hall, in the Caldwell block, on Douglas street, between Thirteenth and Four teenth. Judge J. E. Kelley was the first president, and those who followed blm In that office through the years since were Thomas Carr, P. McDonnell, C. V. Gallagher, Peter O'Malley, John Rush, John Groves, John Burke, M. Lee, P. J. Barrett. Dan Shelly. George O'Brien, M. O'Brien. Thomas Tallon, J. M. McMahon, W. P. Russell. P. J. Cummlncs, Peter O'Malley, a sec ond time; R. M. Doody and Maurice Kane, the prevent Incumbent. At the time of organization the object of the as sociation waa anuounced "to commemorate the mem ory and perpetuate the Ideals cf Robert Emmet" Tha association has clung close to thia object up to the present day. ' During its existence the Emmet association has had but six treasurers, the first being FM1 Dowling. He was succeeded. In turn, by Thomas Kennedy, An drew Murphy. Peter O'Malley, Thomaa Tallon and P. C. Heafry, the preserit treasurer. To go throur.h the roster of membership of th!s association calls to mind many men ho were In their tlme and aome are still prominent and active eplrita in the affairs of Omaha. On the list may be found the names of Judee J. E. Kelley. General George M. O'Brien. Mkbael Donovan. William Roberts. Colontl John Burke. Thomas Kennedy. John Groves, John Rurh. Colonel John O'Keefe, John Quim, Ser geant Michael Cody, General Fitzgerald, Henry Lucas, Edward Coyle, William Maher. P. F. Murphy. William White. Martin G. GrifSn. Colonel MuWhy. Richard G'Ketfe, M. V. Gannon, M. J. VtMafcon, Patrick FMey, Cbarlea Hanloy. Andrew Murphy, Ed Quim. Michael FHimaurice and Jerry Reardon. $ tliartcr Memtwi-s to Be at Ilamjuet. Some of thfe rven will be in attendance at the tanuet 'o be pieri jointly by the Emmet Monument aMKlatlo ai-4 , the Irish Fellowship tlub bt J2R .T.K .HULLETT Omaha at the Henshaw hotel, on Tuesday evening, February 2 8. On thia occasion the principal oration will be delivered by Frank P. Walsh of Kansas City, whose subject will be, "Freedom's Price." Me. Walsh, has been he&rd before in Omaha as orator for the Elka at a memorial service, and his reputation is such that the Irishmen of Omaha are rejoicing in being able to, secure his attendance at the banquet. Other speakers will be John Rush, on "Robert Emmet." and L. J. Te Poel. on "Progressing." A musical program ia also on the card, and "God Save Ireland" will be sung by the whole gathering. That the Emmet association haa been worth while, to the cause In the old land has been amply proven on mora than one occasion, but most notably at tha -time of the visit of Charles Stewart Parnell to Amer- Vs lea In the early part of 18 SO. At that time famine and eviction proceedings were threatening the lives of many thousands of the people of Ireland. A commit tee of three, Michael Donovan, Peter O'Malley and John Rush, raised in Omaha in twenty-four hours the sum of $2,000, which was transmitted to the relief committee in Ireland, in response to Parnell'a appeal. In June, 1S83, the Emmet Monument association waa instrumental in organizing In Omaha a branch of the Irish National Land league. Fred W. Gray, the lumberman, was the first president of the Omaha branch, and during the fall of 1883 a fair waa held under the auspices of the branch which resulted In $2,500 being Bent to Rer. Charles O'Reilly of Detroit, the national treasurer. Raised Money for O'Neill Monument. Another most worthy accomplishment of the Em met Monument association was the formulating and Excavating the "Hill of Tara" t 1 1OME curious ancient history is being re called In connection with the excavations now being made at the "Hill of Tara," aeat of the old Irish kings. Wonderful discoveries of golden vessels and other treasures are being made. in the early centuries of the Chris tian era it waa the site of a great city. Irish bardic traditions trace the establishment of monarchical gov ernment there to Slaigne, first king of the Fir-Bolgs, the early Beiglc conquerors of Erin. The bardic his torians say there reigned at Tara 148 Ard-Righs. The Hill of the Kings reached the height of its splendor In the third century after Christ, a period quite within the limlta of authentic Irish history. Tara's hill waa then crowned with palaces, among the sacred groves of the Druids; tta slope's were hives of Industry. It waa at Tara that St. Patrick preached to an Im mense crowd assembled to celebrate the Pagan rites. Before the Pagan king, surrounded by menacing Drulda and hostile nobles, be and his small band of "shaven crowna with crooked staffs," stood and de nounced Idolatry. It is recorded that Patrick made many converta and baffled the Druids at that great encounter. He certainly obtained protection for his person and freedom to teach the Christian doctrine, but he did not succeed In converting Laoghaire, the Ard Righ. That monarch lived In peace with the .apostle, but he remained a pagan, and when he died. In 463, he was interred, as befitted a pagan king, "in the external rampart of his royal rath, to the south east, with his shield of valor, and with hla face to the south, as it were, fighting the Lagontans." The next Ard Rlgh, Leary, however, became a Christian, and henceforth the new sect steadily spread over Ireland. After the time of Patrick the monarchs of Ireland continued