No. 103.
Mr. Frelinghuysen to Mr. Lowell.
Department
of State,
Washington, January 31,
1882.
No. 313.]Sir: It has been represented to this department
that Mr. Michael Hart, a naturalized American citizen, was arrested without
just cause on the 3d instant, in Ireland, under the coercion act, and
imprisoned in Clonmel jail, county of Tipperary.
I will thank you to lose no time making inquiries into all the circumstances
attending the arrest of Mr. Hart, and to report the result of your
investigations to this Department, meanwhile making such representations to
the British Government as the facts may be found to justify. Inclosing
herewith for your further information the papers described below,
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure in No. 313.]
Mr. McCorry to Mr.
Frelinghuysen.
Catholic Herald Office,
Lawrence, Mass., January 26, 1882.
Sir: Inclosed herewith find duplicate of
naturalization papers of Michael Hart, lately a resident of No. 167
Essex street, Lawrence, Mass., and now a prisoner in Clonmel jail,
county Tipperary, Ireland. I also inclose slip from Catholic Herald,
dated January 28, 1882 (antedated), containing printed copies of letters
from the prisoner and from his sister to relations here, by which you
will see the manner and cause of his arrest. (No. 1.)
Michael Hart came to this country at the age of sixteen years. On the
first Monday of October, 1878, he was admitted a citizen of the United
States, and thereafter had his name entered upon the “check-list,” or
registry of voters of this city, in confirmation of which I inclose
certificate from the city clerk of Lawrence. (No. 2.)
Michael Hart’s citizenship is thus established beyond the possibility of
a doubt. The fact of his imprisonment is also established, and that he
is now and has been guiltless of any infringement or violation of
British law can be established to your satisfaction. His arrest and
imprisonment being thus wholly without cause, you are now called upon to
demand his release.
I am, &c.,
PETER McCORRY,
Editor Catholic
Herald.
[Appendix 1 to Mr. McCorry’s
letter.]
Commonwealth of
Massachusetts,
Essex, ss:
Be it known, that at the superior court begun and held at Lawrence,
within and for county of Essex aforesaid, on the first Monday of
October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
seventy-eight, personally appeared Michael Hart, a free white person
resident in Lawrence, in the county of Essex, and the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, and having proved to the satisfaction of said court that
he had complied with all the requisitions of the laws preparatory to his
being naturalized, was admitted to become a citizen of the United States
of America pursuant to the laws in such cases made and provided.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my
hand and affixed the seal of said court, at
Salem, this twenty-fifth day of January, in the year
of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
eighty-two.
[
seal.]
ALFRED A. ABBOTT, Clerk.
Witnesses:
- John Linehan,
- John Lane,
Of Lawrence.
[Page 195]
[Appendix 2 to Mr. McCorry’s
letter.—Extract from the Catholic Herald.]
arrest of a lawrence man in ireland—a naturalized
american citizen in a british prison.
A young man named Michael Hart, formerly a resident of Lawrence, Mass.,
went to Ireland on a visit recently to see his people. While there he
was visited by the “peelers,” and taken from his bed at 3 o’clock a.m.,
and with another man, named Cotter, was hurried off to Clonmel jail.
Hart came to this country before he was sixteen years of age. When
arrived at the age of twenty-one he took out his naturalization papers
and discharged all the duties of a citizen afterward. His name appears
on the check-list of Lawrence, showing that he was entitled to vote, and
it is known that he exercised his privileges as a citizen.
The following letters explain themselves:
“Ballintubber, January 3, 1882.
“My Dear—: I have sad news to tell you.
Michael was arrested this morning about 3 o’clock, under the
coercion act, and sent to Clonmel jail. You cannot know what
trouble we are in. God only knows how we are spending Christmas.
No one knows the state of Ballintubber at present. Every one was
rushing to our house when it became known that Michael was gone;
but he has gone for no shameful crime. He told mother, when
going, not to drop a tear for him; that he would come out
without a stain. He had a comrade going with him, Edmund Cotter,
from Car-ragane. You may be sure they had a good guard of
police; a sub-inspector and two head constables came into the
house with a warrant for him; the rest of the police remained
outside on the road with two cars. They gave him time to dress.
When he went out we were more than surprised to see Ned Cotter
outside, and the first word he said was, ‘I suppose —— did not
get his rent.’ Bridget replied, ‘He may not be alive when you
come out.’ I suppose —— was the cause of Cotter’s arrest, too.
Michael began to laugh when he saw Cotter; I suppose there will
be more arrests. The people here say they will not pay one
halfpenny of rent while Michael is in jail; so it is the worst
day’s work —— ever done. Michael told us to let you know that he
is an American citizen, and to see about this.
“I remain,
“——— ———”
The following letter is from the prisoner:
“Clonmel Jail, January 6, 1882.
“Dear Friend: With pleasure I write you
all, hoping you are well; I am well, but not as well as you
would wish me. I suppose it likely you have heard of the New
Year’s gift I received from the government here—a warrant to go
to jail. I thought you would be anxious to hear from me from
inside this new residence. I am in the largest boarding-house
now I ever was in, and I don’t know how long I will remain here,
either. The reason I am here, I know not; but the warrant from
—— said it was for inciting people not to pay their rents. We
paid our rent, at least it was paid for us; and you that are in
Lawrence know as much about the cause of my arrest as I do
myself. * * * The laws here are changed more than those of any
other country.
“The American people boast very much about their republic and
great men, but when that government allows her citizens to be
thrown into British prisons without getting any kind of a trial,
I think your great men and fine republic can’t say a great deal
for themselves. We go to church here on Sundays and holidays
inside this heroic spot. * * *
“Yours, ever,
“MICHAEL HART.”
[Appendix 3 to Mr. McCorry’s
letter.]
Mr. Shepard to Mr.
McCorry.
City
Clerk’s Office,
Lawrence,
Mass., January 26,
1882.
My Dear Sir: In reply to your note of inquiry
of even date, would say that Mr. Michael Hart was a qualified voter in
this commonwealth in 1878, and he was borne upon the registry of votes
in this city for 1878, and is entered as residing at 167 Essex street,
this city.
Very truly, yours,
JAS. E. SHEPARD,
City
Clerk.
