Brigantine 2
Chapter 2
When Chief inspector Connors of Scotland yard received report the Irish bomber had again blown up another police station in London, he determined to catch the man if it took the effort of the whole yard to put him on the gallows, or at least behind bars for the rest of his life. This Gavan O'Connell, of the Young Irelander Rebellion bunch, had been identified by his accomplice, captured at the site of the recent bombing. Man gave police the information they wanted after intensive interrogation. The man admitted O'Connell and himself had talked about going to Liverpool after the bombing and stay there until things cooled down. Circulars had gone out to all the major cities in England along with O'Connell's description notifying the public of a five hundred pound sterling reward for information leading to the capture or death of the fugitive. So far there had been no public response. If there was no strong lead where O'Connell was hiding, there was the name of another Young Irelander the informant had given, Sean Finn, leader of the rebellious group, a prominent politician in the English parliament. One must be careful here. Lord Finn was a close friend of Abraham Gill, Leader of the House of Lords, and it wouldn't do to recklessly accuse Lord Finn of anything. There was not one shred of evidence that Lord Finn was doing anything nefarious, and the only thing Chief Inspector Connors had to go on was the word of O'Connell's accomplice taken under extreme duress. Besides, Lord Finn was a ranking officer in the East India Tea Company and was owner of a private fleet of merchantmen ships. No, one must be extremely careful about accusing Lord Finn
Chief Inspector Connors was going to approach Lord Finn in a very circumspect manner letting him know that Scotland Yard had an interest in his private affairs. How this could be achieved was by attending a party Lord Gill was giving this Friday for a new member of the Queen Victoria's cabinet. The Chief Inspector needed to be given a seat next to Lord Finn at the dinning table, for if nothing else, his presence might intimidate the lord. He needed to talk with Lord Gill immediately to ask such a favor. He knew Lord Gill was a graduate of Eton and loved cricket.Tomorrow Eton played Harrow in cricket and that would be the place to approach him for such a favor. Why Lord Finn should risk his life and reputation on the Irelanders was a question Connors could only wonder about. A possible answer was Lord Finn wanted Ireland to be a break away country, free and independent of English control.Brig Copenhagen reached Halifax ten days after the storm blew itself out.
Gavan O'Connell quickly jumped ship, intent on finding a certain lawyer on Barrington Street whose name was given, among others, to the Young Irelanders by a High Lord in case they ever needed help in a foreign country. O'Connell searched the streets for Barrington finally finding it at dusk.
He found the law office of Berry Fitgerald, the place he was looking for.A candle was burning in the front part of the office with a man bent over a roll-down desk making entries into what appeared to be a journal. O'Connell, finding the door unlocked, walked in. The clerk looked up from his journal giving O'Connell a cold look that showed his disliked at being interrupted by an ill dressed stranger off the street. He smacked his lips in disgust looking over his glasses, down his nose. “What do you want," he asked in a very superior manner. “We're about to close. We have no time for you now
Sure now I want to see his nibs, the high muckety-muck of this place."
Such words of ill respect for Barrister Fitgerald, brought the clerk to his feet in anger.
"He's not here and unless you have an appointment, he wouldn't see you if he were."
"If you want to hold your position, me dawney, you'd better tell him Gavan O'Connell from London wants to talk with him.”
“I tell you, he's not here."
Gavan took out the few coins he'd brought with him from London holding them in his hand for the clerk to see. It wasn't much, but maybe the clerk could be bought. “See now, I've found some coins as I was entering your office, and I thought maybe you'd lost them."
"Coins, coins? Let me see them. I'm always losing something or other.other, maybe they're mine."
"Sure now, I want them to go to the right person. Are you the right person?"
The clerk looked at the three Silver British pennies. Gavan saw avarice in the clerk's eyes knowing immediately he'd get to see the high potentate. The clerk took the pennies from Gavan’s hand putting them in his vest pocket. O’Connell watched him as he gave a smile and turned to go through a side door. He came back in a few minutes telling the Irishman to go in.
Gavan entered the lawyer's office. It wasn't much to speak of, just book cases with lawyer stuff, a few pictures on the opposite wall, and a desk against that wall with French doors behind it that seem to lead somewhere, A skinny man, in a well tailor suit, sat behind the desk leafing through a manila folder. He looked up when O’Connell came in. There wasn't any happiness on the lawyer’s face. He spoke. "What can I do for you?"
"Sure now I got your name from a friend who told me if I ever needed help in Halifax I could come to you."
" What is your friend's name and do you live in Halifax?"
"I come from England and I can't tell you my friend's name."
" You're from England and you can't tell me your friend's name. Is that it?”
Yes, and he told me to tell you "Nar lagai Dia thu!" . He said you'd
understand."
"What is your name?"
“Gavan O'Connell."
"What kind of work do you do?"
“I’m a tailor and a good one too."
"Why do you look so poor? Tailoring is a good occupation."
"I don't think I can answer your questions unless you understand Nar lagai
Dia thu!"
The barrister took off his glasses and blew his breath on each of the lenses. He
took a handkerchief out of his pocket giving each a good polish. He finally
finished his polishing job, put them back and spoke. ”You come to me with
some kind of Irish gibberish expecting me to understand the words. You won't
tell me anything else about yourself and then expect me to help you. You've been
imbibing too much of the bottle." "
Here now, I haven't had a decent drink since I left Ireland. If you were the
gentleman I think you are, you'd offer me one now from that fine liquor cabinet I
see over against that wall. I think, after a drink or two, I could ease myself into
thinking I’d be alright getting back on that ship I just got off “
“And what ship would that be?”
“I’ll just be on my way and let my friends know you didn’t want to help me.”
“Calm down. I didn’t say I wouldn’t help you. I have to know more about you.
After all,’ Is minic a gheibhean beal oscailt diog duntan’.”
The little dynamiter gave the words a toothy grin and a comeback. “ Begorra,
we do speak the same language. Sure now, I need a place to stay and my own shop.
Your name will be gold when certain people in Ireland know you’ve helped
Gavan O’Connell.”
“What ship are you off?”
“Brig Copenhagen.”
“I know of a boarding house that will take you in. As for your own shop, that
will take a little longer. Go to an address I’ll give you and say Berry Fitzgerald sent
you. They will take you in. Don’t worry about the money. They know me and
know I’m good for it. In the mean time clean yourself up and get some new
clothes. I’ll give you five pounds sterling for that, but never come back
here again. I’ll let you know later about your new shop. In Halifax, the English
have their noses into everything. Got to be careful. You understand?”
“Sure now, me mither never raised an idiot”
“No, I guess not. I’ll give you that address now.”
He took his quill, dipping it into the ink and penned a few words and number on
a piece of an old discarded paper from his waste paper basket. He also gave
O’Connell a letter of introduction.
”The landlord is a Mrs. Blankenship. She’s a widow with a young daughter
of fifteen. Lost her husband last year to an accident.”
“Tit a pity, that is.”
“Yes, but take that address and letter. Leave now. And, Gavan O’Connell,”
the lawyer added with a smile, “ may the little people keep you safe.”
With a two finger salute to his brow, and a few quick words, he thanked the
lawyer. “They’ve always, done me well, me Lord.”
He left the office.
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