to reign at Tara until the death of Dermld, In 63. That monarch violated the right of sanctuary and in punishment for his crime Saint Ruadan pro nounced a curse on Tara, prophesying that no future monarch of Ireland should reside there. The Hill of Tara haa been deserted from the time of Dermid's death. The walla of Its palaces soon crumbled to de cay; their foundations have lasted to our day. Some of the treasures already recovered must have lain on the spot where they were found on the very hilltop for nearly 1,400 years. It seems certain that a great mass of treasures such as these, personal or naments, with drinking cups and domestic utensils dating from the earliest period of Irish history down to the time when Celtic art waa at ita highest point, will be discovered at Tara. It ia believed, also, that amidst the rude pagan relics there will be found relics of the apostle of Ireland himself or of his companions and Immediate successors. Pathetically mixed with the rellca of 2,000 years before, arms of a modern time may be found those which the band of "crorpiea" held In their desperate atand on Tara in 1798. And still later relics may be found instruments from the forty bands, remnants of the thousand banners which waved around. O'Con nell when, on August 15. 1843, he addressed 750,000 of his followers assembled on Tara to acclaim him as the "uncrowned king of Ireland." The glories of the place came to an end in a curi ous way. The Ard Righ, grandson of a great-grandson of Leary, sent his representative out through the provinces to collect the usual annual tribute. This particular representative of the high king waa a little bit injudicious, for when he arrived at the palace of King Guare of Connaught he Insisted on entering It with his spear across his body under his arms. The spear was too long or the door was too nafrow to admit of entrance in this way. So, In the name of the Ard Righ, he ordered the door to be pulled down so that he could enter In the way he desired. King Guare refused. Hence the feud that ultimately laid Tara low. The clerica championed the cause of King Guare, and In due time a deputation of them' went to Tara, and one of them solemnly cursed the hill, with the result that it became gradually deserted, that the Immense palace fell into ruins and that it ceased to be the seat of the High Kings of Ireland. When the excavation work Is completed L'Union 'Celtique, an organization of Irishmen living on the continent, wfll undertake the erection of a new ball on'Che foundationa of the ancient banqueting hall, which will be at once a museum of Irish antiquities and a central place of meeting for all those who desire to uphold and advance the Celtic cause. Buffalo Had Thick Skull Cards Costly-Luxury .IND3 of men can hardly Imagine the hardneta of an old bull buffalo's skull, with clay and mud Imbedded in the wooL" said Scott Cummins, an old buf falo hunter cf Alva, OkL "I came hunt ing In Oklahoma from Wellington, Kan., when thia waa still a buffalo range. "As we drove up on a slight elevation near a aand creek we aaw a lona buffalo, a straggler, down the creek. He waa feeding quietly, and as the wind was in cur favor he did not observe ua. We pulled off down into a small ravine that led to the creek. Hand ing the linea to my companion, who was very deaf, I picked up my Spencer carbine, which had seven cartridges In its magazine. "I alighted from the wagon and skulked down the sale, and, gt-ttir.g down on hands and kneta, I craaled up through ratk tula grass until within about a hundred yards of the unsuspecting animal. Then I took deliberate aim at a point behind his shoulder blade and fired. "My aim was good and he fell with a thud. Anx ious to hikk hiiB. I started forward. lntabtly ha waa on his feet and coming toward me, jumping stiff legged In the manner of a bucking broncho. Every hair on him seemed turned the wrong way; he cer tainly looked vicious. "Then came my real surprise. When the old bull waa about twenty feet from me 'I cut loose and hit him squarely between the eyea. The 50-caliber bullet glanced aside and went singing across the hills as If It had struck a chunk of Bessemer steel. "The bull kept comlcg and I saw that I waa in for a big lot of trouble. I tried vainly to dodge the mon 1 ater, and in a moment he struck me like a batering ram. I have a faint recollection of the ground fljing up to hit me. I saw Innumerable stars, although it was broad daylight. "When I regained my senses I saw the buffalo atanding within a few feet of re, trembling l.ke a leaf. I grabbed my carbine aud fired as quickly as possible, and dotn he fkiue. I turveyeJ llai at a safe distance until fottJirl that he dead, and then approached cautiously and lld tim. "This waa the fret wild buffalo try partner fcal ever seen, and he wes villi i-h delight, though L Lad tot Lend tie of a i.i'.s fcict." T HE Internal revenue receipts from playing cajds alone thia year attained the impossi ble total of I5C5.524.34. That waa $63, 174.78 more than the figures for 1909, when the total waa $502,252.5. and waa $41,392.46 over 1908, when the revenue amounted to $459,860.12. The revenue stamp that must go on every pack of carda sold costs 2 cents. When that tlay little charge la divided into the year's Income, says a writer In the New York World, It becomes apparent that the United Statea managed to get away with 28,276,217 packs of cards during 1910; that the Increase over 1909, of 3,163,588 packs, waa greater than the entire aale of carda in France during the last fiscal year; and that the gain over the year before that was more than 2,000,000 packs when the domestic production waa passing the 25.000,000 mark. Where a pack of cards abroad may do duty for years sni yea is. It is ily an.org the poorest aud among tbe Bio: ccarly "broke" of American gamblers that a biV.y ..rn dck makis Ita d-i-ri-:t appearance. Our o d moke of cnr1 is fit fr coi:.; ri.n, Biehai.i cr,!!y, i' h tho tf Frax.c or tha rit cf Europe ny IRAKK cr&cor carina OCCASION carrying out of a project to erect tha impressive toon j ument that now stands at tha grave of General John j O'Neill, n Holy Sepulcher cemetery. The older Irish men of Omaha still speak with enthusiasm of th , patriotic devotion of General O'Neill to the serrice of : his adopted country and to the highest aspirations of the old land. So It was a representative gathering that attended the meeting to organize for the erection of the O'Neill monument. T. J. Mahoney was mad president, Sam Montgomery vice president, John Groves secretary and P. C. Heafey treasurer. An ex ectuive committee was formed, composed of M. V. Gannon, John Rush, Connt John A. Creighton, Joseph Teahon. Thomas Tallon, Peter O'Malley, John Mona han, John O'Donahue and Michael Donovan. "Feeling that the duty and honor- of commem orating ihe achievements of our fellow countryman, was not confined to Omaha Irish-Americans alone, but that others of his race would he glad to contribute, we sent out an appeal," said Peter O'Malley. "This went to Irishmen throughout the United States, and inside of twelve months we had sufficient funds and erected the beautiful shaft which now marks the grave of General O'NeilL" Speaking in reminiscent vein of the early days of the Emmet association, Mr. O'Malley recalled with sadness that the men who bore many of tha names given above have passed away. "They fondly hoped during their lifetime that their country, freed from the Iron rule of England, would assume her proper station among the other nations of the earth," ha aaid, "but died without seeing It. That day may be yet far distant, but we never lose hope that It will come. Impoverished, persecuted and oppressed as no other land has been; confiscated, subjugated, but never conquered: breaking forth ever and again from the tomb in which her enemies fondly dreamed they had laid her forever the old land still looks with unwsvering confidence to Him whom she has so long served in humility and patience for the time of, her exaltation. We feel she will then give to the other nations of the world aa glorious an exampls of virtus and faithfulness in prosperity as she has given during her long night of sorrow and gloom." Irifth Fellowship Club la Young. The Irish Fellowship club Is a young organization compared to the Emmet association, but it gives prom lse of being an active force for good aa it accumu lates dignity and reputation with age. It Is modeled on the lines of similar clubs that have proved popular centers for bringing Irishmen and thc!r descendants, of all creeds, closer together in many other cltiea of the United States. Dr. T. R. Mullen, the president, says of the Irish Fellowship club:. "For some time members of different Irish organ izations had been meeting Jointly for the advance ment of common interests. On some of these occa sions men of Irish blood not connected with any so ciety were Invited In. The need and the advantage of a general organization formed on broad linea ia which men of differing views on Irish affairs could mingle, was apparent. The Omaha Irish Fellowship club was the outgrowth of this feeling, snd It was formally organized In August of last year. "Ita growth has been rapid and many men have Joined who did not care to enter the other Irish or ganizations becsuse of the specific requirements laij down. This club Is intended to be the clearing bouse for all ideas and purposes affecting the Interests ot Irishmen, and It makes very light demand upon the time of ita members. Our meetings are always inter esting and very often attractive features are on the program. There la practically none of the tiresome detail Incident to carrying on the usual 'order of busi ness.' Several prominent and capable men have ad dressed the club since Ua organization and we will have many othera from time to time." The spokesman for this new organlzatiea at the banquet on the 28th will be L. J. Tepoelwho was ac tive In the work of forming it. The officers of the Fellowship club are: Presi dent. Dr. T. R. Mullen; vice president, M. P. O'Connor; recording secretary, William P. Maher; financial sec retary, L. J. Te Poel; treasurer Peter O'Malley. Th club holda Its meetings in the Arlington block. The tmo organizations giving this bauquot hava tlially la tuind tha honoring of tha birthday ot Robert Emmet, which falls on March 4. As this oc curs in Lent, the banquet date waa pushed ahead to Tuesday, the 2Pth. It ia expected the capacity of the Henahaw banqut-t room will be tested to the limit, a.' nee tbe worsen ara to be welcomed to this a flair e;"y iva tta ties.